cannabisnews.com: The Colombian Drug Bust





The Colombian Drug Bust
Posted by FoM on October 16, 1999 at 10:01:00 PT
Source: Washington Post
Victories in the war on drugs are rare, so it would be wrong to be too churlish about this week's arrest of 31 suspected cocaine traffickers based mainly in Colombia. Their capture is certainly a triumph of collaboration between Colombian and American law enforcement officials. 
Colombia's police chief has pledged that the suspects will be extradited to America, a fate that the country's traffickers have successfully avoided since 1991.That said, some skepticism is called for. Colombian drug rings have been smashed before, with little obvious benefit. In 1990 Pablo Escobar, the leader of the Medellin cartel, was imprisoned, but the flow of cocaine was barely interrupted, and Mr. Escobar soon escaped from jail. In 1993 Colombia's security forces found Mr. Escobar and killed him, but the cocaine trade carried on. In 1995 it was the turn of the Cali cartel to see its leaders captured. Again, the cocaine business thrived.Historians of the war on drugs cite two instances in which the smashing of drug gangs produced useful results. In the early 1970s international police caught up with the French Connection and its Turkish opium suppliers. This produced a street shortage of heroin; prices increased; addicts were forced to seek treatment. In 1989, similarly, Colombia's government launched an all-out war on the Medellin cartel, after the traffickers exceeded their usual arrogance and killed the ruling party's presidential candidate. Again, this pushed the street price of cocaine up, encouraging addicts to get medical help. But in both cases the price increases proved temporary. New suppliers quickly spotted a market opening. In sum, three decades of hunting down drug traffickers has done little to curb drug abuse in America, and there is little reason to suspect that the latest "success" will prove different. Drugs reach consumers by too many routes, courtesy of too many shifting alliances of criminals, for even spectacular police successes to disrupt supply much. Donnie Marshall, the acting head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, talks up the value of Wednesday's arrests by saying, "Over time we dilute their talent pool." This defense of the war on drugs has the virtue of modesty. But it is hardly comforting. Saturday, October 16, 1999; Page A24 © Copyright 1999 The Washington Post CompanyRelated Articles:Column: U.S. Drug Policy Not Working - 10/14/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3305.shtmlThe Narco-Guerrilla War - 8/06/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread2382.shtml
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Comment #2 posted by kaptinemo on October 17, 1999 at 14:24:53 PT
A historical perspective...
For anyone interested in how the press has covered the War on (Some) Drugs, there is a fascinating book, (out of print, unfortunately) called THE DOPE CHRONICLES. It is nothing but newspaper clippings taken from around the country, from 1850 to 1950. Reading it is to wonder at just how stupid politicians are.Again and again, headlines like "Biggest Dope Bust, Yet!" are trumpeted. Time and again, political personages spout ignorant nonsense, and are praised. Calls for legalization or at least de-criminalization are scorned by public servants who practicaly revel in their lack of understanding of the subject. Pompous stereotyping of addicts as immoral reprobates abound, then as now. Bloodcurdling suggestions of rounding up addicts and dispatching them, en masse, are sprinkled between alcohol and tobacco ads. The section on Prohibition (yes, this is about *all* drugs) is particulary full of deja vu, as innocent people were being gunned down by 'revenooers', and the newspapers started to keep a talley of how many had died so far.Nothing has changed. Except, now with the erosion of civil liberties so widespread, we face a much greater danger to democracy than ever before. people like Bob Barr have forgotten that they serve at our pleasure, not like Members of Parliament who routinely dismiss the concerns of many of their constituents and vote party line.It's time we remind them.
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Comment #1 posted by Dankhank on October 16, 1999 at 10:54:58 PT:
Success?????
Allow me to be the first to mock the scrambling, anal-retentive NARCS in their continuing campaign of futility. There is NO success here, only more misery and hate, while the DEA tries to put the best face on the situation they can ..."...dilute the talent pool..."?You're kidding ... right?You think talented man and women aren't already looking into taking up the slack?Do the best that you can ...DEAIN the meantime we just put a DEA man in prison for a year, locally, cause he tried to get next to a 15-year old girl.How's THAT for modesty?
Hemp n Stuff
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