FIGHTING DRUGS

With Safeguards, New Sanction Legislation A Strong Weapon

Congress must include adequate safeguards to protect the innocent in
legislation now being considered to give the president power to impose
sanctions against foreign individuals and companies collaborating with drug
lords.

The nation has learned that laws intended to produce good results can have
unintended consequences, such as the civil forfeiture laws where monies and
properties of people suspected of trafficking in drugs -- people who were
actually innocent -- have been confiscated by the federal government
without due process.

There is no need to widen such violations of constitutional rights.

But with the innocent protected from potential abuse, the proposed
legislation would give the president a powerful weapon against foreign
companies and individuals who help drug chieftains manufacture or deliver
their drugs or provide the means of laundering drug money.

Proposed sanctions would include barring U.S. citizens from doing business
with drug collaborating foreign businesses and individuals, freezing the
collaborators' U.S. assets and monetary fines and prison sentences.

To date the United States has largely focused attention on getting foreign
governments to cooperate in the battle against drug traffickers, without
targeting foreign individuals and companies who assist those in the illicit
drug trade.

America's drug czar, Barry McCaffrey, favors the new sanction powers, if
they include the necessary safeguards against abuse.