cannabisnews.com: First Woman To Head DEA Sets Agenda First Woman To Head DEA Sets Agenda Posted by CN Staff on August 01, 2003 at 19:14:44 PT By Curt Anderson, Associated Press Source: Associated Press Washington -- Karen P. Tandy, the first woman to run the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Friday her main goal is to focus on dismantling larger international drug trafficking organizations and choke off their money supply. Tandy, a prosecutor and senior Justice Department official, was confirmed for the top DEA post in a unanimous Senate vote Thursday night. She replaces Asa Hutchinson, who is now undersecretary for border security and transportation at the Homeland Security Department. Tandy said the DEA, with about 4,600 agents in over 50 countries, should work to take apart major drug trafficking organizations, from their commanders to their smuggling operations to the distribution cells and bank accounts in the United States. ``To successfully wipe out these organizations, we have to take all their component pieces out at once,'' Tandy said. The DEA was the subject earlier this year of some harsh criticism from the White House Office of Management and Budget, which said the agency had no clear-cut strategies and goals and was ``unable to demonstrate progress in reducing the availability of illegal drugs in the United States.'' Tandy said the criticism was that DEA had ``lost our focus on the hard press on organizations'' and also on tracking drug money. That is changing with the DEA gaining more agents and a broader mandate as the FBI diverts many of its drug enforcement agents to counterterrorism duties, she said. For the last two years, Tandy was an associate deputy attorney general in the Justice Department, focusing on national drug enforcement strategy and on related money laundering and forfeiture issues. Previously she held several posts in the Justice Department's criminal division. Before that she was a federal prosecutor in Virginia and Washington. She is a native of Fort Worth, Texas, and 1977 graduate of Texas Tech University Law School. She said she is ``incredibly honored'' to be the first woman to lead the DEA, noting how times have changed since she started her career. ``I was told by one potential employer that he didn't believe women had the killer instinct necessary to be a criminal prosecutor,'' Tandy said. ``I am thrilled at how far we've come in the last 25 years in this country.'' Bush also has announced his intention to nominate Michele M. Leonhart to be the DEA's deputy administrator. Leonhart currently runs the DEA's office in Los Angeles and has previously worked in the San Francisco office and at DEA headquarters in Washington. Leonhart's nomination must also be confirmed by the Senate. On the Net: Drug Enforcement Administration: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea Source: Associated PressAuthor: Curt Anderson, Associated Press Published: August 1, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Associated Press Related Articles:Ambushed: Sober Justicehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16986.shtmlThe Chill Is On - Jacob Sullumhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16889.shtmlTandy Won't Be Dandy for Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16876.shtmlA New Hard-Liner At The DEAhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16859.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #10 posted by kaptinemo on August 04, 2003 at 11:23:40 PT: More monkey motion, more destroyed lives As a former civil servant, I'd seen the Beast from the inside. Tandy is doing nothing that any other political appointee wouldn't do.As a newly 'annointed & appointed', Ms. Tandy had to do something that would purportedly appear show those of her supporters and many of her detractors that she is 'up to the job'. Very often, to do so, one must perform a seemingly bold and risky move, to demonstrate resolve and the ability to forge ahead to both subordinates and colleagues.Please note: I said 'appear'; I don't have to remind many here that politics is about appearences, not substance. The bureaucratic world rarely meshes it's gears with the real one, and when those few times co-incide, the bureaucracy usually gets a swift kick in the privates by the real world. Tandy, in 'showing' her bosses that their selection of her was not in vain, had to do do something fast to 'set the pace' for her limited engagement.So, what else would be fast, quick, and largely blooldess? Why, an attack upon those evil bongmakers, of course!When a child proudly presents you with a poorly scribbled string of words, or a crayon drawing where most of the lines are well outside the limits, you smile and say encouraging things, and show them how they can do better. But in the 'reality' of bureaucracy, such efforts are showered with praises, and the author of this abomination is hailed as the next da Vinci. The 'positive feedback' mechanism continues to go increasingly out of control with no check or governor to keep it from trashing itself (and the boss doesn't want to hear anything bad, anyways) so she'll be told what a wonderful crime fighter she is, arresting glassblowers, and keep up the good work! (Pat, pat on head.) While the DrugWar juggernaut trundles merrily along, leaving a wake of blood, tears, pain and suffering in it's wake.No relation to the actual reality, remember? Ms. Tandy's actions are essentially no different. She was showing her neo-con patrons that she can be just as tough in whipping dead horses as all of her predecessors were. The problem is the poor beastie has been dead well nigh on 90 years and is quite ripe. The stink in these tight budgetary times has gotten so foul, that other agencies are looking to feast upon a soon to be moribund DEA. Ms. Tandy's and the DEA's days may be numbered by the contents of two whole calendars worth... [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by afterburner on August 02, 2003 at 09:24:47 PT: Who Says We Don't Need the UN with Open Debate? Would you prefer that the governance of the world be left to the DEA and the US Armed Forces?Tandy said the DEA, with about 4,600 agents in over 50 countries??? How many of those agents are there by invitation of the host country? ego transcendence follows ego destruction, don't give me no hand-me-down world! [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by freedom fighter on August 02, 2003 at 01:16:56 PT Just a simple question... ``I was told by one potential employer that he didn't believe women had the killer instinct necessary to be a criminal prosecutor,'' Tandy said. ``I am thrilled at how far we've come in the last 25 years in this country.'' What would an average female think of this statement?pazff [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by john wayne on August 02, 2003 at 00:34:31 PT also check out http://members.aol.com/deawatch/daily.htmthe informal website for DEA.I agree with Petard, Tandy has been installed to neuter the DEA. Recall that Bush gave a bad review to DEA effectiveness earlier in the year. If you keep an eye on the URL above, you'll see that the feeling is mutual.Note also that there is talk of reassigning DEA agents to be air marshalls. WTF? Washington admitting the gallant agents of the DEA would be better used as plane chaperones? Does this mean I have to agree with Bush?! [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on August 01, 2003 at 21:56:31 PT Here's The Latest from The Washington Post Senate Unanimously Confirms Prosecutor as DEA Chief: http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16990.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by E_Johnson on August 01, 2003 at 21:38:30 PT You've come a long way, baby Karen Tandy is out to prove that she can be more stupid and evil than any man.Bush appointing all these women makes me wonder where the men in this agency are going. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on August 01, 2003 at 21:36:44 PT Thanks Virgil! http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16989.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Virgil on August 01, 2003 at 21:27:23 PT Comment2-The Politics of Drug Wars That is the correct title. It has this line- Mind- altering drugs will be part of any society. It is funny the mythmakers that come up with the crap to confuse the issue and chant mixed message when confronted with the truth, would be opposed to mind altering. That is what they live for. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Virgil on August 01, 2003 at 21:21:31 PT CommonDreams article I must second comment1. Prohibition is about keeping the price of the world's addictive substances and gold-growing plants within the control of the CIA. Remember to buy the Unbrand.There is an article titled "The Politics of Drug Policy" by Jphn Buell worth reading- http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0731-01.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Petard on August 01, 2003 at 19:28:58 PT Dealing Organization takedown?? Psst, here's a hint....Start with the CIA Tandy, they're the biggest drug dealing organization on the planet dating back to at least Air America if not earlier. The CIA is even connected to the current Taliban supporting and supported opium grows in Afganistan. Problem there is the CIA has real "killer instincts" and the green light to assassinate too so she won't touch them, won't even look in their direction. All she has been hired to do is to eliminate the competition of the CIA, nothing more, nothing less. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment