ADD DRUG THUGS TO TERRORIST ROLLS

One difference between the United States and Colombia is this: When the
U.S. president talks of a "bunker mentality," "getting targeted by an
opponent" or "being under siege," he's speaking metaphorically.

In Colombia, the president is talking about the bullets whizzing by his head.

Criticism in Colombia often takes the form of cannon shells. And the splash
of violence that accompanied the recent presidential inauguration of Alvaro
Uribe in Colombia promises to be the first firefight in a gruelling
campaign. Uribe has sworn to stamp out the right-wing death squads, the
left-wing rebels, then battle the country's drug lords. It's an aggressive
agenda that even Douglas MacArthur would admire.

Now President Uribe is asking the United States to stock his war chest with
more bombs and bucks. He wants American firepower to back his battle
against the thugs.

America should let Uribe have it, so he can let them have it.

Uribe isn't the ideal ally, of course. He hasn't formulated much of an
economic or social plan for his nation. In fact, he has a history of
advancing programs that eventually backfire. Some say he has even dragged
his feet on drug issues. Still, the man has shown an impressive amount of
backbone. And in world politics, resolution and opportunity are key. Uribe
has the resolution; the United States has now been given an open an
opportunity to assist him in his housecleaning. It's an invitation the
country cannot afford to turn down.

In a meeting with the Deseret News editorial board, Sen. Robert Bennett
recently said that concerns about narcotics may be secondary at the moment,
but fighting "narco-terrorism" is a legitimate extension of the nation's
war on terrorism.

After all, who does more to poison Americans - the anthrax guerillas or the
cocaine kingpins? In military parlance, the only difference between the two
is the "delivery system."

Those who say the United States should make a stand against drugs in its
own streets are absolutely right, of course. If dependence on drugs
declines here, so will Colombia's dependence on the drug trade. Like any
foreign venture, this one must be accompanied by a strong effort at home.
But politics is the art of the possible. And turning up the heat on
narco-terrorism is now a definite possibility.

Besides, as long as America is stalking scoundrels who want to undermine
the nation, putting the mugs of Colombia's cartel members on the same
wanted poster as Osama makes perfect sense.