NARCS CONVERGE ON MONTREAL

High Noon In Montreal

A Tale Of Two Solitudes

On May 8, 2006, undercover narcs and their handlers from around the
globe will meet behind closed doors at Montreal's Hilton Bonaventure
to share intelligence and devise "drug war" strategies. According to
the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which is footing the bill,
the conference will be conducted in English, Spanish and Russian -
French is conspicuously absent. The RCMP, pseudo co-sponsors, suggest
visiting the DEA's website, www.dea.gov/programs/idec.htm, for
additional rhetoric and negligible information.

The same day and down the street, with open arms, open doors and
simultaneous French/English translation, a counter-symposium called
"Can We Talk?" gets underway at the Marriott hotel. Sponsored by a
coalition of anti-prohibitionists, including Students for a Sensible
Drug Policy and the University of Ottawa's criminology department,
the symposium offers a who's who of drug scholars, activists and
former cops, all on a quixotic quest to "open a dialogue with the
DEA" and offer alternatives to prohibition. The general public is
cordially invited, but DEA delegates are especially welcome on the
off chance they might learn something.

"Current drug policies diminish everyone," says retired B.C.
Provincial Court judge and symposium speaker Jerry Paradis, a member
of LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition). The 1,000-plus drug
cases that he heard in his 28 years on the bench back him up.

"It diminishes judges Free Will Astrology by requiring them to shut
their minds off from the irrationality of what they are required to
do," he adds. "It diminishes lawyers on both sides - the prosecutors,
by forcing them to pursue people and issues that they know full well
belong in the field of health care, and defence counsel, by forcing
them to play silly Charter of Rights games instead of dealing with
real issues. And it diminishes the police by forcing them to see drug
users as prey, not worthy of serious second thought."

Lionel Prevost's opposition to the current drug laws stems from his
25 years with the Surete du Quebec. Today, he teaches criminology at
the Universite de Montreal and is an ardent - and eloquent -
anti-prohibitionist.

"Current laws do not fulfill their dissuasive function," he said.
"Prohibition prevents the state from exerting its responsibilities,
particularly with regard to the quality of drugs being sold on the
street. Moreover, [prohibition] has created a climate of violence and
criminality without precedent."

The DEA conference - "IDEC XXIV" in narc-speak - is an annual event.
Cities that have hosted previous IDECs include: Panama City during
Manuel Noriega's heyday; Cartagena, Colombia, when the Medellin
cartel was going full-bore; and the world crime capital of Washington, D.C.

"This is the first time the DEA's drug enforcement conference comes
to Montreal," said symposium co-ordinator Marc-Boris St-Maurice of
NORML Canada.

"It's also the first time retired judges and police officers have
followed them to speak out against the insane drug wars," he adds
with an illegal smile.

Several symposium speakers will take their anti-prohibition message
to the faculty and students of the University of Ottawa the following
day, Tuesday May 9, while for DEA delegates it will be back to
business as usual.