Guardian: Experts: Drug Spraying Failing in Colombia

[Robbien]

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP ) - Aerial spraying of illegal, drug-producing crops in Colombia - an expensive linchpin of the U.S.-backed war on drugs - is failing, key members of Congress and drug policy experts said Tuesday.

Despite a record fumigation last year of almost 550 square miles of coca, the latest U.S. government survey found 26 percent more land dedicated to the plant used to make cocaine. The White House attributed the meteoric rise from 2004 to an 81 percent increase in the satellite sampling area, which skewed an otherwise 8 percent drop in coca production in areas previously surveyed.

But the nuances have largely fallen on deaf ears.

From Congress to the editorial page of Bogota's main newspaper, criticism of the U.S.-backed anti-drug effort known as Plan Colombia - which has cost American taxpayers $4 billion since 2000 - is growing.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who chairs the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, called on President Bush last week to fire the nation's drug czar, John Walters. In a letter to Walters, Grassley called the drug czar's touting of the drug war's achievements as ``premature and perhaps even unfounded.''

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5795128,00.html

[ClintonTyree]

1. 4 billion dollars for a supposed 8% decrease?

Not a very good return on our investment I'd say. When are we going to stop throwing good money after bad and give up on this stupid "war on drugs"? It's about as effective as bush's "war on terra'". Terra' that has increased since bush's branding of the "axis of evil". It's all about the money, not the drugs. Politicians could give a rat's ass who is addicted to what. What they DO care about is the fat government contracts they can keep giving their supporters, which in turn pad their pockets and so on ad nauseum.
Control it, tax it and myriad problems would disappear. New problems may appear later on but deal with them when and if they happen. These phony "wars" are counter-productive.

[dipsydoodle]

2. What they using

Agent Orange ?

[ConcernedCanuk]

3. Prohibition didn't work, neither will this so-called "War on Drugs"

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If anyone should know the power of "Supply and Demand"

It should be the USA Administration

Masters of capitalism

If people WANT it

Somebody will create/supply it.

Legalize it, tax the shit out of it if you want to

And if/when people fuck up on it

THEN charge them. (just like they do for drunk drivers sorta thing)

I think part of this "War on Drugs" thing is just another excuse to get their Military into other peoples countries.

And another BIG reason is that the pharmaceutical companies would lose a fortune with all the benefits that can come from Marijuana (which by the way is not a drug, it's a herb)

AND

Did anyone notice that the "War on Drugs" didn't start until Prohibition ended?

Hoover had all these people with nothing to do!!

Think about it . . . .