DATE=7/30/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=MCCAFFREY - LATAM DRUGS (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-252349
BYLINE=MICHAEL BOWMAN
DATELINE=MIAMI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: President Clinton's top anti-narcotics
official, Barry McCaffrey, has again ruled out direct
U-S military intervention in Latin America to fight
the drug war. He has just concluded a five-day trip
that took him to Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela - as
well as the Caribbean islands of Curacao and Aruba. V-
O-A's Michael Bowman reports from Miami.
TEXT: With Colombia's peace process faltering,
newspapers in Bogota are speculate that U-S troops
will be sent to take over the country's anti-narcotics
effort - and to combat the leftist rebels who are
widely believed to profit from the drug trade. But
White House Drug Policy Director McCaffrey says
nothing could be further from the truth.
/// FIRST MCCAFFREY ACT ///
There is zero possibility of a U-S intervention
in Colombia. Period. This is a Colombian
issue. It must be their strategy, their
leadership. Now, hopefully, what we can do - as
one of the regional partners - is provide
resources, training, equipment, intelligence and
political goodwill.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. McCaffrey says he has grave concerns about
Colombia - particularly what he describes as a huge
increase in the production of coca leaf (for cocaine)
and poppies (for heroin) in the country's remote
southern regions. Colombia is already the third
largest recipient of U-S foreign aid, but Mr.
McCaffrey says even more American resources are
needed. The U-S drug official says he plans to lobby
vigorously for a substantial boost in U-S counter-
narcotics assistance when he returns to Washington.
/// SECOND MCCAFFREY ACT ///
I have put together a package of ideas and
shared them with the 14 (U-S) cabinet officers
who have some responsibility relating to the
drug issue. And I will argue that we (the
United States) are not doing enough, that there
are severe emergency conditions in the region
(Latin America), and that we need to respond
with a balanced program.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. McCaffrey described his consultations with South
American and Caribbean officials as extremely
positive. He says there is growing recognition in the
region that the narcotics trade threatens all nations,
and that international cooperation is the key to
effectively fighting the drug war.
/// REST OPTIONAL ///
/// THIRD MCCAFFREY ACT ///
I am enormously encouraged by what I saw as a
strong commitment throughout the region to see
this enormous problem of corruption and violence
that comes from the money of coca and opium
production confronted on a regional basis.
Every one of the heads of government I talked to
saw the problem as one that would only succumb
to a coordinated response.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. McCaffrey's trip followed last week's crash of a
U-S anti-drug plane in southern Colombia that killed
all seven people on board - five of them U-S soldiers.
Mr. McCaffrey declined to comment on the accident,
except to say that the bodies of the American
servicemen will be returned to the United States when
all have been recovered and identified. (signed)
NEB/MCB/gm
30-Jul-1999 15:49 PM LOC (30-Jul-1999 1949 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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