Article: McCaffrey Briefs on U.S. Anti-Drug Program

04 January 2001

Article: McCaffrey Briefs on U.S. Anti-Drug Program

Calls for continuity under Bush administration

By Wendy S. Ross
Washington File White House Correspondent

Washington - The United States continues to make progress in the war against illegal drugs, but more needs to be done, General Barry McCaffrey, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said as he released the Clinton administration's last annual report on the state of the nation's anti-drug efforts.

The annual report is mandated by the U.S. Congress.

Speaking January 4 to reporters in the White House briefing room, McCaffrey urged the incoming administration of President-elect George W. Bush to continue the national drug control strategy developed by the Clinton administration over the last eight years.

McCaffrey listed areas of major accomplishments:

-- The establishment of a consensus that the United States needs a comprehensive response -- in terms of prevention, treatment, law enforcement, interdiction and international cooperation -- to address the problem of substance abuse;

-- Reversing the trend of increasing adolescent drug use;

-- Reducing the social stigma associated with drug treatment;

-- Expanding alternatives to incarceration for non-violent drug offenders;

-- Broadening cooperation with key drug transit and source countries like Colombia, Mexico and Thailand; and,

-- Developing multilateral and regional anti-drug strategies in conjunction with other nations and international organizations.

McCaffrey said he is upbeat about the anti-drug strategy of the incoming Bush administration.

"I can't imagine that there isn't widespread unanimity of view that we need to continue working prevention, education, and treatment issues, as well as multinational cooperation. So I'm very upbeat about the new team," he said.

McCaffrey listed statistics that show the nation is making substantial progress in confronting illegal drug use and drug trafficking.

Teen drug use has dropped 21 percent in the past two years, overall drug use has declined 50 percent in the last two decades and drug-related crimes and murders have plummeted, he said.

In addition, federal funding for treatment programs has increased 34 percent since 1996.

But McCaffrey said drug use in the United States "is still abysmally high," with five million Americans chronically addicted to illegal substances. He noted a widespread increase in exposure of American youth to the drug called ecstasy, and the widespread use by American youth of performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids.

In his question and answer session with reporters, McCaffrey had the following to say:

On Mexico: There is "a renewed commitment" by Mexico's President Vicente Fox and his team "to protecting Mexican democracy, to understanding that their own society is at risk from the terrible impact of drugs being pulled through Mexico by U.S. demand."

"These are bright, pragmatic people and they are determined that the 100 million Mexican citizens aren't going to get rolled by these incredibly corrupt, dangerous organizations that operate on both sides of the border.

"This is a common problem. We're very proud of what the Zedillo team accomplished, but this is going to require another decade of hard work. So we're confident that these are serious people who share our view of the dangers of drug abuse."

On Colombia: "We're going to stand behind the Colombian leadership and hope to build a regional consensus that Colombia must not be isolated. This problem affects all of us."

"These are 40 million people, three hours' flight from Miami, who have huge importance, politically, culturally, economically, to the United States. And we intend to stand with them."

Colombia's President Andres Pastrana "has got a huge challenge. The level of violence is almost unimaginable to the American population -- 26,000 or more heavily armed FARC, ELN and AUC narcoterrorists, and they've been devastating in their impact on Colombian democratic institutions."

On curtailing drug production: "There's always been sort of a notion you can't do anything about drug production, it's hopeless, why don't we just give up and legalize it, when, in fact, there's an enormously successful experience in Pakistan, dramatically reducing heroin production; in Thailand, now less than 1 percent of the region's total; huge successes in Peru; down by some 60 some odd percent in Bolivia.

"The Colombians were very successful in operating against drug production in Guaviare Province. Now they're going to have to go down in the "empty zone," Caqueta and Putumayo Provinces, and eliminate this giant amount of coca that's growing down there."

"It seems to us that they've put together a decent concept; they're determined to protect their own future. And gosh knows, all of us in the region better pray for their success."

McCaffrey, asked about his career plans, said he is going to teach national security studies at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and also hopes to write a book on the drug issue.