[PEN-L:2464] E;DRCNet, Oppose Militarization of Drug War, Jan 19 (fwd)

[D Shniad <shniad@xxxxxx>]

> Subject: OPPOSE MILITARIZATION OF DRUG WAR
>
> Colisteros,
>
> In light of the growing suspicion--or should I say certainty--that under the
> guise of the war on drugs the US is funnelling military aid to Mexico, which
> is being used against the people of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero and other
> states, I thought this post would be of interest to the list.
>
> --peter
>
>
>
>
> >Date: Fri, 19 Jan 1996 00:51:47 -0500
> >Reply-To: drc-natl@xxxxxxxxxx
> >Originator: drc-natl@xxxxxxxxxx
> >Sender: drc-natl@xxxxxxxxxx
> >Precedence: bulk
> >From: borden@xxxxxxxx (David Borden)
> >Subject: OPPOSE MILITARIZATION OF DRUG WAR
> >X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0 -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas
> >X-Comment: Drug Reform Coordination Network -- Rapid-Response-Team
> >X-UIDL: 822038871.040
> >
> >*****************************************************************
> >            Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet)
> >                       Rapid Response Team
> >*****************************************************************
> >
> >Please copy and distribute.
> >--------------------------
> >
> >
> >Administration officials have indicated that Lt. General
> >Barry R. McCaffrey, head of the US Army's Southern Command,
> >is a likely candidate to succeed Lee Brown as the nation's
> >fourth Drug Czar.  The Southern Command has jurisdiction
> >over Army operations in all the world's cocaine-producing
> >nations, and McCaffrey supervises nearly a quarter of the
> >Pentagon's narcotics control budget.
> >
> >DRCNet's objection is not to McCaffrey as an individual
> >public servant, but to the militarization of the Drug War
> >overall.  The militarization of drug policy is a dangerous
> >course to follow.  For example, reports of human rights
> >abuses in our Andean Drug War have been coming to light.
> >
> >The biggest problem with the military drug strategy,
> >however, is that it is so hopeless a venture as to be
> >fraudulent.  There is simply no conceivable strategy,
> >technology or level of funding that can ever make
> >interdiction or source country efforts work.  The reason is
> >simple: no matter what quantity of drugs are interdicted,
> >the drug producers can simply set their production levels to
> >compensate, ensuring that all the heroin and cocaine that US
> >consumers desire will always be available.  We could double
> >the quantity of cocaine we seize, and the producers would
> >simply increase their production by about 10 percent,
> >resulting in no net decrease in the availability of cocaine.
> >Source country efforts can bring about occasional
> >disruptions in the drug supply, but they are always short-
> >lived, and have no real impact on hard-core, problem drug
> >use.  The price of cocaine is considerably lower today than
> >it was before we got heavily into interdiction and source
> >country programs.  Drug production and trafficking is
> >regulated by the *demand* for drugs, not the other way
> >around.  As long as people in the United States want drugs,
> >they will get here.  The government's own research supports
> >this conclusion.  In fact, many generals recognize this,
> >and support within the military for military involvement in
> >the Drug War has been tepid.  General McCaffrey himself has
> >noted that current strategies are not working.
> >
> >Please write or call President Clinton and tell him not to
> >appoint a military officer to the Drug Czar post.  Tell him
> >it's time to stop misleading the public into believing that
> >military and law enforcement efforts are an effective or
> >appropriate response to drug use and abuse.  Tell him guns
> >and prisons are not the answer to the medical and social
> >issues presented by drugs.  And tell him he should work with
> >Congress to appoint and fund the Commission on Crime Control
> >and Prevention that was called for in the 1994 Crime Bill.
> >
> >Send your letter to:  President Bill Clinton
> >                      The White House
> >                      1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
> >                      Washington, DC 20500
> >            or call:  (202) 456-1111
> >
> >You can also send e-mail to president@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  We
> >don't have information on whether White House e-mail is read
> >as regularly as conventional mail.
> >
> >And send a copy to your Representative and your Senators:
> >
> >       The Honorable {your Rep/Senator}
> >       US House of Representatives/US Senate
> >       Washington, DC 20515/20510
> >
> >You can call your Rep and your Senators (or find out who
> >they are) via the Congressional Switchboard, (202) 224-3121.
> >
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> >==================================================================
> >      Peace     Justice     Freedom     Compassion     Truth
> >==================================================================
> >
> >                       \\\\\\\\\\ //////////
> >                          END THE DRUG WAR
> >                       ////////// \\\\\\\\\\
> >
> >
> ========================================================
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>
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