JOSE SERRANO IS A DRUG CZAR

The connection between narco-trafficking and terrorism is coming into
sharper focus in wake of September 11 and quickly becoming a
national-security priority. To a large degree, the Bush administration is
giving that connection its due attention, but according to congressional
sources, it is on the verge of making a serious misstep. Instead of
supporting former Colombian police chief Jose Serrano -- who trounced the
most vicious drug cartels in the world and has a stellar human-rights record
- -- as executive director of the U.N. Office for Drug Control and Crime
Prevention, the State Department is backing a lackluster Italian nominee.

The State Department has its reasons for backing Italy's choice. The
Italians, like the Americans, have been a top contributor to the U.N. drug
program and would like to see their financial backing translate into greater
influence there. The United States has made similar arguments in the past --
drawing criticism from the Europeans -- and is understandably sympathetic to
this position. Also, the State Department is keen to stay in the good graces
of European allies, since their support of America's counter-terrorist
policies has become increasingly tenuous.

But Italy's candidate, Giuseppe Lumina, has no counternarcotics experience
and the last U.N. drug czar, Italian Pino Arlacchi, was widely accused of
fraud and mismanagement. Also, the State Department should keep close in
mind that the next czar will be given a lead role in creating an
anti-narcotics police force in Afghanistan. This task is critical, since the
opium and heroin trade in that country was a key source of revenue for the
Taliban and al Qaeda.

Mr. Serrano, who headed Colombia's anti-narcotics division before becoming
police chief, had not a single human-rights violation complaint filed
against the counternarcotics division during his last few years as police
chief -- even though he had stepped up activities. As police chief, Mr.
Serrano cleaned up the force, dismissing 11,000 policemen and making it the
most favored public institution in Colombia

Washington has longed recognized Mr. Serrano's remarkable achievements. In
July 2000, he became the first non-DEA agent to be honored with the DEA's
special-agent award. While he was head of police, the International
Association of Chiefs of Police named Mr. Serrano the "Best Policeman in the
World." Former DEA chiefs Thomas A. Constantine and Donnie R. Marshall have
written letters backing Mr. Serrano for the U.N. post, as have House Speaker
Dennis Hastert and several other members of Congress, including Dan Burton,
Benjamin Gilman, Asa Hutchinson, Henry Hyde, Cass Ballenger, Bob Barr, Jesse
Helms, Mark Souder. They support Mr. Serrano because he is the best
candidate for the U.N. drug-czar post. If the administration fails to do so,
it will be difficult to imagine why.