cannabisnews.com: Drug War Surveillance Flights Over Peru May Resume





Drug War Surveillance Flights Over Peru May Resume
Posted by FoM on April 24, 2001 at 18:27:41 PT
By Carolyn Skorneck
Source: Associated Press
U.S. surveillance flights over Peru's drug-producing territory, suspended after the Peruvian air force mistakenly shot down a plane carrying American missionaries, could resume in a few weeks, a State Department official said Tuesday. The short pause in flights would prevent drug traffickers from taking advantage of a lull in enforcement, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Within the next few days, U.S. officials are expected to leave for Lima to talk with Peruvians about Friday's incident, when the pontoon plane carrying a family of four and a pilot was attacked by the Peruvian air force plane. 
A surveillance plane owned by the U.S. Air Force and operated by three CIA contract employees accompanied by a Peruvian technician, spotted the missionaries' plane and called it to the attention of the Peruvian military. U.S. officials have said the Peruvians failed to take all the required steps -- such as checking out the plane's identification number and signaling it to land -- before ordering the plane shot down. Killed was missionary Veronica "Roni" Bowers, 35, and her adopted 7-month-old daughter, Charity. Her husband Jim and their 6-year-old son, Cory, survived, as did pilot Kevin Donaldson, who was wounded and in fair condition Tuesday after undergoing surgery on both legs. The Peruvians have said they took all necessary steps, but the plane's occupants failed to respond to radio messages. CIA Director George Tenet was privately briefing members of the Senate Intelligence Committee late Tuesday on the incident. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., praised the U.S.-Peruvian efforts since the mid-1990s to reduce cocaine production by virtually closing the so-called "air bridge" between Peruvian coca growing areas and Colombian cocaine production sites. Peru's coca cultivation has dropped dramatically. "It's a very strict policy, and, to be frank, a very successful policy of restricting drug trafficking -- a shoot-first, ask-questions-later policy," said Chafee, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, narcotics and terrorism. "One ingredient of its success was its severity. It drove the trafficking out of Peru." Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the subcommittee, blamed the incident on the eagerness to fight the war on drugs. "In our enthusiasm to encourage these countries to be more aggressive in the anti-narcotics effort, we've allowed this enthusiasm to get out of control," Dodd said. "We've got to stay mindful that we're at war here," said Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., another member of the Foreign Relations Committee. "There is a war going on in that part of the world." Complete Title: Drug War Surveillance Flights Over Peru May Resume SoonSource: Associated PressAuthor: Carolyn SkorneckPublished: April 24, 2001 Copyright: 2001 Associated PressRelated Articles:Deadly Mistake http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9485.shtmlTreachery Over The Andes http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9484.shtmlAccidental Downing Was Worst Fearhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9480.shtmlPeru Counters U.S. Allegations http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9474.shtml 
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Comment #5 posted by kaptinemo on April 25, 2001 at 10:27:53 PT:
Like I said: submarine.
Get a load of this:http://sidebar.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/americas/09/07/colombia.drugsub.ap/index.htmlhttp://www.cbs2chicago.com/now/story/0,1597,231427-412,00.shtmlhttp://www.torstar.com/thestar/editorial/world/20000908NEW02_FO-SUB.htmlhttp://www.sabcnews.com/SABCnews/world/south_america/1,1009,4241,00.htmlAnd as to what they were going to be carrying, the sky's the limit.Like I said, with all the money these narcos have, they can buy whatever they want. ANYTHING It would not surprise me if thay have managed to purchase weapons of mass-destruction such as RDX explosives, nerve and blood agents, mycotoxins, all kinds of nasty stuff. Just waiting to be used against anyone foolish enough to think that such locos hombres are impressed with technologically musclebound nations like the US.
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Comment #4 posted by zooom on April 25, 2001 at 10:11:49 PT
submarines?
---Remember that narco-commissioned Russian-designed submarine that was built in Colombia? Why do you think they built it? And how many more may actually be operational? How many of these things might actually be traversing the Amazon Basin? My guess would be none. After decades of cold war, U.S. shores are peppered with microphones and metal detectors etc - no submarine could approach U.S. shores without being detected. So the submarine found in Colombia remains, for me, a bafflement. How was it intended to be used?
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Comment #3 posted by kaptinemo on April 25, 2001 at 06:10:35 PT:
THe unmitigated GALL!
a long time ago, it was an article of faith amongst various terrorist groups that in order to overthrow a regime, they must commit acts of terrorism so destructive and horrifying that the people of a nation so attacked would demand the government do something. Governmemnts know only one way of dealing with threats - force. They would impose greater and greater restrictions on personal freedoms in the name of security that the citizens would eventually chafe from such oppression and overthrow the target government themselves. This is the Devil's Advocate theory of terrorism, as spelled out in the old Taylor Caldwell novel of the esame name.""It's a very strict policy, and, to be frank, a very successful policy of restricting drug trafficking -- a shoot-first, ask-questions-later policy," said Chafee, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, narcotics and terrorism. "One ingredient of its success was its severity. It drove the trafficking out of Peru."And is driving it ever deeper into Colombia and now, Equador. Brazil is responding to the escalating tensions in the area by moving some of it's crack units into the frontier. with very good reason, I might add. Remember that narco-commissioned Russian-designed submarine that was built in Colombia? Why do you think they built it? And how many more may actually be operational? How many of these things might actually be traversing the Amazon Basin? What else might they be carrying besides the 'powders white and deadly'? Arms to destabilize popularly elected governments, pehaps?? See why the Brazillians are so upset? The narcos are like amoebas; they flow around problems. Whatever obstacle you place in front of them, they envelope and neutralize. They have all the money in the world; they can, and I suspect, have bought every kind of conventional military hardware they could possibly want. Building a submarine hundreds of miles from the coast and thousands of feet above Mean Sea Level shows that they literally have money to burn. They budgeted for 'expendables'...like multi-million dollar jet aircraft. Does the US Government honestly believe that shooting down 30 airscew-powered puddle-jumpers has made the slightest difference?The level of stupidity of the promulgators of the Drugwar is simply astonishing...as is the hubris. Hubris which now threatens our very freedom as Americans. See the latest link posted by Triactum:http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010424/ts/scotus_arrest.htmlAs Dan has pointed out, the voice of tyranny has spoken plainly and clearly. Remember that voice, and who it belongs to. 
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Comment #2 posted by Dan B on April 25, 2001 at 05:14:07 PT:
Again, from the Horse's Mouth
"It's a very strict policy, and, to be frank, a very successful policy of restricting drug trafficking -- a shoot-first, ask-questions-later policy," said Chafee, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, narcotics and terrorism. "One ingredient of its success was its severity. It drove the trafficking out of Peru."How about that? We actually have one of these beasts telling the truth; it's a "shoot-first, ask-questions-later policy." In other words, they're indiscriminantly shooting people out of the sky in hope that the people on board are carrying drugs of some sort. They openly admit to murder.What is amazing is that they are justifying it all in the name of "fighting drugs." It has been "effectuve" (yeah, murder is a pretty effective way to get people to stop doing something), so it has been deemed "okay." In effect, the American government has openly endorsed worldwide martial law in the most draconian, destructive, hateful, disgusting proportions (I know--for most of us this is not news).I am slipping fast into a major depression. The past few days have been a nightmare (the brazen murders of innocent civilians in the name of fighting drugs, a Supreme Court decision that it is lawful for police to handcuff and jail people for offenses as minor as not wearing a seatbelt--not to mention the everyday atrocities committed in the name of a failed war on some drugs), and Bush is giving every indication that he will escalate the nightmare. God, help us. The tyrants have shown their true colors, and the American people are still sleeping.Dan BP.S. --if any drug policy organization out there is looking to employ a Ph.D. in creative writing, please let me know. I have noticed that The Lindesmith Center is looking to employ mostly people with law backgrounds, but some place like that (or NORML or POT-TV . . . etc.) would be wonderful. I would really like to work for a drug policy organization and could sure use some employment after I defend my dissertation this May 8th. Thanks.P.P.S. --I hope nobody is offended by the personal message in my postscript.
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Comment #1 posted by Jeaneous on April 24, 2001 at 19:38:46 PT:
Stupid Idiots!
How in the hell do they expect to ever explain this mess? They can never justify what has happened here. These two, I know are a dear loss, but they are two added numbers on the list of victims. WE here know that it isn't just this mother and child that have suffered the consequences of the War on Drugs. These idiots won't let that stop them. Man this is sick crap. HOW CAN HE EVEN TRY TO DEFEND IT??
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