SURVEILLANCE

Clinton administration without focus in drug war

Aerial surveillance on drug smuggling operations in the Caribbean has
dropped to about half of what it was two years ago, increasing the chances
of smugglers' getting through to make their deliveries undetected, according
to congressional testimony.

How could this be when drug use is increasing by leaps and bounds in the
United States and President Clinton is supposedly engaged in an all-out
anti-drug war?

The reason is that as of May 1 the United States is no longer flying
counter-drug missions from Howard Air Force Base in the Panama Canal Zone.
It's part of this country's agreement to turn the Canal Zone, including
Howard and four other military bases, over to Panama on Dec. 31.

Unfortunately, the Clinton White House was unprepared with some substitute
base in the Caribbean area from which to continue the 2,000 counter-drug
flights a year once launched from Howard.

Loss of Howard for U.S. flights came as no surprise. In fact, the
administration had been in unsuccessful negotiations with Panama for a
12-year extension on use of the base.

The obvious would have been for this country to have had alternative base
locations capable of being used immediately all lined up and ready to go.

In fact, alternative bases have been found, but it may take as long as two
years to get them up to operational speed, according to a Pentagon
spokesman.

With this sort of attention to detail, one wonders just how serious Bill
Clinton is about his well-articulated war on drugs.

Clinton cut funding that would have paid for the hiring of 1,000 additional
Border Patrol and U.S. Customs agents -- agents who are sorely needed and
who had been requested by the Justice Department.

Clinton may be concerned about the interdiction of drugs before they enter
the country to poison and destroy Americans, but not being prepared with an
alternative Caribbean base and his refusal to hire more border agents
demonstrates a terrible lack of focus.