DRUG CZAR ACCUSED OF SUPPORTING TERROR

Libertarian Party Ad Parodies Feds' Super Bowl Commercials

A full-page ad appearing in two major newspapers and sponsored by the
Libertarian Party accuses the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy of
supporting terrorism by fighting its "war on drugs."

According to party spokesman George Getz, the ad - which is scheduled to
appear in today's editions of USA Today and The Washington Times - "is a
parody of the ads placed in 293 papers" beginning last month by the drug
control policy office.

The agency's ads - a pair of which were also aired during January's Super
Bowl game at a cost to taxpayers of $3.4 million - seek to paint drug users
as supporters of terrorists who market illegal drugs to raise money.

One ad pretended to show terrorists buying weapons and asked viewers: "Where
do terrorists get their money? If you buy drugs, some of it might come from
you." In the second televised ad, young people made matter-of-fact
statements like, "I helped kill a judge."

One of the drug control office's newspaper ads said: "'Last week I washed my
car, hung out with a few friends and helped murder a family in Colombia.' …
Drug money helps support terror. Buy drugs and you could be supporting it,
too."

The ads drew criticism from the Libertarian Party, which has a long history
of opposing the federal government's so-called "drug war."

"For the Office of National Drug Control Policy to claim that drug users are
to blame for financing terrorists is like a maniac who kills his parents and
then throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan," said
the party in a statement following the airing of the Super Bowl ads.

In response, Getz said, the Libertarian Party developed its own drug-related
ad, mockingly accusing the drug control office of also contributing to the
financing of terrorists.

The LP ad features a full-length photo of Bush administration drug czar John
Walters, with the following caption: "This week, I had lunch with the
president, testified before Congress and helped funnel $40 million in
illegal drug money to groups like the Taliban. … The war on drugs boosts the
price of illegal drugs by as much as 17,000 percent - funneling huge profits
to terrorist organizations. If you support the war on drugs or vote for the
politicians who wage it, you're helping support terrorism."

Following the ad, the party gives a website address -
http://www.lp.org/drugwar - for those who want more information. Getz said
the ads cost $71,297 and were paid for with donations from party members.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy was contacted for comment but did
not immediately return phone calls.

"The ONDCP's strategy is clear: It's trying to take the Sept. 11-inspired
hatred of terrorists and use it to bolster the failing war on drugs," said
Ron Crickenberger, the party's political director, in an e-mail to members.
"And, by implication, it's suggesting that if you oppose the war on drugs,
you help terrorists.

"Well, we hate terrorists, too. In fact, we hate them so much we'd like to
squeeze their funding down to almost ZERO," Crickenberger said. "We'd like
to see the $40 million the U.S. government says the Taliban raised from
heroin dwindle down to a few pennies. We'd like to see the $300 million that
Colombian rebels raised from cocaine shrink down to a handful of pesos."

The party believes legalizing some drugs would cause prices to fall. "Can
you imagine how destitute terrorists would be if marijuana sold for the same
price as lettuce? If poppies were worth the same as tulips? And if
cocaine-producing coca plants were no more valuable than Brussels sprouts?"
Crickenberger said.