America's drug plan collapses in chaos

[emad]

By Hugh O'Shaughnessy
15 May 2005


Washington's "war on drugs" in Colombia is collapsing in chaos and corruption, and the drug producers are winning. The so-called Plan Colombia, which has cost the US more than $3bn (£1.6bn) in the past five years, is being abandoned, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has announced.

Last year, the hugely expensive effort to poison coca bushes - whose leaves are the source of cocaine - by aerial spraying ended in failure. More bushes were flourishing in January this year than in January 2004.

Meanwhile, complaints have multiplied about the damage done by the chemical poisons to the health of humans, especially children, as well as to livestock, fish and the environment.

Plan Colombia was designed to eradicate narcotics, control powerful left-wing guerrillas and strengthen the position of the US military in South America. The scheme was eventually expected to cost $7.5bn.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=638590

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Is this another example of what they call "Blowback"?

Meanwhile, complaints have multiplied about the damage done by the chemical poisons to the health of humans, especially children, as well as to livestock, fish and the environment.

[Warpy]

3. It will be

Forcible suppression of any economy and of any human activity that is such a part of us, like the use of psychoactive plants, will inevitably result in a tenfold problem as corruption and disrespect for corrupted law grows.

Prohibition of alcohol did not work. The drug war will not work. All we are doing is sowing the seeds for future wars.

Stupid moralists.

[Toots]

2. Good... but I suspect it to get even worse

There is big money in drugs and Republicans swarm around big money..They will come up with another plan to capture the Nation's Treasury.

[TahitiNut]

4. Imagine. We paid good tax dollars to poison the Bushes.

:silly: Strange times, indeed.

[xchrom]

5. imagine that: aerial spraying of poison

causes problems for children, livestock, fish and the environment.

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. What's the matter Condi

The trail back to the WH is getting too hot?


Colombia 'will not try US troops'

<nsip>

Aid recipient

Five US soldiers were arrested at a US military base in Texas after they stepped off a flight from Colombia on 29 March.

They are suspected of attempting to smuggle 16kg (35 lb) of cocaine on a US military aircraft.

According to the Associated Press news agency, one of the men was later released.

The agency also reports that three of the five suspects were initially detained on Colombian soil - a point Colombian senators say supports their demands for extradition.

The US has more than 1,000 soldiers and civilian contractors working in Colombia as part of a plan to combat a 40-year-old Marxist insurgency and one of its major revenue sources - the cocaine trade.

Colombia is the third biggest recipient of US military aid, after Israel and Egypt.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4420329.stm

[SlavesandBulldozers]

7. Rice: "You can only fight one Vietnam at a time."

not an actual quote.

[emad]

8. America's drugs plan in tatters as cocaine and corruption flourish

By Hugh O'Shaughnessy
15 May 2005


Washington's "war on drugs" in Colombia is collapsing in chaos and corruption, and the drug producers are winning. The so-called Plan Colombia, which has cost the US more than $3bn (£1.6bn) in the past five years, is being abandoned, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has announced.

Last year, the hugely expensive effort to poison coca bushes - whose leaves are the source of cocaine - by aerial spraying ended in failure. More bushes were flourishing in January this year than in January 2004. Meanwhile, complaints have multiplied about the damage done by the chemical poisons to the health of humans, especially children, as well as to livestock, fish and the environment.

Plan Colombia was designed to eradicate narcotics, control powerful left-wing guerrillas and strengthen the position of the US military in South America. The scheme was eventually expected to cost $7.5bn.

The government of Colombia, the world's principal source of cocaine, has sent out an emergency appeal to the Bush administration for an extra $130m to supplement the $600m it expects to receive in 2006 under Plan Colombia.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=638518

[William Bloode]

9. I can give you some obeservations from my end.

Why i see the Wod as such a failure is since the mid 80's drug prices have fallen dramaticaly. Here in my area and 8ball of coke once sold for $220-250, now it's $125-150. An ounce of marijuana has went from a bottom of $120-150 down to $80(import). Then if you figure in for cost of living that makes the actual price even lower. Thats not counting the meth plauge that is now upon us here......don't even get me started on that.

[Raster]

10. Falacy and falsehood Numero Uno: The American government and it's ...

...Columbian puppet want to eradicate coca and completely stop the flow of cocaine. BULLSHIT!!! It's a readily accessible source of cash, lots of it. The Amerbians want to be the ones that completely control it, much like the oil in the Middle East. The problem is the "other side" likes the access to the cash spigot just as much as we do. Aye, muchols problemos!

[Auntie Bush]

11. Didn't we learn that lesson from using Agent Orange?

[leesa]

12. Glad to hear it's ended, but I wonder what's up their sleeves?

Is this the agreement the US had to make to allow us to invade Venezuela from their country?

[silverlib]

13. Largest drug bust in history - Columbia

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1472810

Recent huge drug bust in Columbia.

Certainly not condoning the use of chemical poisoning, but isn't this latest story a complete contrast to the linked story?

[Coastie for Truth]

14. The "War On Drugs"

is even less winnable then the War In VietNam or the War in Iraq.

[aneerkoinos]

15. Lest be forgotten

Plan Colombia was Clinton's initiative and brainchild, and allways favo of the so called "reality based" camp including Powell etc.

http://www.commondreams.org/views/082300-106.htm

If Bush&co now plan to drop the drug excuse and openly intensify and engage the the civil war against left rebels, better so. Hope they loose.

[damntexdem]

16. The War on Drugs was lost long ago.

The U.S. just can't help but hang on to obsolete wars, however.

[Bruce McAuley]

17. BINGO!

Any old war will do, when your object is to sell armaments to the rest of the world.
Desert Storm
War in Bosnia
War in Colombia
War in Afghanistan
War in Iraq
Continuing War on Drugs
Continuing War on Terror
Coming War on Iran
They all maintain the MIC, Military Industrial Complex, which REALLY elects Presidents.

Bruce

[jazzjunkysue]

18. US Box score on wars: War on drugs? 0-1. War on terror? 0-thousands.

War on crime? Right.

War on intelligence? HOME RUN!!!!!! SLAM DUNK!

Now, watch this drive:

[chlamor]

America's Drug Plan Collapses in Chaos (Plan Colombia)

America's drug plan collapses in chaos
By Hugh O'Shaughnessy

15 May 2005

Washington's "war on drugs" in Colombia is collapsing in chaos and corruption, and the drug producers are winning. The so-called Plan Colombia, which has cost the US more than $3bn (£1.6bn) in the past five years, is being abandoned, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has announced.

Last year, the hugely expensive effort to poison coca bushes - whose leaves are the source of cocaine - by aerial spraying ended in failure. More bushes were flourishing in January this year than in January 2004.

Meanwhile, complaints have multiplied about the damage done by the chemical poisons to the health of humans, especially children, as well as to livestock, fish and the environment.

Plan Colombia was designed to eradicate narcotics, control powerful left-wing guerrillas and strengthen the position of the US military in South America. The scheme was eventually expected to cost $7.5bn.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=638590

[EC]

19. They just don't learn....

wasn't it during Reagan they sprayed the Marijuana plants in Mexico?

[SoCalDem]

21. paraquat , I think it was called.. We SHOULD have learned from

Agent Orange in Viet Nam.. What gives us the right to poison another country's eco-system just because OUR citizens are so desperate to escape the reality they live, that they williingly drg themselves?

We should put those resources into job creation, education and drug treatment..

There are also helpless creatures trying to stay alive in a rainforest that's under assault from all quarters.. Shame on US:(

[barb162]

20. The USA never wants to work on the demand side of the

supply/demand equation. Because the administration leaders never really understand basic economics. I wonder how much we have polluted up that country with all the poson spraying

[bemildred]

22. The Drug War is not about drugs.

Anymore than the War on Terror is about fighting terror,
or the war on poverty was about eliminating poverty.

[Old and In the Way]

24. You are so right.

Sounds like the plan is going quite well, if you're the recipient of that $3BB dollars.

[ngGale]

23. Imagine my surprise...

sounds more like control of their market.

[IndianaGreen]

25. Plan Colombia was the second most stupid idea of Clinton Administration

("Don't ask, don't tell" being the most stupid!

Plan Colombia has resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent people, and has brought permanent environmental harm to the land, the people living in it, and their livestock and crops.

The men that designed Plan Colombia sleep well at night, totally oblivious and uncaring about the misery they have brought.

[Erika]

26. Clinton has been gone a long time

When do you start blaming Bush?

[aneerkoinos]

27. Please, no knee-jerk

This was Clinton's program, in the Bush admin it was Powel that had the hots for Plan Colombia. In other words, the "realists" from both parties.

Neocons don't seem to see much use for putting extra effort in TWAD now that they got TWAT to bang heads of poor people. Except marijuana users at home turf, I gather white-nosed Bush still loves the stuff on some level.

[Swamp Rat]

28. Plan Colombia=Genocide n/t

[Alpharetta]

29. we have a president who on tape admitted drug usage

and admitted he'd keep lying about his drug usage.

It's institutionalized denial. Whatta country.