BUSH LINKS DRUGS TO TERRORISM, OUTLINES NEW POLICY

President Says Illegal Substance Trade Helped Bankroll The Sept. 11 Attacks

WASHINGTON -- If the United States wants to win its war on terrorism,
President George W. Bush said Tuesday, Americans must reduce their addiction
to illegal drugs that often help bankroll terrorist organizations.

In outlining his new drug control policy at the White House, Bush used
unusually strong terms to link the drug trade with terrorism. He said the
Sept. 11 attacks were made possible through the sale of illegal substances
like heroin and other drugs.

"The drug trade supports terrorist networks," Bush said. "When people
purchase drugs, they put money in the hands of those who want to hurt
America, hurt our allies."

The remarks continued a theme the White House launched Feb. 3 during the
Super Bowl with TV commercials linking drug sales to terrorism. Critics said
the administration seemed to be blaming the nation's teenagers for
terrorism.

The president cited a goal of reducing illegal substance abuse by 25 percent
over five years. The target must be reached, he said, by cutting demand,
increasing law enforcement and expanding treatment programs.

The Bush budget seeks to devote $19.2 billion to fighting illegal drugs next
year, an increase of about 2 percent. The proposals were unveiled last week
when the budget was presented to Congress, but Tuesday's remarks offered a
new approach to the war on drugs.

Nearly 70 percent of the world's heroin supply comes from Afghanistan,
officials say. Although the now-ousted Taliban regime had banned the
production of opium poppies, Bush said the drug trade provided "a
significant amount of money to the people that were harboring and feeding
and hiding those who attacked and killed thousands of innocent Americans."

The drug control speech provided the freshest illustration of how the
administration links its domestic agenda to the war on terrorism. Bush has
requested that $52 million in next year's Drug Enforcement Administration
budget be used to fight terrorism.

The administration's proposal drew criticism Tuesday from treatment
advocates who say the drug problem will only be solved through health
programs, not heightened law enforcement. Critics said the drug budget
devotes two-thirds of its money to military-style enforcement, with the rest
going to treatment and prevention programs.

"This is not a time for a drug budget on autopilot," said Kevin Zeese,
president of Common Sense for Drug Policy, a Washington group that advocates
substance abuse treatment. "More of the same is not a new drug-control
strategy."