Pubdate: Wed, 07 Nov 2001
Source: Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN)
Copyright: 2001 The Knoxville News-Sentinel Co.
Contact:  http://www.knoxnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/226
Author: Lance Gay

ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS TAKE BACK SEAT THESE DAYS

The administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration says the war on 
terrorism has drained resources from the long-standing war on drugs in the 
Caribbean and diverted federal anti-drug agents to hunt down domestic 
terrorists.

"We're trying to pick up the slack," DEA administrator Asa Hutchinson said 
Tuesday.

Hutchinson said he's concerned that drug smugglers could exploit a vacuum 
in the anti-drug campaign caused by the reassignment of Customs Service and 
Coast Guard ships from the Caribbean to homeland defense duties. "We don't 
want Miami and the Caribbean to go back to the 1980s," he said.

Hutchinson said he's also alarmed that the U.S.-led military campaign in 
Afghanistan has resulted in the Taliban releasing stockpiles of opium on 
the world's drug markets, which he fears will result in increased 
availability of heroin this winter, particularly in Western Europe.

Since the U.S. bombing campaign began a month ago, "prices have dropped 
along Afghanistan's borders," reflecting increased supplies of opium 
released in the region, he said.

In the last five years Afghanistan has replaced Asia's Golden Triangle as 
the lead exporter of opium, which is a significant source of revenues for 
the Taliban regime. Most heroin used in the United States comes from 
Central and Latin America, but Hutchinson said about 10 percent comes from 
Southwest Asia, going mostly to the East Coast.

Some Caribbean surveillance activities are now being conducted by NATO 
allies, which have sent surveillance planes from Europe to help monitor air 
and ship movements along the East Coast.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth