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  US Official: More Drugs in Colombia
Posted by FoM on July 25, 2001 at 17:42:24 PT
By Andrew Selsky, Associated Press Writer 
Source: Associated Press 

justice With Washington set to deepen its involvement in Colombia's anti-drug efforts, a U.S. Embassy official said Wednesday that there are far more cocaine and heroin producing crops growing here than previously believed.

Washington is sending planes and helicopters to Colombia and is considering giving more aid, atop a $1.3 billion existing package aimed against leftist rebels and rival right-wing paramilitaries who tax drug crops that are exported to the United States and elsewhere.

The most recent U.S. estimate, conducted at the end of last year, showed 336,400 acres of coca -- the prime ingredient of cocaine -- were being cultivated. In addition, Colombian police say 15,300 acres were being used to grow poppy, from which heroin is made.

But now drug crops have been found in areas of Colombia where none were believed to have existed before -- in eastern Vichada state and north, in Arauca state, among other places.

''We've underestimated the coca in Colombia. Everywhere we look there is more coca than we expected,'' the U.S. Embassy official told a small group of American journalists on condition of anonymity.

The training of 3,000 Colombian army counternarcotics troops by U.S. Green Berets in southern Colombia was completed last May. But plans are envisioned to expand the training to more Colombian soldiers in smaller batches in other parts of the country, the official said.

Critics of Washington's aid say the United States is being sucked into another war, as in Vietnam or El Salvador. The official said the U.S. Congress would be advised if any expanded troop training were to occur but its approval would not have to be obtained.

It is unclear by how much the original drug-crop estimates may be short. Of the heroin crops, the official said: ''There is more out there than we can find right now.'' The official said a very pure grade of Colombian heroin has been arriving in the United States, particularly New York and Philadelphia.

The belief that there are more drug crops than previously estimated means more work for U.S.-trained Colombian army troops and American crop-duster pilots contracted by the State Department.

The U.S. Embassy official said the pace of fumigation will pick up ''very dramatically'' and that a leveling off of drug cultivation in Colombia can be expected in 18 months.

The anti-drug offensive is aimed primarily at cutting into the main source of revenue of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the paramilitary United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia.

Washington made a clear sign Tuesday that U.S. participation will continue when the House approved $676 million to fight drugs and advance economic and political stability in Colombia and in its neighboring countries.

The first of dozens of new combat helicopters provided under the aid package will be arriving on Saturday from the United States, the U.S. Embassy said. Fourteen more U.S. crop dusters will also be arriving starting in September, which will more than double the current fleet in Colombia by next March.

Source: Associated Press
Author: Andrew Selsky, Associated Press Writer
Published: Wednesday, July 25, 2001
Copyright: 2001 Associated Press

Related Articles & Web Site:

Colombia Drug War News
http://freedomtoexhale.com/colombia.htm

Drug Farmers Seek Alternatives
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10410.shtml

House Vote Saves Colombian Anti-Drug Funds
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10409.shtml


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Comment #5 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on July 25, 2001 at 19:02:03 PT:

How to Win the War
1) Send more lawyers, guns and money to Colombia and arrest more Americans.
2) Send more lawyers, guns and money to Colombia and arrest more Americans.
3) Send more lawyers, guns and money to Colombia and arrest more Americans.
4) Send more lawyers, guns and money to Colombia and arrest more Americans.
5) Send more lawyers, guns and money to Colombia and arrest more Americans.
6) Send more lawyers, guns and money to Colombia and arrest more Americans.
7) Send more lawyers, guns and money to Colombia and arrest more Americans.
8) Send more lawyers, guns and money to Colombia and arrest more Americans.
9) Send more lawyers, guns and money to Colombia and arrest more Americans.


Maybe someday, an enlightened politician will realize that all the previous efforts have failed. Perhaps we'll run out of guns, money and Americans to arrest. We'll never run out of lawyers. That will leave one alternative:

10) Win the peace by ending the Drug War.

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #4 posted by SWAMPIE on July 25, 2001 at 18:59:09 PT
DRUGS IN COLUMBIA.....DOOHHHH!!!!!
If they spent all of this money to feed and educate these people,they wouldn't need to grow"illegal"drug crops!But then how could we justify that?The only thing the U.S. wants from South America is the land,resources,and the ability to get work done for next to nothing!!Some humanitarians we are!The government should be ashamed!!!!!

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #3 posted by Lehder on July 25, 2001 at 18:52:13 PT
"legalize mj" -- new web virus
maybe you will like to try this out too:

I went to Yahoo Brazil (bottom of Yahoo main page).
Then entered "marijuana" or whatever you like to find an interesting article, one like this maybe:

http://br.yahoo.com/noticias/tecnologia/magnet/article.html?s=br/noticias/010712/tecnologia/magnet/Novo_virus_pede_a_legalizacao_da_maconha.html

copy the web address, then go to Babel Fish
http://babelfish.altavista.com/

and enter the web address.

set translator to Portuguese....presto:



[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #2 posted by lookinside on July 25, 2001 at 18:14:17 PT
justification?
i'll bet they figure out they are losing the war...lol...fat chance...

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on July 25, 2001 at 17:47:13 PT
When you need a reason make one up
U.S. Embassy official said Wednesday that there are far more cocaine and heroin producing crops growing here than previously believed.

Only to justify more aid, perfect timing wouldn't you say.


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