Pubdate: Fri, 11 Dec 2015
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Page: A13

DRUG WAR WON'T BE WON AT SEA

Sailors aboard the coastal-defence vessels HMCS Brandon and HMCS
Whitehorse are returning to Victoria after having done commendable
work in disrupting the flow of illegal drugs into North America. They
have served well and they deserve a warm homecoming.

It's no reflection on their professionalism and achievements, however,
to point out that their efforts won't do much to slow or halt the
international illicit drug trade. As long as there is a market, the
drugs will keep coming.

The two ships, which are based at CFB Esquimalt, are making their way
home from the eastern coast of Central America, but have been delayed
by severe storms affecting the West Coast. They are expected to be
back by the weekend or on Monday.

The ships and their crews are part of Operation Caribbe, Canada's
contribution to a U.S.-led anti-drug trafficking mission in the
Caribbean and East Pacific.

Since leaving Esquimalt on Oct. 23, the Royal Canadian Navy ships,
each with 38 crew members, have assisted the U.S. Coast Guard in seven
seizures involving nearly 9,800 kilograms of cocaine off Central and
South America. In addition, Brandon is credited with two other
interdictions and Whitehorse with one more.

The crews of the two ships were praised by their commanding officers
for their professionalism, skills and teamwork. We are not surprised
that Canadian military personnel performed well, but it's still good
to hear.

The RCN has been part of Operation Caribbe for nine years. This year,
the Canadians were involved in the seizure of nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine.

That's more than other years' totals (5,400 kilograms in 2014, 6,434
in 2013 and 8,060 in 2012) but those numbers indicate the flow of
drugs has not slowed. There is zero evidence that it is harder to get
cocaine or that production is affected.

We could keep asking sailors to do these missions for another hundred
years without making one bit of difference to the problems caused by
drugs in Canada. That's unfair to them, to taxpayers, and to the
people and communities being hurt by drugs.

Drugs flow north from South America through the Caribbean, Gulf of
Mexico and the Eastern Pacific in a transit zone of about 15 million
square kilometres, an area twice the size of the continental United
States. Tracking every vessel and stopping all drug trafficking
through that zone is a huge, if not impossible, task. If one route is
blocked, the criminals will find another.

Trying to stop drug shipments is attacking the problem at the middle
when we should be looking at the ends. As long as the drugs are being
produced and as long as there is a market, the crooks will find a way
to move their contraband.

Since cocaine and many other illicit drugs are produced in countries
rife with official corruption and incompetence, stopping the drugs at
the source is nearly impossible.

But we can do something about the market. We need programs to reduce
demand, to provide more treatment and more education.

With no customers, the drug trade would no longer be viable.
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MAP posted-by: Matt