Beyond the simple fact that the FARC insurgency predates Colombia's
criminal drug industry, there are many reasons for questioning Barry
McCaffrey's premise that massive military spending in Colombia will
reduce the flow of drugs into the United States. Yet the drug czar is
lobbying for $1.7 billion mainly to attack leftist guerrillas.

The U.S.-inspired Single Convention treaty globalized criminal drug
markets in the '60s; their size and influence were increased after
Richard Nixon declared "war" on drugs in the '70s. The Soviet collapse
and subsequent globalization of trade have stimulated further growth
to where criminal drug markets now corrupt whole nations and threaten
regional stability around the world. Cocaine flowing from destitute
Andean nations to the U.S. through a severely troubled Mexico, and
heroin flowing from Afghanistan/Pakistan through Kosovo into Western
Europe are but two examples.

That drug revenues arm insurgencies and repressions alike has been
documented repeatedly: in Burma, Vietnam, Central America and
Afghanistan.

American experience with alcohol prohibition showed that the only
"control" of a criminal market is to put it out of business by ending
the ban that created it. Although our present political atmosphere
won't permit this logic to be articulated by anyone seeking political
office, one hopes the Senate won't see our failed drug policy as a
valid reason to intensify Colombia's war.

Even if they run true to form and approve Mr. McCaffrey's proposal,
there's a chance the ensuing humanitarian disaster may provoke
rethinking of our destructive drug policy.

That may be the best reasonable people can hope for.

TOM O'CONNELL,
San Mateo, Calif.

Note: Tom O'Connell-Dr. O'Connell edits the DrugSense Weekly newsletter.
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