Pubdate: Thu, 03 Oct 2002
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Page A12
Copyright: 2002 The Washington Post Company
Contact:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Associated Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?172 (Peruvian Aircraft Shooting)

U.S., BOGOTA TO RESUME AERIAL DRUG INTERDICTION

BOGOTA, Colombia, Oct. 2 -- Eighteen months after an American missionary 
plane was mistakenly shot down, the United States plans to resume a 
campaign to help Colombia track and force down drug flights, officials from 
both countries said today.

The program was suspended in April 2001 in Colombia and Peru after a 
Peruvian warplane shot down the missionary flight over the Amazon, killing 
an American and her infant daughter.

Colombian warplanes will intercept drug flights based on intelligence from 
the United States, Gen. Hector Velasco, the air force commander, said today.

Officials expect operations to resume this month.

To help prevent erroneous shoot-downs, Colombian ground and air crews and 
pilots are receiving safety training in Oklahoma City, said Brig. Gen. 
Galen Jackman of the U.S. Army.

The State Department will be the lead U.S. agency handling the program.

Members of Congress had recommended that the CIA no longer manage it.

U.S. officials have said illicit drug flights from the Andes to the United 
States increased following the suspension of the U.S. program.

The American missionary plane was shot down after a CIA surveillance plane 
spotted what it considered a suspicious aircraft and called in a Peruvian 
jet to intercept it.

The U.S. crew later realized that the flight was innocent, but was unable 
to dissuade the Peruvians from firing.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager