DRUG WAR LEGISLATION HELPS THE POLITICIANS

To The Editor:

President Clinton signs bill providing $1.3 billion aid to Colombia to
fight the drug war! Great example of how the drug war " cash cow "
works for the politician.

First, to get the bill passed there was millions of dollars promised
to senators and congressmen to take back to their home states for
their little perks to help them look good for their elections.

The first $400 million of the bill will go to U.S. helicopter
builders. The helicopter builders just happening to be looking for
customers! A little extra bonus, the "bell birds" will have to be set
up with new engines that can fly in thinner air above 5,000 ft. They
must be equipped with armor and spraying capabilities.

The U.S. will cover the cost to fly them, Black Hawks - $1,500 per
hour, Hueys - $500 per hour, maintenance cost too, that is required
every 10 hours of flight time.

One should note here that Barry McCaffrey of the Office of National
Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is a retired army general and has a
career connection to helicopters!

The U.S. government doesn't seem to be concerned about the health
effects on the hundreds of thousands of Colombian people, other crops,
or animals from the "powerful biological herbicide" that they plan to
use in Colombia!

That's understandable, if test in Florida are successful the U.S. may
spray every state with the fungus Oxysporum fusarium to eliminate
outdoor cultivation of marijuana.

The armor is required because of the resistance they expect from the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the National Liberation
Army. Whom they have been fighting for 35 years.

The Colombian army also wants to remove the U'WA Indians from their
homeland.The U'WA Indians are stopping Occidental petroleum from
drilling for an estimated 1.5 billion bbl of oil on their ancestral
lands. Ray Irani, Occidental's chairman, gave $100,000 to the
Democrats. Al Gore controls $500,000 worth of Oxy stock. If Occidental
petroleum gets the oil, Gore's stocks would be worth alot more!

Now if by some remote chance you still believe going to Colombia will
solve the "drug war", here is a quote from Barry McCaffrey of ONDCP.
"Coca and opium poppy are cultivated world wide and production would be
easily shifted elsewhere, coca production has tripled over the last
few years in Peru." (Watertown Daily Times, May 15)

Larry Seguin
Lisbon, New York