Pubdate: Sat, 09 Sep 2000 Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat (CA) Copyright: 2000, The Press Democrat Contact: http://www.pressdemo.com/index.html Forum: http://www.pressdemo.com/opinion/talk/ SUB'S OMINOUS SIGNAL In a plot reminiscent of James Bond (remember Dr. No building a nuclear reactor on a Jamaican island in order to intercept U.S. rockets?), Colombian police discovered a partially-built submarine in the mountain den of drug traffickers. According to naval experts, the 100-foot-long, 11-foot-wide sub is capable of traveling 100 meters below the surface on long ocean voyages. Experts believe the design would allow it to be transported in three pieces from a construction warehouse outside Bogota to a port city for launching. Clearly the sub was being constructed to carry large amounts of cocaine and heroin to the U.S. and other countries. While Bond movies are parodied -- think "Austin Powers" -- for over-the-top technology, there's nothing funny about the Colombia discovery. If drug traffickers can build submarines, they surely can build armies. If they can buy engineering expertise from a Russian submarine builder, they can buy nuclear weapon technology from rogue physicists. If they are prepared to launch a submarine more sophisticated than any used by the Colombian navy, they are prepared to launch a war against those who would stop their business. The submarine discovery is further evidence that America's $1.3 billion in Colombian aid -- including 60 attack helicopters and 500 U.S. Army and intelligence instructors -- delivered by President Clinton last week will be used for military intervention. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D