MUDDLED WAR ON DRUGS

Sen. Slade Gorton has become quite the wise old man of war. In addition to
opposing the war against Serbia and the open-ended occupation of Kosovo, he
led a losing effort in the Senate last week to chop $734 million from an
aid package to Colombia. The heavyweight in the package is $500 million for
the Colombian army and police, including 250 American military advisors and
60 helicopters.

Of this largess, Gorton says, "Will it help Colombia? Does it really
address drug problems in the United States? Is there an exit strategy?"

If history is any judge, the answer is no, no and no. Drug money is
self-financing and relentless. It seeps into Colombia's soul. It corrupts
the army. It pays informers and spies. It finances communist guerrillas and
right-wing paramilitary organizations.

The ultimate sources of all this, as Gorton said, are "Americans who
purchase cocaine."

Another unsuccessful amendment tried to address the demand side of the
Colombia cocaine connection. Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., wanted to cut
$225 million from the package and spend it on U.S. drug treatment programs.

The shameful fact of this civil war is that Americans are financing both
sides. How will such a war ever end? Don't ask the 89 senators who voted
for the helicopters, advisers and guns. They don't know.