WA DRUG CARTEL IN US SIGHTS

Burma Must Act Or Risk Intervention

The United States has declared the Wa drug dealers are important
targets in the war on terrorism, a significant policy change that
could put the Burma-based narcotics cartel in the US bullseye.

Diplomatic sources in Bangkok said it was clear US policy in the
region is quickly evolving, and will put pressure on Burma to strike
fast and hard against drug kingpin Wei Hsueh-kang or risk
intervention from outside.

In a separate development, the American military commander in the
Pacific, Adm Dennis Blair, stressed the importance of close US-Thai
relations.

``Thailand is critical to our efforts'' in combatting drug
trafficking and in international peace-keeping, he told US senators.

The key change in US policy came last week, in a separate testimony
by two senior diplomats to a US senate committee.

Rand Beers, assistant secretary of state for drug and law
enforcement, and Francis Taylor, ambassador at large for
counter-terrorism, said terrorism and drugs are increasingly linked.
Often, drug gangs raise money for terrorists, as well as try to
weaken target nations by flooding them with drugs.

The most significant part of their announcement designated the United
Wa State Army _ for the first time _ as ``a terrorist group with
known links to drug trafficking around the world''. Before last week,
Washington considered the UWSA only as a drug gang.

``The UWSA controlled major drug producing areas in Burma and used
the proceeds to carry out an insurgency against the Burmese
government,'' Mr Beers told the senate judiciary committee's
sub-committee on technology, terrorism and government information.

``A ceasefire agreement granted the UWSA enough autonomy to continue
drug trafficking for profit,'' he said.

The testimony was not the first time US officials have linked the war
on terrorism to drugs, as well as weapons proliferation.

But it marks the first time that a drug-trafficking cartel has been
re-designated as a terrorist organisation.

So far, the US has not officially put the UWSA on its list of known
terrorist groups. Last week's testimony was a strong indication such
a move is in the works.

Diplomatic sources in Bangkok said they were not surprised.

``For a couple of months, it has been clear the war on terrorism has
a much wider scope than just overthrowing the Taliban'' in
Afghanistan, said one official.

``So far as we are concerned, Burma will put the Wa out of the drug
business, or the Americans will get directly involved.''

Adm Blair was reporting to the key senate armed services committee, a
chief overseer of the US military. ``Thailand will continue to be our
key ally in Southeast Asia,'' he told the senators.

He drew a strong link between Operation Cobra Gold and the bilateral
US-Philippine operation called Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder),
which has put US soldiers in an advisory role against the Abu Sayyaf.
The two operations are known jointly as Team Challenge 2002 by the US
military.

Cobra Gold will still have three participants this year - Thailand,
the US and Singapore - but dozens of observers from 13 countries - 14
if Vietnam picks up its invitation.