US DRUG CZAR VISITS NETHERLANDS

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- Just days after dubbing the lax Dutch drug
policy an ``unmitigated disaster,'' U.S. drug czar Barry McCaffrey took a
closer look Thursday. He came away unconvinced, but more diplomatic.

McCaffrey said he felt ``a strong feeling of partnership'' with his hosts.
Still, the retired four-star general said he frowned on the laissez-faire
Dutch attitude toward hashish and marijuana sales and a government program
that distributes free heroin to addicts.

McCaffrey's harsh criticism ahead of the one-day visit prompted officials
here to question the value of his mission.

>From the corridors of Dutch government buildings where retaliatory
statements were issued, to funky coffee shops where hashish and marijuana
are sold over the counter, McCaffrey has generated a buzz.

``He has to come to our coffee shop and look around. The atmosphere is good
and there is no violence,'' said Anouke Scholten, who works at Amsterdam's
Coffeeshop 36.

Not a chance. McCaffrey described coffee shops as ``an impairment of the
drug prevention message.''

After arriving Thursday morning, McCaffrey plunged into a packed day of
meetings with officials representing every facet of the Dutch drug policy.

Presentations ranged from the country's heroin handout experiment to
techniques used by customs authorities in the world's largest port,
Rotterdam, to prevent drug trafficking.

Describing his visit as ``intensive and useful,'' McCaffrey said he
respects those involved in the fight against drugs.

``I walk away from this visit with some things that I think will assist us
in developing a more sensible American drug policy,'' McCaffrey told
reporters.

But he also expressed some concerns, warning of a production surge in the
Netherlands of amphetamines, the synthetic hallucinogen Ecstasy and
Nederwiet, a potent Dutch-grown marijuana.

McCaffrey also criticized the Dutch experiments that dole out free heroin
to long-term addicts who have failed at other treatments.

``This does not constitute drug treatment,'' he said.

He also disagreed with the Dutch's views on cannabis, saying he and other
U.S. officials are ``adamantly opposed to the use of marijuana by our
society.''

Although still technically illegal, the sale and consumption of small
amounts of soft drugs like hashish and marijuana are tolerated by Dutch
authorities.

Hard drugs like cocaine and heroin cannot be sold in coffee shops, but are
also cheap and easily available.

As well as the ``unmitigated disaster'' description, McCaffrey this week
claimed that the Dutch murder rate is twice as high as that of the United
States due to the tolerant Dutch drug laws.

The Dutch publicized statistics disputing McCaffrey's claims and stood by
their often-criticized policy.

``We believe in our own policy, but we're not saying `you have to do what
we do,''' said Health Ministry spokesman Benno Bruggink. ``We are not
exporting our policy.''

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski