FIGHTING THE DRUG WAR

Your argument that it is in the national interest of the United States to
fight the drug war at its source (Editorial, May 23) is sound as long as it
does not overlook the war being fought at the other end of the drug
pipeline - the American end.

That war is prosecuted by an American force as needy of financial assistance
as Colombia - the Coast Guard. It is indeed ironic that, as the Clinton
administration and Congress debate giving more than a billion dollars and
military equipment to Colombia, our own Coast Guard is forced to work with
obsolete gear.

For example, many of the service's cutters are 30 years old. Its aircraft
are aging, and its communications equipment is outdated. In fact, the Coast
Guard is taking on even more missions, particularly in the Caribbean, where
America-bound drugs continue to flow. Rather than making great gains in the
war on drugs, the Coast Guard finds itself struggling just to keep up.

The bottom line is that the Coast Guard must have better equipment if it is
to succeed. Fortunately, some lawmakers agree, but the Coast Guard needs and
deserves a firm commitment from the White House and Congress to ensure it
remains capable of fighting the drug war for years to come.

Phillip Thompson, Senior Fellow, Lexington Institute, Arlington