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| Terrorist Strike Raises Stakes for Next Drug Czar |
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Posted by FoM on September 18, 2001 at 09:03:22 PT By Susan Jones, CNSNews.com Morning Editor Source: CNSNews.com 
The war on drugs is a key component in the war on terrorism, says a man who served under two White House "drug czars." But because of Senate inaction, the job remains unfilled at a time of national crisis. Robert Weiner, who worked in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy from 1995-2001, Tuesday urged the Senate to fill the drug czar job in the interests of national security. President Bush has nominated John Walters for the job, and while some have criticized Walters for placing strict law enforcement and interdiction above drug prevention, education and treatment programs, that may be just what America needs right now, Weiner suggests. "The Drug Czar can make an enormous contribution to the current war against terrorism by emphasizing terrorism's link to drug trafficking," Weiner said in a press release. He said the drug czar can play a key national security role by finding and blocking the funding of drug traffickers in key terrorist states such as Afghanistan and Colombia. Quoting a State Department report, Weiner notes that Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of the opium poppy, the crop refined into heroin. In fact, Afghanistan is said to have quadrupled its poppy cultivation over the past decade, with the apparent encouragement of the Taliban government. In Colombia, Weiner notes, it is funding from drug trafficking that supports violence directed against civilians. "We can stop a huge portion of the funding of the terrorists if we go after the money of the drug traffickers, Weiner says. Weiner said U.S. consumers spend an estimated $57 billion a year buying illegal drugs, and aside from the adverse consequences at home (crime, drug overdoses, etc.), Weiner suggests some of that drug money may be funding terrorism aimed at Americans where they live and work. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, created by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, sets policies, priorities, and objectives for the nation's drug control program. To achieve these goals, the director - the so-called drug czar - is charged with establishing a strategy, a budget, and guidelines for cooperation among federal, states and local jurisdictions. Those who strenuously oppose Walter's nomination include the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. According to NORML, Walters is an extremist in the war on drugs -- too tough and "punishment-minded" for the job President Bush has asked him to fill. The group notes he is a staunch proponent of jailing drug offenders, including "recreational" and "medical" users; he has lobbied Congress to stiffen federal penalties for marijuana use; and he advocates the use of military force in drug interdiction - shooting down the civilian planes of suspected drug-runners, in other words. The group says Walters' priority is stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, rather than helping people addicted to drugs (treatment) and steering children away from them (education.) NORML considers Walters out of touch with the attitudes of the American public, but in light of the theory that drug money may be funding global terrorism, it remains to be seen how much those attitudes have changed - if at all. Source: CNSNews.com Related Articles & Web Site: Bush Nominee Faces Questions It's Time to Give Up the War on Drugs Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #11 posted by firedog on September 18, 2001 at 21:35:56 PT |
| Sorry, I seem to have screwed up the formatting. Let me try again... -------- I have sent Ms. Jones the following links: http://www.msnbc.com/news/564809.asp I know this is nothing new to anyone here, but Ms. Jones probably got this assignment a few days ago and didn't know the first thing about Afghanistan, poppies, or U.S. assistance to the Taliban. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #10 posted by firedog on September 18, 2001 at 21:35:02 PT |
| I have send Ms. Jones the following links: http://www.msnbc.com/news/564809.asp">http://www.msnbc.com/news/564809.asp">http://www.msnbc.com/news/564809.asp I know this is nothing new to anyone here, but Ms. Jones probably got this assignment a few days ago and didn't know the first thing about Afghanistan, poppies, or U.S. assistance to the Taliban. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #9 posted by FoM on September 18, 2001 at 16:08:24 PT |
| McCaffrey is coming on MSNBC soon. I thought I'd quick pass it on. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #8 posted by Lehder on September 18, 2001 at 16:02:31 PT |
| "Sadly, it looks like our government is going to use the same lack of wisdom fighting the terrorists that they do in fighting drugs. If so, we are doomed." I could not agree with Cannabis Dave more. The government, as surely as Hitler, will leaad us to our doom. An endless cycle of explosions, revenge, bioattacks, revenge, a-bombs, revenge - "years" of "sacrifice", just as the government promises. They're telling us this upfront: "years of sacrifice"; on television they've even promised us death: "some will not return." And we're buying into it? Not only are Americans buying into it - we lonesome elderberries of peace and reason get slammed if we advise not to. Who the hell wants years of sacrifice? Our religion of war, hatred and revenge is just as stupid as anything that the craziest Muslim extremist could ever come up with. Do we really have to learn all the lessons of history for ourselves? Must we pursue our hatred all the way to our own physical destruction? Let's take the advice of a great warrior, Otto von Bismarck: "Only a fool learns from his mistakes - I learn from the mistakes of others." It makes a lot more sense than "wanted dead or alive." I'm not counting on Americans. We do what we can here. But the Europeans who learned the lessons of hatred and revenge from Hitler will have to lead us out of our folly, just as they are in the vanguard of ending the intolerance of the drug war. I call upon all the people and leaders of Europe, wiser than Americans, to tell George Bush: Go it alone, "Ashbowl." [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #7 posted by Cannabis Dave on September 18, 2001 at 15:27:22 PT |
| I agree with Dr. Russo (below), the way to take away the funding that illegal drugs provide terrorism is to leglize drugs. Maybe this tragedy is the slap in the face our government needed to see reality. We could also empty most of our prisons, and save billions of dollars that are wasted every year fighting the war on drugs. Cannabis hemp could be utilized to make us self-sufficient in our energy needs, while also saving the few remaining old-growth forests. It was a terrible thing that happened, but it could cause some positive changes in our society. Sadly, it looks like our government is going to use the same lack of wisdom fighting the terrorists that they do in fighting drugs. If so, we are doomed. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #5 posted by krutch on September 18, 2001 at 11:25:49 PT:
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| I challege Ms. Jones to produce any evidence that drug money finances terrorism. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by freedom fighter on September 18, 2001 at 11:01:03 PT |
| Quoting a State Department report, Weiner notes that Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of the opium poppy, the crop refined into heroin. In fact, Afghanistan is said to have quadrupled its poppy cultivation over the past decade, with the apparent encouragement of the Taliban government. Hello, remember it was not too long ago, we gave 40 million dollars to the Talibans.. If confirmed, alot of us are going get hurt. National security? ff [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by observer on September 18, 2001 at 10:27:08 PT |
| "The Drug Czar can make an enormous contribution to the current war against terrorism by emphasizing terrorism's link to drug trafficking," Weiner said in a press release. 1. The drug is associated with a hated subgroup of the society or a foreign enemy. http://drugwarpropaganda.selfhost.com/t.cgi?1 [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #2 posted by ekim on September 18, 2001 at 09:56:10 PT:
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| With Canada giving a contract of 4Million to grow there Medical Cannabis how many other plants are being grown under some other type places. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on September 18, 2001 at 09:26:09 PT:
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| The government's War on Drugs has not previously cracked the financial ties of the drug lords. Will they be more successful now? I doubt it. The real answer is to eliminate the profit. You do that by legalization of drugs, and emphasis on harm reduction and treatment for those who need it. No other approach will work, and this is what should be done now. That will harm the drug lords more than any other policy. [ Post Comment ] |
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