WHICH WAR ON DRUGS?

Regarding Sen. Paul Coverdell's (R-Ga.) April 10 op-ed column on Colombia:
Why arm a government that Amnesty International has called "the most
abusive in the Western Hemisphere," responsible for 3,500 to 10,000
collateral (read: "innocent") casualties a year?

Why does Colombia have to be armed with the latest UH-60 helicopters? Most
aviation experts state that for the counter-narcotics role, the upgraded
UH-1 is perfectly acceptable and, at one-tenth the price of a new UH-60, a
bargain.

Finally, if the goal of the war on drugs is to get Americans off illegal
drugs, why did the senator vote against the companion bill allocating $1.3
billion for drug treatment?

Jason Rubadeau, Calistoga, Calif.