US DRUG CONTROL OFFICIAL SAYS BORDER EFFORTS FAILING PAPER

PHOENIX, Nov 23 (Reuters) A top Clinton drugcontrol strategist said that
attempts to stop illegal drugs from coming across the southwestern border
are failing miserably, a newspaper reported Sunday.

In a memo obtained by The Arizona Republic, an official at the Office of
National Drug Control Policy said that current efforts are misguided and
need to be changed.

``Our current interdiction efforts almost completely fail to achieve our
purpose of reducing the flow of cocaine, heroine and methamphetamines
across the border,'' wrote Francis Kinney, the office's strategic planning
director.

Kinney said the United States needs to turn to high technology and improved
intelligence if it is to cut drugtrafficking along the U.S.Mexican border.

The Oct. 28 memo said the traditional approach of using agents to search
every vehicle has not been successful.

``You don't need National Guard guys to be inspecting every head of lettuce
and looking behind every cargo compartment underneath seats in every car,''
Kinney said.

``If you can get technology that can bring a truck through and basically
take a photo of it or an Xray,'' he said.

He added that his assessment should not startle those involved in the $1.7
billionayear effort. ``Anybody who is affected by drug trafficking should
look and ask themselves: Is the effort to stop it coherent?'' he said.

``And in most cases it is not,'' he said.