| April 28, 2000 #147 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Table of Contents
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FEATURE ARTICLE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Reaction to 60 Minutes II "Hit Piece" on Ecstasy (MDMA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The 60 Minutes II show producers need to be told that their unbalanced
presentation of the harms of MDMA and their total ignoring of its
therapeutic potential is poor journalism. Their hysterical exaggeration
of the dangers of MDMA (it is supposedly likely to produce a generation
of depressed people) is counterproductive in terms of reducing
excessive use of MDMA abuse since the message will be discounted as
unbelievable. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The supposed 40 deaths in Florida due to MDMA was taken as a fact yet
the evidence supporting these claims has never been made public so that
it could be critically reviewed. The show failed to explain that the
statistic of 1100 emergency room visits due to MDMA is from the Drug
Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) system, which links visits to specific
drugs even if the drugs did not cause the visit. All that is needed is
for the person who went to the ER or any of their friends to have
claimed the person consumed MDMA. Blood tests confirming the mentioned
drug are not required so ER visits could due to fake MDMA are lumped
together with visit related to genuine MDMA. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
When the 60 Minutes II producers called MAPS to gather information for
their show, my initial impression was positive. I was told they wanted
to look at all aspects of MDMA, therapeutic use as well as rave use,
and they wanted to do a balanced treatment of the neurotoxicity issue.
I started to get a bad feeling when it became clear that none of the
people I recommended who could talk about therapeutic use were
contacted, nor were any experts who would offer a less than hysterical
presentation about neurotoxicity. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The program should at least have given a moment of air time to a doctor
or researcher who doesn't believe the evidence supports an alarmist
conclusion about neurotoxicity, as well as someone who could speak to
its therapeutic potential. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The 60 Minutes producers should be held accountable for a presentation
that was put together without even an attempt at basic journalistic
balance. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Another View | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Here are my initial, quick thoughts on the 60 Minutes episode... | ||||||||||||||||||||||
It was GREAT! | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Now don't get me wrong. It was a ridiculous, overly-alarmist and
totally sensationalistic hit piece on ecstasy, but this is what made
DanceSafe and harm reduction look so reasonable. The undercover Orlando
police officer,Mike Stevens, came across as over-zealous and
ideological, whereas we came across as pragmatic and reasonable. You
could hear the emotion in his voice as he spoke ("E is no different from
crack or heroin."), whereas we I sounded calm and collected (and other
people have agreed with me here). | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Those of you who mentioned the editing and positioning of DanceSafe at
the very end of the segment are completely correct. They did this to
accentuate the supposed absurdity of harm reduction in the face of "the
most dangerous drug in existence." However, don't assume that the
average TV viewer is so naive that they can't see through this. They
made the segment so outrageously sensationalistic that the final two
minutes showing DanceSafe came across as a stark contrast--and most
people are going to see it as a breath of fresh air. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Middle America is getting fed up with the Drug War. They are looking
for an alternative. We should consider this 60 Minutes segment a huge
victory for harm reduction! If we hadn't interviewed with them, they
would have run the same show, just without us at the end, and harm
reduction would not even have been mentioned. Also, go to the 60 Minutes
website, http://www.cbs.com/ and read the text pertaining to us. It
makes us sound very reasonable. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
For those who haven't seen it yet, I have already posted a special web page for the mass of TV viewers who are now flooding to our site. Check it out.It's the "60 Minutes page" and has pictures of me and the anchor person, as well as the producer of the show. http://www.DanceSafe.org/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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WEEKLY NEWS IN REVIEW (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic News- Policy COMMENT: (1-2) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Two items illustrate an increasing trend: the more openly our drug
policy is attacked, the more repressive the measures proposed by its
supporters.That the idea of enlisting business men as police agents
clearly didn't raise the reporter's eyebrows may be the second
article's most disturbing aspect. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(1) OPED: REALITY VS. PERCEPTION (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The War On Drugs Has Conquered Only Common Sense | ||||||||||||||||||||||
President Richard Nixon announced a War on Drugs in 1972. At that time there were about 200,000 individuals in prisons in the United States. Now, 28 years later, with a federal anti-drug budget of just under $20 billion, the prison and drug population has topped two million persons! As Roger Clawson, in a Gazette column published in 1995, said, "In comparison, the Vietnam War was a splendidly successful campaign." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(2) COMMITTEE SUGGESTS EMPLOYEE DRUG TESTS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Hagerstown business leaders who are pressing for more widespread use of
drug testing in the work place fired every piece of ammunition they
could muster during a forum Tuesday morning - law enforcement officers,
politicians and even recovering drug addicts. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The most recent statistics showed that fewer than 10 percent of
businesses conducted drug testing in 1992 and 1993, said Art Callaham,
executive director of the Greater Hagerstown Committee. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Callaham said the organization wants businesses to test potential employees to help police crack down on the drug problem. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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COMMENT: (3-4) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Critical details were added to 2 smoldering squabbles: Robert
Housman's complaint to Salon claims not only was subversion of the
First Amendment not secret, it was authorized by Congress; also, a
reference to the yet-to-be published New Yorker article cites "improper
conduct" by McCzar while lobbying for Colombian aid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(3) WHITE HOUSE BLASTS SALON (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In my prior letter, ONDCP [Office of National Drug Control Policy]
provided you with extensive documentation that proves that, contrary to
the reporting of Mr. Forbes and Salon, the Youth Campaign was in no way
secret. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The statutory requirement is not a 50 percent discount on ads.
The requirement is that for every public dollar spent, we must get an
equal dollar's value of public service, which may or may not be ads. In
fact, we often buy ads at full market price and receive other forms of
public service, such as content, as the public service match. Further,
the use of content and other outreach tools by the Campaign was
specifically authorized by the Congress. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(4) DRUG CZAR FIGHTS NEW YORKER ARTICLE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
WASHINGTON (AP) -- White House drug policy director Barry McCaffrey is
striking back at a prize-winning investigative reporter he accuses of
spreading "defamatory" allegations about McCaffrey's conduct as an Army
general in the Persian Gulf War. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Among them: assertions that troops led by McCaffrey killed Iraqi
prisoners of war, that McCaffrey committed unspecified crimes in the
Vietnam War and that he has acted inappropriately in pushing a $1.6
billion anti-drug aid package for Colombia. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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COMMENT: (5-6) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
An embattled czar answered Arizona critics by explaining why
'Plan Colombia' is so essential to US strategy- conveniently
overlooking that the reasons he offered are all consequences of the
illegal drug markets that our policy creates. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
After listening to the czar's policy explanations- first hand and over lunch- columnist William Raspberry clearly wasn't impressed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(5) OPED: U.S. CAN'T AFFORD TO ABANDON DRUG WARS IN COLOMBIA (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
American interests at home and in South America have been increasingly
threatened by ongoing, interrelated crises in Colombia. We must protect
ourselves from the flow of Colombian heroin and cocaine, in particular,
as well as support democratic government, the rule of law, economic
stability and human rights in that beleaguered country. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A majority of the heroin seized on America's eastern seaboard now comes
from Colombia. After the demise of integrated cartels based in Medellin
and Cali, smaller cells began specializing in limited aspects of the
drug trade. Such groups are hard to disrupt. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Dismantling one has little impact on the others. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The increase in drug production acted like gasoline thrown on the fire
of Colombia's insurgency problems. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(6) COLUMN: DRUG CZAR MCCAFFREY LAYS SOME FACTS ON THE TABLE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
For the moment, Barry McCaffrey, who heads the Office of National Drug Control Policy, doesn't want to argue drug policy. He wants to use a modest lunch in his office to get some facts out so that when people do argue drug policy, they can argue from agreed-upon facts. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
But if McCaffrey is right -- not just about our haphazard use of
statistics but also about drug abuse typology -- why isn't he screaming
from the rooftops that throwing people in prison for abusing drugs (or
for selling drugs to support their addictions) makes no sense at all?
Why isn't he saying that the drug problem ought to be treated more like
a medical problem than a criminal justice problem? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
And how do the facts he lays out support the administration's proposal
to stick a $1.6 billion military, criminal justice and drug
interdiction nose into Colombia? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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== | ||||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (7-8) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The peripatetic czar also left the office long enough to tell a
mostly black and poor audience in Florida that they had to solve their
own drug problems because "no one is in charge." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
That explains it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
As if they didn't already have enough to do, drug enforcement
officials are increasingly being forced - because of its growing
popularity - to turn their attention to ecstasy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(7) TOP DRUG FIGHTER VISITS OPA-LOCKA (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Gen. Barry McCaffrey said America does not have a national drug
problem; instead, 'community drug epidemics.' | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The nation's top drug fighter came to Opa-locka's infamous Triangle on
Tuesday to tell dozens of residents bluntly that it was up to them to
find solutions to the problems narcotics cause in their | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"Nobody's in charge of America," said Gen. Barry McCaffrey, director
of the Office of National Drug Control. "You've got to organize
yourselves in a community." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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== | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(7) TOP DRUG FIGHTER VISITS OPA-LOCKA | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Gen. Barry McCaffrey said America does not have a national drug
problem; instead, 'community drug epidemics.' | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The nation's top drug fighter came to Opa-locka's infamous Triangle on Tuesday to tell dozens of residents bluntly that it was up to them to find solutions to the problems narcotics cause in their neighborhood. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"Nobody's in charge of America," said Gen. Barry McCaffrey, director
of the Office of National Drug Control. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(8) CUSTOMS-TRAINED DRUG DOGS SNIFF OUT ECSTASY AT AIRPORTS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
NEWARK, N.J. -- The front line of the domestic drug war rages in a
cavernous cargo bay beneath the airport terminal. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Bird, a 70-pound Labrador retriever who graduated first in his
Ecstasy-sniffing class, noses through suitcases from a Northwest
Airlines flight from Amsterdam, a primary source for the drug Ecstasy.
Three years ago, this flight was not a priority of law enforcement, but
a rapid rise in seizures of the drug has changed that. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Law Enforcement & Prisons --------- | ||||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (9) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Dorothy Gaines' story, aired earlier on "Snitch," also received a friendly airing in Marie Claire; it reads like a litany of the abuses now commonplace in our justice system, thanks to the war on drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(9) I AM WRONGLY IMPRISONED FOR 19 YEARS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Dorothy Gaines, 41, is behind bars with no chance for parole. Yet she says she's innocent. And the only evidence against her came from convicted criminals who implicated her to reduce their own jail time. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be serving a prison
sentence of more than 19 years for delivering crack and having cocaine
in my house, I would have laughed in your face. At the time, I was a
respected nurse technician at Providence Hospital in Mobile, Alabama,
where I lived with my husband, Terrell, and my three children. I went
to church, paid my taxes and always taught my kids - Natasha, now 26,
Chara, 17, and Phillip, 15 - to abide by the law. I felt like I had
finally made it, even though the road up to that point had been a
fairly rough one. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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COMMENT: (10-13) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The injustice in Dorothy Gaines' case stands in stark contrast to
the constant stream of drug-related police corruption stories now
filling newspapers from coast to coast; a few representative samples
are cited; Bob Herbert's column alludes to how prosecutors are able use
their power to seek federal indictments to coerce defendants into
accepting plea bargains. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(10) JUDGE OVERTURNS 7 MORE TAINTED CONVICTIONS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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As yet more Los Angeles police officers testified before a criminal
grand jury probing corruption in the LAPD, a judge on Thursday
overturned the convictions of seven more people whose cases had been
tainted by alleged police misconduct. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(11) FIRST ARRESTS OF OFFICERS EXPECTED IN RAMPART PROBE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Two sergeants are among those to be charged in alleged planting of a
gun to frame a suspect, sources say. More charges possible against the
three, other colleagues. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In the first prosecutions arising from the ongoing Los Angeles Police
Department corruption scandal, the district attorney today will file
criminal charges against two sergeants and an officer, according to
high-ranking law enforcement sources. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(i2) POLICE CORRUPTION | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Rigorous Investigation Warranted | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A series of disturbing allegations in the Jackson Police Department
culminated Wednesday with the indictment of a police detective on
charges of accepting bribes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A federal grand jury accused narcotics Detective Alvaline Baggett, a
15-year veteran, of bribery and conspiracy to commit extortion from
drug dealers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(13) OPED: AN INQUIRY OUT OF CONTROL (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
No one investigates the investigators. So they sometimes run wild. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Prosecutors in the office of Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes
knew that Sidney Quick was a hideously violent man who spent as much
time as he could getting high on booze, crack, powdered cocaine, heroin
and LSD... | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
... under state law you need more than the uncorroborated account of | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cannabis & Hemp- | ||||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (14-17) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medical cannabis is back in the news, especially in California, where
it all began; Marvin Chavez' release again focused attention on the
state leadership vacuum which is allowing local law enforcement to run
roughshod over patients and distributors. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
There are bright spots: the opening of a bed and breakfast in Santa
Cruz commanded world-wide attention, while the imminent signing of a
medical use bill in Hawaii prompted some unusually intelligent
political speculation on the whole issue. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(14) MEDICAL-POT ADVOCATES SAY LOCKYER HAS FAILED IN APPLYING PROP. 215 (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Critics Say It's The Attorney General's Duty To Set Up Statewide
Guidelines. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Before being sworn in as California's top cop, Bill Lockyer made fun of
what he saw as his predecessor's stodginess.... | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Lockyer, a Democrat, promised to be a breath of fresh air in law
enforcement, and to do something Republican Lungren refused to do: find
a way to make Proposition 215, California's problematic | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"Lockyer continues to allow police in every city to make up their own
rules," said J. David Nick, the San Francisco attorney who represented
Santa Ana medical-marijuana activist Marvin Chavez, ... | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"He could, and should, issue guidelines on how Prop. 215 is to be
interpreted and enforced.... - he does not need legislative approval to
do that." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(15) EDITORIAL: BAIL FOR CHAVEZ (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Judge Thomas Borris, who presided over Marvin Chavez's trial almost 18
months ago and imposed a harsh six-year prison sentence, surprised most
of those in the courtroom last Friday by allowing the medical-marijuana
activist to be released on bail pending his appeal. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
It should be noted, however, that state Attorney General Bill Lockyer,
who ran as a supporter of medical marijuana, has more authority than he
has used to date to ease implementation... | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
...Marvin Chavez may be out on bail. But the law passed by the people more | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(16) MEDICAL POT USERS WELCOME, SAYS NEW INN (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
SANTA CRUZ--Andrea Tischler is perched atop ground zero of California's
escalating medical marijuana wars. She and a partner Thursday opened
the nation's first "bed, bud and breakfast," a cozy Victorian inn with
a backyard oasis where medical pot users can fire up right next to the
swim suit-optional hot tub. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(17) MEDICAL MARIJUANA ISSUE COMES OF AGE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medical marijuana's time may have come this year at the Legislature,
but it's a puzzle as to why. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Lawmakers generally are reluctant to cast a vote that might appear to
be "for" marijuana or that might make them look soft on drugs or crime.
But they appear to be on the verge of approving what other states have
done through voter initiative, suggesting they are not afraid of a
voter backlash. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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International News | ||||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (18-19) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The first item adds more disturbing evidence that Britain under Blair
is pursuing the hawkish US enforcement model; meanwhile an
interesting admission from the DEA: Mexico- a nation recently certified
as"cooperating" in our drug crusade- may just have become too unsafe
for US narcs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(18) UK: SUSPECTED CRIMINALS FACE SEIZURE OF ASSETS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
THE Government plans to set up a powerful agency to seize the assets of
suspected criminals. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Drug barons or gang leaders could have their homes and cars confiscated
without having been convicted of the crime through which police believe
that they acquired them. A report from the Performance and Innovation
Unit next month will recommend that the law should be changed to allow
the authorities to seize assets if they can show that they were
"probably" acquired illegally, even if they did not have enough
evidence to secure conviction. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(19) DEA PONDERS PULLOUT OF AGENTS IN TIJUANA (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Idea Prompted By Series Of Drug-Connected Killings | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is considering removing its
agents from Tijuana because of the city's string of drug-related
slayings. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The latest high-profile killings shocked U.S. officials because they
involved three Mexican anti-drug agents who had been meeting at least
once a month with San Diego agents from the FBI, DEA and U.S.
Attorney's Office. The three bodies were found near their battered car
at the bottom of a ravine in the mountainous area between Tecate and
Mexicali. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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COMMENT: (20-21) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A wire story from France not only confirmed an earlier UN estimate on
the value of illicit drug sales, it emphasized that market's role
in perpetuating conflicts. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
By contrast, a worried- but obtuse- NYT article on the growing
instability of Andean nations pointedly ignored the essential role
played by our drug policy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(20) DRUG TRAFFICKERS THRIVING ON GLOBALISATION (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
PARIS, (AFP) - Drugs traffickers are thriving on economic globalisation
which makes money-laundering increasingly easy, the Paris-based
Geopolitical Drugs Watch (GDW) said in a 1998-1999 report published
Thursday. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"Around 350 to 400 billion dollars of drugs money was reintegrated into the global economy over the last year," according to the report, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Rather than benefitting local populations, the increasing amounts of
laundered drugs money are benefitting an elite and contributing to
increased poverty and conflict over the last 15 years in southern
countries, GDW. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The GDW report lists around 30 conflicts around the world where drugs
are involved: Basque armed separatist group ETA is listed along with
old-timers Afghanistan, Colombia and Angola. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(21) THE ANDES IN TUMULT, SHAKEN BY POLITICAL TREMORS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Guerrillas and the cocaine trade batter Colombia. A strongman rides roughshod over a discredited Congress and courts in Venezuela. Ecuador reels from an economic crisis and a coup. Bolivia has just emerged from a state of siege. And Peru awaits an election between an autocrat accused of trying to steal the presidency and a political firebrand. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Suddenly it seems as if all the Andes are in tumult. Recent events have
exposed fractures in each society, some old and some new, and one Wall
Street firm has gone so far as to warn its clients that the region is
becoming "the Balkans of Latin America." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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HOT OFF THE 'NET (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A Nark's View | ||||||||||||||||||||||
I found this today and was appalled at the hypocrisy and
arrogance displayed (appalled, not shocked). Please expose this to the
community. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Submitted by | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Veterans for More Effective Drug Strategies | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Military Veterans Tell Drug Czar: Colombian Drug War Escalation Will Lead to "A Military
Quagmire and Make Drugs More Available" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Washington, D.C.: Seventy-five retired or former veterans have written the Drug Czar, General Barry McCaffrey (Ret.), urging reconsideration of the escalation of US military involvement in the Colombian civil war. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The letter was signed by veterans from every branch of the services and from every US war since World War II. It includes two colonels, one commander, 8 lieutenant colonels, 7 lieutenant commanders, 6 majors, 4 captains, 10 lieutenants and 37 enlisted veterans. The letter emphasizes the inadequate military planning of the drug war escalation stating: | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"Entering the Colombian civil war would once again involve US military personnel in a civil war against a well armed, well financed and motivated indigenous army that blends easily with the surrounding population. The Andes jungle plateau is several times larger than South Vietnam which we were, for ten years, unable to control effectively with 500,000 armed American combatants, hundreds of helicopters and total air superiority, compared to the handful of 'advisors' and less than a hundred helicopters in Colombia. The planning is painfully unrealistic." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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DRUGSENSE VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Mike Plylar | ||||||||||||||||||||||
This month we recognize Mike Plylar. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Mike has been one of our super newshawks for a good while, at times providing as much as a third of our news clippings. Mike has also been active as a writer of Letters to the Editor and in various efforts n his community and state. We asked Mike a few questions: | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DS: When and why did you become involved in drug policy reform? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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DS: How did you get into newshawking? How did you come by the name 'Sledhead'? (Let US know if you do not want to blow your cover!) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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"Sledhead" kind of sums up who I am & no problem about blowing
my "cover". I'm an avid mountain snowmobiler & the rest speaks for
itself. I also didn't want to have my name searched on the internet &
about a zillion drug articles turn up. :) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DS: What do you consider the most significant story/issue of the past
months? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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I love those guys. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
I don't think I can pick one issue. Colombia, the L.A. police scandal, "drug payola", & the police shootings have all had a serious impact. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[ http://www.mapinc.org/latin.htm ] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DS: What are your favorite websites, besides the MAP/DrugSense sites? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
http://www.norml.org/ http://www.cannabisnews.com/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DS: Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers of the
weekly? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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What a great group of folks to be involved with. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DS: Thank you, Mike, for all that you are doing! Mike Plylar's name will be added to the list of honored volunteers on the following web page within the next few days: http://www.drugsense.org/dswvol.htm | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"It has been a long and hard fight and we have lost. The severity of
the defeat and the circumstances of it would seem to call
for a reassessment of the policies which have characterized our
participation here. Those who fail to learn from history are forced to
repeat it. Saigon signing off." -- The final message of the CIA station
chief in Saigon, April 30, 1975 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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DS Weekly is one of the many free educational services DrugSense offers
our members. Watch this feature to learn more about what DrugSense can
do for you. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, Newshawks and letter
writing activists. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is
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