DATE=  11/19/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-222945

TITLE=U-S/LATAM DRUGS (L-ONLY)

BYLINE=BILL RODGERS

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:



INTRO:  THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION WANTS TO REPLACE THE YEARLY

PRACTICE OF CERTIFYING COUNTRIES' ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS WITH A NEW,

MULTILATERAL CERTIFICATION PROCESS.  BUT THE ADMINISTRATION'S

PROPOSAL -- OUTLINED  TODAY (WEDNESDAY) -- MAY FACE STRONG

CONGRESSIONAL OPPOSITION -- AS WE HEAR FROM V-O-A'S BILL RODGERS.



TEXT:  TOP U-S OFFICIALS SAY A NEW AND BROADER METHOD IS NEEDED

TO MEASURE HOW EFFECTIVELY COUNTRIES ARE COMBATTING THE

PRODUCTION AND TRAFFICKING OF DRUGS.   SPEAKING AT NEWS

CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON WEDNESDAY, THE OFFICIALS DESCRIBED THE

PRESENT SYSTEM OF DRUG CERTIFICATION AS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.



THEY WERE REFERRING TO THE U-S LAW IN WHICH EACH YEAR THE

EXECUTIVE BRANCH HAS TO CERTIFY TO CONGRESS WHICH COUNTRIES ARE

FULLY COOPERATING WITH U-S ANTI-DRUG POLICIES.  THOSE COUNTRIES

WHICH ARE DE-CERTIFIED LOSE U-S AID.  BUT THIS CERTIFICATION

POLICY INCREASINGLY HAS BECOME CONTROVERSIAL -- ESPECIALLY IN

LATIN AMERICA WHICH VIEWS IT AS A UNILATERAL ATTEMPT BY

WASHINGTON TO PRESSURE HEMISPHERIC GOVERNMENTS.



U-S OFFICIALS SAY THEY WANT TO DEVELOP AN ALTERNATIVE TO THIS

UNILATERAL APPROACH.  PRESIDENT CLINTON'S SPECIAL ADVISOR ON

LATIN AMERICA, MACK MCLARTY, SAID  DEVELOPING A NEW APPROACH WAS

ONE OF THE CONCLUSIONS REACHED AT A TWO-DAY CONFERENCE THIS WEEK

AIMED AT DEVELOPING NEW STRATEGIES IN THE DRUG WAR.



                       ///WIRTH ACT///



         WE DISCUSSED IN A VERY DEVELOPED WITH A NUMBER OF

         DISTINGUISHED PARTICIPANTS THE IDEA OF COMPREHENSIVE

         NATIONAL DRUG PLANS THAT WOULD PROVIDE A BASIS FOR

         OVERALL EVALUATION WITHIN THE HEMISPHERE, A MONITORING

         OF ALL COUNTRIES BASED ON IMPARTIAL AND TECHNICALLY

         SOUND INTERNATIONALLY-ACCEPTED CRITERIA AND PERFORMANCE

         MEASURES.  //OPT// IT IS A CONCEPT WE ARE DILIGENTLY

         PURSUING TO MAKE PART OF THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS THAT

         WILL BE HELD IN APRIL 1998 IN SANTIAGO CHILE. //END

         OPT//



                         ///END ACT///



WHITE HOUSE DRUG POLICY DIRECTOR BARRY MCCAFFREY SUGGESTED THE

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES MIGHT BE AN ACCEPTABLE VENUE FOR

CARRYING OUT THIS MULTILATERAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW -- WHICH HE

SAID WOULD BE LIMITED TO COUNTRIES IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

BUT GENERAL (RET) MCCAFFREY ALSO WARNED THAT DEVELOPING A NEW

MULTILATERAL CERTIFICATION SYSTEM WILL TAKE TIME.



                       ///MCCAFFREY ACT///



         IT IS MY PERSONAL VIEWPOINT THAT WE SHOULD NOT SEE IN

         THE SHORT RUN CERTIFICATION DISAPPEAR.  BUT IT IS ALSO

         CLEARLY THE CASE THAT AS WE BUILD EFFECTIVE

         INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON THIS ISSUE, THAT

         CERTIFICATION WILL ONE LOSE ITS CURRENT IMPRESSION IN

         THE MINDS OF MANY OF UNILATERAL ARROGANCE AND WILL

         BECOME BURIED UNDER A HIGHER ORDER OF COOPERATIVE EFFORT

         AND I THINK THAT CAN HAPPEN IN THE FAIRLY, NEAR FUTURE.



                          ///END ACT///



HOWEVER, MANY U-S LAWMAKERS SUPPORT CERTIFICATION AS A NECESARY

TOOL TO APPLY LEVERAGE AGAINST GOVERNMENTS VIEWED AS BEING

UNCOOPERATIVE WITH U-S ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS.  GENERAL MCCAFFREY

ACKNOWLEDGED IT MAY DIFFICULT TO PERSUADE CONGRESS TO CHANGE THE

LAW -- AND ADOPT THE MULTILATERAL APPROACH INSTEAD.  HOWEVER, HE

SAID IF A MULTILATERAL CERTIFICATION SYSTEM IS DEVELOPED -- THE

UNITED STATES WOULD BE WILLING HAVE ITS ANTI-DRUG PERFORMANCE

EVALUATED. (SIGNED)



NEB/WFR/PT



19-Nov-97 5:26 PM EST (2226 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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