DATE=10/16/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-240296 TITLE=CARIBBEAN DRUG CONFERENCE (L-ONLY) BYLINE=MICHAEL BOWMAN DATELINE=MIAMI CONTENT= VOICED AT: 1630 EDT 10/15 INTRO: WHITE HOUSE DRUG POLICY DIRECTOR BARRY MCCAFFREY SAYS MORE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IS NEEDED TO WIN THE WAR ON DRUGS IN THE CARIBBEAN. MR. MCCAFFREY MADE THE REMARK IN MIAMI, WHERE HE IS HOSTING A CARIBBEAN REGIONAL DRUG CONTROL CONFERENCE. REPRESENTATIVES OF MORE THAN 30 NATIONS AND TERRITORIES ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE TWO-DAY EVENT (WHICH BEGAN THURSDAY). V-O-A'S MICHAEL BOWMAN HAS THIS REPORT. TEXT: THE CONFERENCE IS A FOLLOW-UP TO LAST YEAR'S SUMMIT OF CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY (CARICOM) LEADERS IN BARBADOS, AT WHICH PRESIDENT CLINTON AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS RECOGNIZED THE UNIVERSAL THREAT POSED BY ILLEGAL NARCOTICS. DRUG POLICY DIRECTOR MCCAFFREY IS CALLING FOR COUNTER-NARCOTICS COOPERATION ON A VARIETY OF FRONTS. /// MCCAFFREY ACT /// TWO KEY ELEMENTS ARE EXTRADITION OF CRIMINALS -- SO THEY CAN'T HIDE IN ANOTHER NATION -- AND ASSET FORFEITURE. WE HAVE TO TRACK DOWN MONEY, WHETHER IT'S IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS OR MIAMI, AND ENSURE THAT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF [DOLLARS IN] ILLEGAL PROFITS ARE SEIZED. /// END ACT /// THE U-S DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION ESTIMATES ROUGHLY 30-PERCENT OF U-S-BOUND DRUGS PASS THROUGH THE CARIBBEAN. PUERTO RICO-BASED SPECIAL AGENT MIKE VIGIL [PRON: VEE-'HEEL] SAYS INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON INTELLIGENCE MATTERS IS A KEY TO EFFECTIVE DRUG INTERDICTION. /// END ACT /// WE HAVE A LOT OF DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS THAT OPERATE IN VARIOUS ISLAND NATIONS. IT'S NOT THAT THEY ARE STRICTLY FOCUSED ON ONE AREA. AND THEREFORE SOME OF THESE COUNTRIES HAVE INFORMATION THAT, WHEN SHARED WITH ONE ANOTHER, CAN PUT INTO BETTER PERSPECTIVE THE EXTENT OF THE DRUG TRAFFIC AND ALSO ALLOW THEM TO BE MORE PRO-ACTIVE IN SOLVING THOSE PROBLEMS. /// END ACT /// SONITA ABRAHAMS, HEAD OF A DRUG AWARENESS AND TREATMENT CENTER ("ADDICTION ALERT") IN (KINGSTON) JAMAICA, SAYS THE WAR ON DRUGS IS A CAMPAIGN OF EDUCATION. /// FIRST ABRAHAMS ACT /// WE NEED TO BEGIN AT THE VERY BEGINNING: FROM THE HOME, WHEN THE CHILDREN ARE REALLY YOUNG, AND INTO THE SCHOOLS AND INTO THE COMMUNITY AT ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS. /// END ACT /// MS. ABRAHAMS SAYS SOCIO-ECONOMIC ISSUES ALSO ARE A FACTOR. /// SECOND ABRAHAMS ACT /// IF THERE IS A LOT OF POVERTY, IF YOUNG PEOPLE CAN NOT LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING JOBS ONCE THEY HAVE LEFT SCHOOL, THEN THEY ARE VERY OPEN TO BECOMING NOT ONLY DRUG USERS BUT ALSO DRUG TRAFFICKERS. /// END ACT /// // BEGIN OPT // MANY CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICAN OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE GRATEFUL TO THE UNITED STATES FOR PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN THE WAR ON DRUGS. BUT ONE CONFERENCE PARTICIPANT SAYS U-S LEADERSHIP IS LACKING IN A CRITICAL AREA. GRENADA'S MINISTER OF STATE, PATRICK BUBB, SAYS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM IS THE WIDESPREAD DECAY OF MORAL PRINCIPLES AND THE DISINTEGRATION OF FAMILY STRUCTURES. MR. BUBB SAYS ONE LOOK AT AMERICAN TELEVISION -- INCLUDING NEWS COVERAGE OF PRESIDENT CLINTON AND MONICA LEWINSKY -- SHOWS THE UNITED STATES HAS STRAYED FROM WHAT HE CALLS THE RIGHTEOUS PATH. /// BUBB ACT /// WE LOOK TO AMERICA FOR GOOD EXAMPLE. WE LOOK TO AMERICA FOR MANY THINGS. BUT WHAT WE FIND COMING FROM THAT SOURCE WHERE WE LOOK FOR GOOD IS NOT GOOD. WE WOULD WANT TO SEE AMERICA RETURNING IN A REAL AND TANGIBLE WAY TO SUPPORT A FAMILY LIFE. /// END ACT /// /// END OPT /// THE CARIBBEAN REGIONAL DRUG CONTROL CONFERENCE CONCLUDES TODAY (FRIDAY). (SIGNED) NEB/MB/WTW 16-Oct-98 11:04 AM EDT (1504 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .