FEDS VOW TO BACK METH WAR

GATLINBURG -- Much has been done, but the country has a long way to go in
the fight against meth and the war on terror, speakers said Tuesday at a
regional law enforcement conference.

The problem of methamphetamine production, addiction and suffering by the
families of users is being seen in every state, Karen Tandy, administrator,
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said.

Tandy said collaboration among agencies at every level has led to major
busts and the reduction of LSD, cocaine and Ecstasy use. Meth remains a
problem, but she said use among teens is down.

Large meth labs, called "superlabs," have moved into Mexico because of U.S.
enforcement efforts, and the drug is now being smuggled over the border,
she said. East Tennessee also has a bigger problem with meth manufacture
than other regions of the state.

Thirty-three states have meth legislation pending, she said. A lot of
legislatures are paying attention to a new Oklahoma law that's resulted in
a sharp reduction of meth cases in that state. The new law put cold
medicines containing pseudoephedrine (a key ingredient in meth manufacture)
behind the pharmaceutical counters.

In recent months, drug manufacturers have moved to reformulate cold
remedies with pseudoephedrine, while retailers from Wal-Mart to Walgreen's
have decided to put the medicines behind the counter and control purchases.

"The opportunities we have to make a difference have never been better than
right now," Tandy said. "But it is not enough."

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales also mentioned meth during his
remarks to the conference, organized by federal prosecutors in Tennessee,
Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia.

"I know in particular that meth production is an increasing threat in the
Southeast," he said. "Meth labs can overcome small towns quickly, bringing
violent crime, endangering young children and exposing the public to
dangerous chemicals and toxins."

Gonzales promised to help state and local law enforcers identify meth
production labs quickly and find ways through legislation and prosecution
"to cut off the supplies, the means and incentives for meth use and
distribution."

War on terror

Gonzales was optimistic about the work done by law enforcement since the
Sept. 11 terrorism attacks, but he said he believed the country is still a
target for attacks by Al-Qaida. The nation, he said, cannot relax its
efforts in the war on terror.

"We can't assume the quiet of today and grow complacent tomorrow," Gonzales
said Tuesday, the first day of the conference.

He reiterated his support for the Patriot Act. Gonzales said the law will
"protect America while protecting American civil liberties." Gonzales
doesn't expect discussion over the controversial law to quieten anytime
soon and welcomed future debate.

He lauded law enforcement agents for their work in the war on terror in the
face of "tightening budgets and shortening resources."

Gonzales, appointed by President Bush in February, said other priorities
for the U.S. Attorney General's Office include cracking down on obscenity,
gang activity and human trafficking.

"It happens on our shores," he said. "Aliens are smuggled in, treated as
commodities and stripped of their humanity."

The son of Mexican migrant workers, Gonzales grew up in Texas and
eventually became lead liaison to Bush when he was governor of the state on
Mexico and border issues.

"We have a great deal of work ahead and we will need every one of our
resources to get it done," he said. "You are the strength and the hope of
our nation against the war on terror."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.