TELL THE 'TRUTH' ON TERRORISM

Teen boys and girls stare directly at you from the TV screen and the
newspaper page and tell what they did in a casual, matter-of-fact
way: "I killed grandmas. I killed daughters. I killed firemen. I
killed policemen. Technically, I didn't kill these people. I just
kind of helped."

Then comes the blunt message: "Drug money helps support terror. Buy
drugs and you could be supporting it, too."

This disturbing, shocking and controversial $10 million ad campaign
comes from the White House Office of Drug Control Policy. Critics
wrongly suggest the ads go too far. To the contrary, they "tell it
like it is" and represent tax money well-spent.

Many people defend their addiction to cocaine, heroin or other
illegal drugs as a "victimless crime." The ads put the lie to such
dangerous self-delusion. A State Department study says 12 of 28
terrorist groups also traffic in drugs. Osama bin Laden bragged about
using U.S. hunger for illicit drugs to help fuel terrorist attacks
and weaken our moral fiber.

The ads, an extension of the effective "Truth" anti-smoking campaign,
have very desirable goals: Shake people, especially teens, awake from
their ignorance and apathy about drug abuse. Educate them about the
reality that drug abuse does help bankroll terrorists and their
violent acts. Appeal to teens' better natures, urging them to become
more socially responsible. And make them aware that their illegal
actions can harm people they don't even know.

It's too early to really know the ads' long-term effectiveness, but
the early signs are good. The Super Bowl commercials have already
been awarded a top prize.

Researchers estimated 90 million viewers remembered them a few days
later, and 71 percent of those surveyed called them helpful in
fighting drug abuse.

Public support for the global war on terrorism is overwhelming. It's
smart and justified to try to mobilize that support behind the
directly associated war on drugs.

Critics remain unhappy, even using the inflammatory word "propaganda"
to attack the ads. To which the government should proudly plead,
"Guilty as charged." Webster's Dictionary defines the word propaganda
neutrally as "the spreading of ideas, information or rumor for the
purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause or a person."

Propaganda is evil only if the ideas or information are false and
designed to hurt the innocent. By contrast, the ads are good
propaganda, accurate and designed to hurt the guilty.