U.S. DRUG CZAR HAILS LATIN NATIONS

WASHINGTON (AP)--American drug czar John Walters said Tuesday that
freshly-minted governments in Bolivia and Colombia will inject new strength
into the fight against drugs and terrorism.

``I think we have a unique consensus today about how we need to work
together to seize the future,'' Walters, director of the Office of National
Drug Control Policy, told reporters in Washington.

``I think that there is a common understanding that especially the revenues
of the drug trade are particularly susceptible to support of terrorist
organizations and organizations that undermine the lawful order in
countries.''

The narco-terror link, touted in a series of advertisements, has been the
centerpiece of the Bush administration's anti-drug message in the wake of
the Sept. 11 attacks.

Colombian, Peruvian and other officials, Walters said, ``expressed their
desire to work more closely with us on counternarcotics matters and the need
to provide a regional attack, if not a hemispheric attack, on the trade.''

Just back from the inaugurations of presidents Alvaro Uribe of Colombia and
Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada of Bolivia, Walters praised the new governments
for recognizing the link and promising action despite the brutal nature of
the drug cartels that operate within their borders.

Uribe, whose festivities were shadowed by violence, has shown particular
courage in instructing his new administration, Walters said.

``They face an enormously difficult task, but I found them to be some of the
bravest, smartest and most dedicated people it's ever been my pleasure to
work with in government,'' Walters said.

``The new government understands that this is not just a security matter,''
he added. ``It's about re-establishing the cohesiveness of Colombian society
and making the institutions work for everybody, and that's the right
answer.''

``I think there is, if anything, a wide, wide consensus that this is a
regional problem,'' Walters added.

Uribe has taken a hard line against rebels in his country, vowing
``unconventional, transparent and imaginative solutions'' to wipe out rebels
who have been fighting in the South American nation for 38 years.

Uribe's inauguration Wednesday was rocked by explosions killing 14 people in
nearby neighborhoods. Three blasts ignited a few blocks away as Uribe
entered a parliament building to take the oath of office.

In Bolivia a day earlier, Sanchez de Lozada took office with a call for
unity after he narrowly beat Evo Morales, a leader of farmers who grow coca,
a base ingredient of cocaine.

On the Net: www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov