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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