'DRUG WAR' SPREADS MISERY

Re "The Drug War?" (Aug. 23): You left out some of the highlights. The
American-backed spraying programs have wiped out many thousands of
acres of arable land all over Colombia. Glyphosate -- brought to you
by the friendly folks at Monsanto, makers of Agent Orange -- causes
liver tumors, premature births, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and thyroid
cancer, among other ills.

Is most of it being sprayed on coca and poppies? No. "Most" of it is
pushing indigenous peoples off their land. When new mineral deposits
or oil is found, the peasants who own the land are declared
"narco-terrorist sympathizers" and are pushed out. If they don't go
peaceably. . . Does it sound farfetched or familiar?

Occidental Oil -- the friendly folks who brought you Love Canal -- and
BP -- yes, that "BP" -- have been implicated in using right-wing death
squads to clear out peasants as was reported in the San Francisco
Examiner on March 15 (not much play up here . . . I wonder why?). The
peasants join FARC by the hundreds and they control southern Colombia.
This plan will drive thousands of Colombian Indians and peasants into
surrounding countries like Ecuador, which has no current
"narco-terrorist" problem. They will soon.

The "Drug War" must stop now. It is killing poor indigenous peoples.
It is killing Americans in America every day. If we let these greedy
monsters continue, our young men will again die on foreign soil for
someone's profit. If these corporate jackals want a war, let's make
sure it's their kids taking point in the jungle. Mine's not going.

George Comeaux
Anchorage