U.S. CONGRESS APPROVES $2.7 BILLION FOR DRUG WAR

WASHINGTON--U.S. Congress gave a $2.69 billion shot in the arm to the fight
against Latin American drug traffickers Wednesday, saying the Clinton
administration had lowered its guard on the narcotics front.

The money will go to buy planes, boats, radars and guns needed by the U.S.
Coast Guard, the U.S. Customs Service and Colombian police to stop South
American cocaine and heroin from reaching U.S. streets. The Senate approved
the additional anti-drug funding over the next three years as part of the
massive omnibus spending package signed into law by President Clinton. The
Western Hemisphere Drug Elimination Act, authored by Republican Senator
Mike DeWine of Ohio, beefs up international police action, reversing a
1990s trend towards spending more on domestic drug enforcement. The new
legislation says the United States has to crack down on foreign sources
rather than internal demand if it wants to stop Americans taking illegal
drugs.

"This law is a major step toward keeping drugs out of our country," said
DeWine. "It will mean more planes in the air, more ships at sea and less
drugs on the streets of our neighborhoods." "We're back in the business of
putting the drug lords out of business," he said. The drug measure will, in
particular, bolster Colombia's national police with new helicopters and
equipment to confront leftist guerrillas allegedly allied with drug cartels.

The law earmarks $201 million over the next three fiscal years to buy the
Colombian police six powerful Blackhawk helicopters needed to reach
high-altitude poppy plantations.

It also provides for the upgrade of 50 UH-1H Huey helicopters into Super
Huey gunships, the purchase of DC-3 transport planes and the rebuilding of
an antidrug base destroyed by guerrillas in southern Colombia. The measure
warns Colombia that U.S. drug assistance will be cut off if newly-elected
President Andres Pastrana's plans to make peace with the guerrillas
interfere with drug eradication operations. Pastrana's peace plan involves
demilitarizing parts of the country. The law, however, allows Clinton to
keep the aid flowing to Colombia for 90 days if he finds that it is vital
for U.S. national interests there. Congress decided to add $180 million
over three years for alternative agricultural development programs aimed at
weaning peasants off drug crops in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.

It authorized $69 million for U.S. agricultural research aimed at
developing "environmentally-approved" herbicides to kill drug crops. Other
major spending items are: $454.5 million for Coast Guard interdiction
operations; $630 million for new Coast Guard patrol boats, planes and
sensor and communications equipment; and $886.5 million for 20 new P-3
surveillance planes for the Customs Service. Another $36 million will go to
improving the Coast Guards and port controls of Central American nations
through 2001.

Mexico gets $6 million to train its judges, prosecutors and police in
skills needed to wage the drug war.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski