Pubdate: Sun, 02 Feb 2003
Source: Washington Times (DC)
Copyright: 2003 News World Communications, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.washingtontimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/492
Author: Jerry Seper

NATIONS' EFFORTS AGAINST DRUGS SLOW

The White House said Burma, Guatemala and Haiti have "failed demonstrably" 
to make substantial efforts in the past year to meet international 
drug-control standards. Top Stories

"The Guatemalan government's counternarcotics performance deteriorated 
substantially in 2002," said Paul Simons, acting assistant secretary of 
state for international narcotics and law enforcement affairs during a 
briefing to outline President Bush's narcotics certification determinations 
for 2003.

"Specifically, narcotics seizures and narcotics-related prosecutions were 
sharply down. Police stole twice the quantity of drugs that they officially 
seized, and they were identified with drug-related extrajudicial executions 
of both narco-traffickers and civilians," he said on Friday.

Guatemala was among 23 countries graded on their counternarcotics 
performance last year. Mr. Bush can impose economic sanctions against those 
countries that do not comply with accepted anti-drug policies, although he 
waived sanctions for Guatemala and Haiti based on national-security concerns.

"These two countries will receive assistance, notwithstanding their 
counternarcotics performance," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer 
Friday. It is the first time Guatemala had made the list.

The 22 other countries named on the president's "major drugs" list are 
Afghanistan, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, China, Colombia, Dominican 
Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, 
Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Venezuela and Vietnam.

Mr. Simons noted that the Guatemalan government has reopened negotiations 
with the United States on a maritime counternarcotics agreement and has 
begun regularly destroying newly confiscated drugs not needed for evidence.

Mr. Bush also noted his concern over an "alarming increase" in the quantity 
of illegal synthetic drugs entering the United States, especially Ecstasy 
from Europe. He said a significant amount of the Ecstasy consumed in this 
country was manufactured clandestinely in the Netherlands.

He said the United States was working "closely" with Dutch authorities to 
stop the production and export of Ecstasy, "which we both regard as a 
serious threat to our citizens."

Mr. Bush said he expects Dutch authorities to move effectively and 
measurably in the coming year against the production and export of the 
drug, including dismantling labs and proceeding against trafficking 
organizations.

The president also said he was concerned that Canada had become a primary 
source of pseudoephedrine and an increasing source of high- potency 
marijuana, which are exported to the United States. Pseudoephedrine 
diverted from Canada is used at clandestine drug laboratories in this 
country to produce methamphetamine.

"The government of Canada, for the most part, has not regulated the sale 
and distribution of precursor chemicals," Mr. Bush said, adding that 
regulations to restrict the availability of pseudoephedrine "should be 
stronger."

With regard to Guatemala, federal authorities have been concerned about 
that country as a partner in the international war on drugs because of its 
growing involvement as a major trans-shipment point for cocaine and heroin 
bound for the United States.

Law-enforcement authorities and others said the Bush administration has 
also focused on rising corruption in Guatemala, including within the 
government, and on President Alfonso Portillo's reported friendship with 
reputed criminals.

Last year, Mr. Portillo was accused of opening bank accounts in Panama to 
embezzle state funds. He denied the accusations. A top Guatemalan official, 
Francisco Ortega Menaldo, a close adviser to Mr. Portillo, had his visa 
revoked last year by the U.S. government on suspicion of his involvement in 
smuggling and drug trafficking.

A report by the U.S.-based research organization Hemisphere Initiatives 
also cited links between the Guatemalan government and organized crime, 
saying a clandestine network involving members of the judiciary and 
security forces has blocked criminal investigations and pressured judges.
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