PENTAGON ORDERED TO SPEND MORE IN WAR ON DRUGS

By Robert Burns, The Associated Press

WASHINGTONIn an unprecedented move, President Clinton's drug policy
director ordered the Defense Department to add $141 million in the 1999
budget to its planned spending on drugcontrol programs. Barry McCaffrey
said his office could not certify that the Pentagon's proposed $809 million
drugfighting budget for fiscal 1999 was enough to implement the
president's policy. "To correct the deficiencies," he said in a letter to
Defense Secretary William Cohen, the Pentagon must include $141 million
more in drug control to strengthen operations in Mexico, the Andes, the
Caribbean and along the southern border. McCaffrey listed specific steps
and spending amounts in each area. Col. Richard Bridges, a Pentagon
spokesman, said Cohen's office was reviewing the letter and did not dispute
that McCaffrey has the legal authority to require more spending. "We'll
respond in a timely manner," Bridges said. Although the Defense Department
has not yet submitted its request for fiscal 1999 spending to the Offfice
of Management and Budget, McCaffrey's offfice said the Pentagon was
planning to ask for $809 million for counterdrug operations. That is
virtually identical to what it is spending in the current fiscal 1998 budget.

According to statistics provided by McCaffrey's office, the Pentagon's
counterdrug budget is only 1.3% higher than in fiscal 1990, while total
federal spending in this area has increased 63.7%.