30 October 2003
Crucial Stage in Drug War Reached, State Department Official Says
Aerial eradication program in Colombia succeeds in risky environment
By Scott Miller
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- The war on drugs has reached a crucial stage, in part due to the positive performance of a U.S.-sponsored aerial eradication effort in Colombia to destroy illicit crops such as coca, says Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Robert Charles.
In an October 29 State Department briefing in Washington, Charles said a "tipping point" has been reached in the war on drugs, with victory in this global campaign possible with continued commitment and effort. He suggested that this "tipping point" is a result of the convergence of leadership and circumstance.
"In the drug war internationally, right now, we have a constellation of human leadership that is unprecedented," Charles said. He commended the vision and commitment of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and cited the efforts of Mexican President Vicente Fox and President Bush as examples of strong leadership in the drug war.
Among the circumstances that have contributed to the tipping point, Charles said, are a post-9/11 focus on the links between narcotics and terrorism, emerging regional self-interest in ridding the hemisphere of narcotics and terrorism, and improved technology that has facilitated greater information-sharing.
Charles said that statistics support his "tipping point" assertion, citing the 2002 downturn in potential cocaine and heroin production in Colombia as evidence.
He said there is a direct correlation between this drop in illicit cultivation and U.S.-sponsored eradication efforts. The Air Wing, or aerial eradication program, which is managed by the State Department, has flown 2,919 spray sorties, spraying 104,078 hectares as of the end of September 2003 -- an average of ten missions per day.
In the past year, these and other aggressive counter-narcotics efforts took an estimated $5 billion in cocaine and $200 million in heroin off U.S. streets, Charles said.
These results, he added, demonstrate that the Air Wing program "is delivering ... [and] it is delivering incredibly difficult-to-attain results. "
The program, however, is not without risk. In fact, Air Wing eradication efforts are conducted in an essentially hostile and combative environment in Colombia. The over 300 hits from hostile fire absorbed by Air Wing aircraft in the year 2003 illustrate that the program is "an incredibly dangerous operation," according to Charles.
To enhance the safety of the aircraft and individuals carrying out Air Wing operations, numerous safety provisions are in place.
Charles said that each spray package of between two to seven spray aircraft is accompanied by a search-and-rescue helicopter, two helicopter gunships and troop carriers that include 10 to 15 fast-reaction forces.
Individual aircraft protections include Kevlar fabric, thick steel, and ballistic plate, all of which are used as under-armor. Pilots are also provided with bulletproof vests, blankets, survival radios, weapons and signaling devices.
As a result of these safety precautions, Charles said, the Air Wing operation, although risky, is not operated in an unsafe manner. "We are doing everything possible to protect [pilots], and I think we are doing a pretty good job," he added.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=October&x=20031030101532rellims0.119198&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html
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