U.S. SAID BALKING AT FUNDING FOR UN ANTI-DRUG EFFORT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials are unwilling to commit new funds to
an ambitious U.N. anti-drug effort, citing concerns about lack of support
from key European and Middle Eastern donors, the Washington Post reported
Wednesday.

The newspaper said Washington told U.N. officials that the program, to be
launched next week, remained unformed and would probably provoke political
opposition at home from human rights activists and critics of the United
Nations.

``We are very supportive of the concept, but the hesitancy, the skepticism
comes from the feeling that you just can't do it, that it is very
unrealistic,'' the Post quoted one White House official as saying.

The cost of the counternarcotics program has been estimated at roughly $3
billion to $4 billion over the next 10 years, the Post reported.

The plan aims to eradicate the world's entire production of heroin, cocaine
and marijuana over 10 years.


Checked-by: "R. Lake"