ACCESSION
NUMBER:338939
FILE ID:LEF421
DATE:04/14/94
TITLE:PENTAGON TO FOCUS ANTIDRUG EFFORTS ON SOURCE COUNTRIES (04/14/94)
TEXT:*94041421.PFL
*LEF421 04/14/94*
PENTAGON TO FOCUS ANTIDRUG EFFORTS ON SOURCE COUNTRIES
(SP) (House hearing 4/14) nrb (465)
By Norma Romano-Benner
USIA Staff Writer
WASHINGTON -- The Defense Department has restructured its counternarcotics
policy to focus on helping Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia fight drug
trafficking and production, according a senior Pentagon official.
Testifying before a House Armed Services subcommittee April 14, Brian E.
Sheridan, deputy assistant secretary of defense for drug enforcement policy
and support, said Pentagon support for these countries "will be aimed at
strengthening the democratic institutions (and) encouraging national
resolve and regional cooperation."
Sheridan made it clear that U.S. military support will be given only to
countries that request it. Such assistance, he noted, will consist of
training and operational support to the police and military units with
counternarcotics responsibilities.
"As in the past," he pointed out, "U.S. personnel will be prohibited from
engaging in, or accompanying host nation forces on law enforcement
operations."
He said all training of host country forces will include a human rights
component.
Sheridan credited joint efforts for the dismantling of four major cocaine
trafficking organizations in Bolivia in 1993 and the arrest in Colombia of
Demetrio "Vaticano" Chavez Penaherra, reputed to be Peru's leading drug
trafficker. Chavez was extradited to Peru, where he is being prosecuted
for narcotics trafficking and treason.
Despite a recommended cut of $135 million to specific counternarcotics
Pentagon programs, Sheridan said the Pentagon is unswerving in its
determination to dismantle cocaine cartels.
1
Lee P. Brown, the Clinton administration's top antidrug policymaker,
applauded the Pentagon's strategy. He told the panel that President
Clinton is committed to "strengthening the ability of our partners to carry
out effective counternarcotics programs by themselves.
"We want in particular to assist countries that have the political will to
fight the drug trade. Our specific programs with these countries are aimed
at strengthening their judicial systems, law enforcement and penal
institutions, and their control of money laundering and precursor and
precursor chemicals."
Both Sheridan and Brown agreed that in times of reduced budgets "it makes
sense to reduce our relying on random air and sea patrols and to extend
interdiction operations deeper into the source countries.
"This strategy" Brown said, "makes better use of available intelligence and
cooperation with host governments." But he added "it is important to
remember that we have not dismantled our interdiction capability in the
transit zones."
Brown said the new strategy, announced in February, calls for a reduction,
but not the abolition, of the tools needed to interdict illegal drugs in
transit regions.
Sheridan said the Pentagon will continue to work with U.S. domestic law
enforcement agencies at the 2,000-mile border with Mexico.
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