"shoot-down" plane policy resumes

[JI7]

"LA TIMES THE WORLD
U.S. Takes Aim at Drug Planes
Rumsfeld, in Colombia, announces the revival of a controversial shoot-down policy.

BOGOTA, Colombia — The White House announced on Tuesday the resumption of a controversial U.S.-backed program to shoot down suspected drug planes in Colombia.

The U.S. has long been active in the battle against drugs in Colombia, but since the Sept. 11 attacks has quietly shifted from fighting narcotics to battling the rebels who seek to overthrow the Colombian government.

The U.S. has contributed nearly $2 billion to the Colombian military and police in the last few years, including money to train a Colombian army unit to protect Los Angeles-based Occidental Petroleum's oil operations in the northeast.

The U.S. has spent more than two years wrangling over legal details of the shoot-down program, which was suspended in Colombia and Peru after a Peruvian air force jet acting on U.S. intelligence shot down a plane carrying U.S. missionaries in 2001, killing Veronica Bowers and her daughter. Between 1995 and 1999, 123 planes were shot or forced down under the program."

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-rumsfeld20aug20001428,1,1967324.story?coll=la-news-a_section

[tsipple]

1. Absolutely NO Reason for This Policy

Somebody please tell me why suspected drug smuggling airplanes can't simply be tracked and inspected upon landing. There's yet to be an airplane built that doesn't have to land eventually.

In fairness, the Clinton Administration didn't stop this insane shoot-down program quickly enough, and it took (white, American) innocent deaths to do it. But I suppose if innocent brown people die that's OK. :-( :-(

[Terwilliger]

3. I'm sorry, your information is incorrect

Clinton initiated the entire policy.

The shootdowns were halted in 2001. Clinton had no say in that, but I'm sure he would have resumed operations as quickly as politically possible.

Clinton and the Democrats are enemies in the Drug War.

[TroubleMan]

2. "Suspected"

That means that they'll shoot down any drug planes that AREN'T working for the CIA or BFEE.

[JI7]

5. scary ?

it's scary isn't it ? i wonder why they don't just track the planes and do whatever they want when they land rather than shoot them down. the war on drugs is not worth doing this.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. Killing people used to be a last resort

Now it's US foreign policy to shot first, ask questions later. I think Sharon taught W this little trick. It's worked so well in the territories. No need to arrest, jail and try people for their alleged crimes, just kill anyone you think might be guilty. It's so much more efficient.