INTELLIGENCE SHOULD BE USED IN THE DRUG WAR

Our leaders have put together a terrific team, nationally and
internationally, to track down and bring to justice the culprits who
indiscriminately destroy the freedoms and well being of others.

When these elements have been stabilized, wouldn't it be providential to
also clean up the drug scourge in which our whole world is embroiled? I'm
not aware of any country that doesn't need help in that direction, even if
their leaders are part of the problem.

With the intelligence and military teams already poised to correct world
problems, why not utilize them to control the industry that ruins or kills
more people in the world each day than the terrorists did on Sept. 11?

It would be surprising if our intelligence information on terrorists didn't
disclose the involvement of many of the kingpins of the drug industry, and
we could simply follow up with what we already know.

For some reason or other, we do not seem to consider the destruction caused
by drugs to be a real act of war. Maybe because it insidiously happens
mainly to individuals and not a society, and with the amount of money the
drug lords have at their disposal, they have too many powerful people on
their payroll.

We spend billions every year trying to control if not destroy drug
trafficking, as well as the billions it costs for health and rehabilitation
problems, destruction and theft of property, abnormal children, families
and lives.

Like the terrorist problem, the drug crisis involves every person and
contry in the world, but knows no race, creed, color, religion, or gender.
Our coalition couldn't be criticized for being against any particular entity.

Our drug efforts to date have had very dismal results and that would appear
to continue unless we seize this opportunity and embrace the same resolve
we now have with the terrorists activities.

John S. Leavitt

Santa Barbara