cannabisnews.com: DEA Agency Offers Consulting Services To Hollywood
DEA Agency Offers Consulting Services To Hollywood
Posted by CN Staff on July 11, 2002 at 19:34:13 PT
By Gary Gentile, The Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
The people waging the war on drugs have gone Hollywood. Officials with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration briefed producers, directors and writers on the connection between drug trafficking and terrorism and to offer to consult on movies and television programs. About 40 people, including film directors like Michael Mann and Arthur Hiller and people behind TV series such as "Third Watch" and "E.R." gathered at the Beverly Hills Hotel Wednesday for several hours to hear DEA Director Asa Hutchinson as well as the agency's intelligence chief and a former undercover agent.
"I was stunned," said Anne Sweeney, president of ABC Cable Networks Group, a unit of The Walt Disney Co. "It helped deepen people's understanding of the challenges our country faces in the war on drugs." The meeting was organized by the Entertainment Industries Council, a nonprofit group that helps writers and producers depict social and health issues such as AIDS, alcohol abuse and gun violence. "The DEA knows more about terrorism and drugs than anybody," said Brian Dyak, the EIC's president and chief executive. "If they're willing to open their doors a little and the information becomes a part of story lines, it's a service to the public." A DEA spokesman said the agency is trying to emerge from its often necessary shroud of secrecy to help offer technical assistance on films and shows in the same way the Pentagon and the CIA consults on movies such as the recent blockbuster "The Sum of All Fears." "We don't expect to try and directly shape what some screenwriter is going to write," DEA spokesman Chris Battle said. "Our goal was simply to provide a more realistic and accurate version of the drug war and what kind of challenges, what kind of threats our agents face every day." The session turned out to be just the thing for David Mills, the creator of a television drama called "Kingpin," about a family run drug cartel, set to air next year on NBC. "I have been relying on a retired DEA agent, not even bothering to deal with the official DEA because I figured they had better things to do than to help me tell a story," Mills said. Complete Title: Drug Enforcement Agency Offers Consulting Services To HollywoodSource: Associated PressAuthor: Gary Gentile, The Associated Press Published: July 11, 2002Copyright: 2002 Associated PressCannabisNews DEA Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/DEA.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help
Comment #20 posted by VitaminT on July 12, 2002 at 11:11:24 PT
The press release says:
The insight presented at this DEA intelligence briefing delved into the relationship between drugs and terrorism in a manner which discourages complacency and encourages vigilance on the part of Hollywood’s creative community. We don't want influence what you write, we only want you to write what we say. See, no harm in that, right?
Entertainment Industries Council Propaganda Apparatus
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #13 posted by John Tyler on July 12, 2002 at 10:30:31 PT
Da goberment jus' wants ta help
We'a from da goberment. We'a wants to help youse'guys in Hollywood get da story right. If youse gets da story right you won't have no trouble. Youse'guys don't want no trouble do ya?
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #12 posted by bongathon on July 12, 2002 at 10:03:15 PT:
what to right, what to write
I was wondering how long it would take. The government knows what's best for us, so lets just sit quietly in the dark and watch the images they feel fit for us to be exposed to flash across a screen. It's all in the name of entertainment.Stay tuned , the new "UNREALITY" TV is coming and it's gonna be goooooooooood!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #11 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on July 12, 2002 at 06:26:52 PT
Chris is going to lose his Battle
>>"We don't expect to try and directly shape what some screenwriter is going to write," DEA spokesman Chris Battle said. ... not because we wouldn't like to, but because we got into a BIG-TIME FRONT-PAGE SCANDAL when we tried to exert that kind of direct control last time ...
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #10 posted by goneposthole on July 12, 2002 at 06:01:48 PT
George Orwell is spinning in his grave
It is time to rewrite a little history.The DEA consulting filmmakers about drugs and drug 'abuse' is like having the Taliban consulting NOW on women's rights. Make sure those birquas have a decent fit.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #9 posted by boppy on July 12, 2002 at 05:55:00 PT
A similarity...
This is similar to the House of Un-American Activities Committee pledging to help all concerned Americans. I am concerned....concerned about these Nazi spies bullying their way into whatever field they want to. I wouldn't find their observations trustworthy in the least.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #8 posted by xxdr_zombiexx on July 12, 2002 at 05:53:00 PT
Time for another rendition of Zappas' "Slime"
The meeting was organized by the Entertainment Industries Council, a nonprofit group that helps writers and producers depict social and health issues such as AIDS, alcohol abuse and gun violence. "The DEA knows more about terrorism and drugs than anybody," said Brian Dyak, the EIC's president and chief executive. "If they're willing to open their doors a little and the information becomes a part of story lines, it's a service to the public." God Almighty. I go to bed and rest and people get stupider overnight.Propaganda is a service to the people?They dont lie enough as it is in the TV, magazines, newspapers and radio? Its not enough that DARE is in the schools lying through its teeth to get children interested in "druuugs" so that a future generation of cops has a future generation of identifed Hate Targets?With this stuff going on, I doubt al Queda needs to do much more in the Continental US..other than set back and take lessons.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #7 posted by Rambler on July 11, 2002 at 23:43:09 PT
Article
July 11, 2002U.S. Law Imperils Colombia Coca SprayingBy CHRISTOPHER MARQUIS WASHINGTON, July 10 — Even as the Bush administration is trying to increase the aerial spraying of
drug crops in Colombia with herbicides, an American law enacted in January threatens to disrupt the
strategy and possibly even halt it.A little-noticed provision in the $15.4 billion spending measure for government operations abroad requires that
the American-backed program to eradicate coca crops in Colombia must meet the same health and safety
standards that would apply if the herbicides were being sprayed in the United States."Colombia is far away, but we are making decisions that can directly affect the health of thousands of people
there," said Senator Patrick J. Leahy, the Vermont Democrat, who sponsored the new law. "The American
public and our own health agencies would not allow use of a toxic chemical like this on this kind of scale."The provision requires that before the program in Colombia can proceed, the Environmental Protection Agency
must certify that the spraying of a herbicide mixture containing glyphosate from low-flying planes does "not pose
unreasonable risks or adverse effects to humans or the environment."The glyphosate mixture is a variety of the weed killer known by the trade name Roundup. Although most types
of Roundup used in the United States have been found to be only mildly toxic when used according to
instructions, the compound used in Colombia has more restrictive handling instructions, indicating a higher
toxicity, and has not been widely used in this country. It was approved for use here only in November. An unfavorable finding by the Environmental Protection Agency could jeopardize one of the main United States
efforts to reduce the production of cocaine, for which the coca plant is the raw material, at its source.Experts say that assessing the impact of the spraying will be complicated without an epidemiological study,
which would be costly and difficult given the remote and sparsely populated areas where coca is grown.Advocates for Colombians exposed to the fumigant have charged that it caused a variety of ill effects. They
assert, moreover, that an additive intended for use in Colombia, to make it stick to the coca plants, makes it even
more dangerous.Congressional supporters of the spraying program said they had been compelled to support Senator Leahy's
provision or face losing the overall spending measure, which also finances programs like aid to Israel and Egypt,
security for international embassies and AIDS prevention around the world.Representative John L. Mica, a Florida Republican, denounced the Leahy provision as "one more roadblock
that the bleeding hearts tried to throw in front of our program." The herbicides used in Colombia are no more
toxic "than what most people use in their backyards," said Mr. Mica, who is co-chairman of the House task force
on counternarcotics.But critics of the spraying say that is not true. The mixture used in Colombia carries handling instructions that
correspond to the highest Environmental Protection Agency toxicity rating, Class 1, while most Roundup
products used in the United States fall into the more benign Class 3 or Class 2. Even if the product were safe,
the critics say, there is no way to ensure that it is applied according to E.P.A. standards."It's not the same as what you're finding on the shelf at the Home Depot," said Anna Cederstav, a staff scientist
at Earthjustice, an environmental law firm. When the Environmental Protection Agency reapproved the glyphosate for use in this country in 1993, the
agency said it had "relatively low" acute toxicity when sprayed on the skin or ingested. But, noting that it caused
high numbers of injuries to agricultural workers in California, it required a standard precaution that workers
generally not be allowed to enter areas that have been sprayed for 12 hours. A restriction like that would be impossible to enforce in the areas that would be sprayed in Colombia. Environmental Protection Agency officials, who have been studying the matter since last spring, missed a
deadline last week to present their conclusions to the State Department, which is preparing a report on the
program's safety for Congress. The review will not be complete for "a handful of weeks," said David Deegan, an E.P.A. spokesman, adding, "It's
pretty difficult for us to evaluate a program in Colombia." Lino Gutierrez, an assistant secretary of state, said the goal this year was to fumigate 370,000 acres of coca,
compared with 207,000 acres last year. The program involves about 14 crop-dusters operated by American and
Colombian pilots or foreign contractors. Colombia's incoming president, Álvaro Uribe, has embraced the spraying. But so far it has had mixed results.
Despite widespread spraying last year, the amount of coca under cultivation rose by nearly 25 percent, the State
Department has reported.State Department officials say the herbicide being used is not toxic, even when people are directly sprayed.
One official who defended the program said he had been inadvertently sprayed with the herbicide in Colombia
on 15 occasions and had suffered no adverse effects.Still, in a statement to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, advocates for Colombians who were
exposed to the fumigants said the spraying caused "gastrointestinal disorders (e.g., severe bleeding, nausea
and vomiting), testicular inflammation, high fevers, dizziness, respiratory ailments, skin rashes and severe eye
irritation."Last year, four Colombian governors from zones with heavy coca cultivation traveled to the United States to ask
for a halt in spraying. The fumigation program "doesn't really take into account the human being," said Ivan
Gerardo Guerrero, their spokesman. "All it cares about are satellite pictures."The administration has also fueled suspicion about the herbicide mixture used in Colombia by refusing to
disclose its precise ingredients or discuss how the final product is prepared. Officials say they do not want to
divulge corporate trade secrets.But spraying opponents accuse the administration of trying to conceal other components, known as surfactants,
added for use in Colombia to help the glyphosate to stick to the coca leaves. "We don't know what those
surfactants are," said Dr. Cederstav of Earthjustice.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #6 posted by qqqq on July 11, 2002 at 23:30:06 PT
..Another wonderful "news release" from the A
...My favorite part,,is the last paragraph..:
"I have been relying on a retired DEA agent, not even bothering to deal with the official DEA because I figured they
had better things to do than to help me tell a story," Mills said. "
...Mills went on,,saying:"..Golly,,,sure am glad I dont have to rely on that poor old retired agent anymore...Now the official DEA will take time out from its busy schedule of busting medical Marijuana patients,to assist me in designing the best shows possible for the public."
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #5 posted by Prime on July 11, 2002 at 22:57:37 PT
Joseph Goebbels would be so proud...
I used to detest people who would claim that our government was Nazi-ish or Fascist. I'm beginning to see their point.Six weeks after the National Socialist "seizure of power" in 1933, the 35-year-old Goebbels was named "Reich Minister for Propaganda and Popular Enlightenment." In this position, and as President of the "Reich Culture Chamber" (Reichskulturkammer), he exercised wide control over Germany's radio, film, newspapers, periodical press and book publishing, as well as over the nation's cultural life.History really does repeat itself.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #4 posted by The C-I-R-C-L-E on July 11, 2002 at 21:06:14 PT
Is it just me...?
Is it just me or does this sound like a Mafia strong-arm storyline? "You won't believe it, Louie! So these guys just show up today in dark suits with weapons, saying something about how they just wanted to 'brief' us on something. Like they was just 'in the nay-bur-hood' and thought they'd stop by and 'offer their services.' They also wanted to remind us of just how DANGEROUS it's gotten in the world lately."Well Anne, Brian and David rolled over pretty fast. I guess they respond to weapons, threats and ominous tones. David even went so far as to 'thank the kind men.'"It's what we call the 'old time lean.' You just show up; remind the business owners how DANGEROUS it's gotten and how you'd 'sure like to help.' Next thing you know, after the 'meeting' is over, the business owners are glowing about how 'dangerous it is and how they'd sure like our help.'"Classic. Works best on the weak and faint of heart.. You would have loved it. These guys were professionals."You folks out there, this is getting to be like a soap opera addiction, reading CannNews every day. I CAN'T GET ENOUGH! Watching the justice of the Free Cannabis movement finally bubble up to the surface and all the news pour out surrounding our noble cause is like reading a REALLY good long book with an intense plot and an amazing impending climax BUT BEING FORCED TO READ IT AT THE RATE OF ONE PARAGRAPH A DAY. Thus stretching the reading out over millenia. Some of the parts of the story are so old now that folks have forgotten them. But it appears we're nearing the climax. The beginning of the end. I sure hope we get there soon...MW - The Cannabis Information Resource Center Legally Entitled
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #3 posted by Lehder on July 11, 2002 at 20:54:05 PT
contempt
I plan to openly express my contempt for anyone I hear commenting in any way favorably on these stupid shows. I hope a lot of people are around when I do.I think a lot of the govenment's success in stealing our country and our lives was facilitated by people being afraid of disagreemet, afraid of losing their jobs, afraid of nonconformity, afraid of debate, fearing that "debate" would be interpreted as "dissidence" or worse, afraid of seeming unseemly, always playing it safe no matter what they really might have thought.I wish I owned a small store or motel. If a federal employee or drug-war supporter came to my business I'd tell them "No vacancy" or "Busy right now." I think it's important that I try to make ignorance uncomfortable for its bearer on a personal scale. Over and over.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #2 posted by MikeEEEEE on July 11, 2002 at 20:15:31 PT
Propaganda
I feel sorry for the dumb-ass that asserts the DEA message in movies.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on July 11, 2002 at 20:09:45 PT
Gary Gentile is a dumb hack
There was a protest outside this event by Americans for Safe Access but I guess he missed it or decided that nobody needed to know about it.
[ Post Comment ]
Post Comment