THE DRUG-TERROR CONNECTION

Robert Novak is right that narcotics trafficking and terrorism are linked
[op-ed, Dec. 10]. But he is wrong to say that we miss the connection. The
State Department spent $1.3 billion in anti-drug and crime programs in 90
countries this year, with $886 million going to Colombia. We are helping
President Andres Pastrana implement "Plan Colombia," a comprehensive
approach to the country's drug and terrorism crisis.

The results? We have delivered 80 helicopters to Colombia and trained more
than 2,000 members of a counter-narcotics brigade. We have destroyed more
than 700 cocaine labs, sprayed more than 90,000 hectares of coca and 1,800
hectares of poppy, signed more than 36,000 families to manual eradication
pacts and trained more than 3,000 judges to improve the judicial system.
Colombia extradited 23 drug lords to U.S. courts -- an unprecedented level
of cooperation.

We have designated Colombia's three illegal armed factions -- the FARC and
ELN guerrillas and the AUC paramilitaries -- as terrorist organizations and
are denying their members visas. We also are going after their financial
support networks.

Last April, President Bush proposed the next phase in our war on drugs in
the Andes, the Andean Regional Initiative, which Congress agreed to fund
with bipartisan support. We also will work with Congress to renew and
strengthen the Andean Trade Preferences Act, which is critical to creating
jobs for honest people.

Our actions in this hemisphere mirror what we are doing around the world.
With others in the administration and in Congress, we will continue our
vigorous efforts to put narco-terrorists out of business.

MARC GROSSMAN

Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs

U.S. State Department

Washington