Barry McCaffrey, Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Statement, June 22, 2000

Barry McCaffrey, Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Statement, June 22, 2000
For Release
June 22, 2000

McCAFFREY PRAISES SENATE ON APPROVAL OF COLOMBIA/ANDEAN RIDGE DRUG EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PACKAGE

Washington, D.C. -- Barry R. McCaffrey, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, issued the following statement commending the Senate for their approval of the Fiscal Year 2001 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill.

"The Senate action is a crucial step toward final congressional passage of the package that will greatly enhance counterdrug efforts in Colombia and neighboring Andean countries in their struggle against production, trafficking, and drug-funded criminal organizations. We applaud the Senate's approval of the comprehensive assistance package, designed to protect our nation from the flow of Andean heroin and cocaine. This program will strengthen democracy, the rule of law, economic stability, and human rights in Colombia. It will also provide critical support for Colombian national police and security forces anti-drug capabilities."

"U.S. interests are much more at risk in the face of the coca explosion in the Andes. By assisting the Government of Colombia in gaining control over its territory and enforcing its laws, we are helping to decrease drug production and trafficking to the U.S. and diminish the corrosive influence of corruption."

"Some 90 percent of the cocaine coming into the United States originates from or transits through Colombia. A majority of the heroin seized on America's eastern seaboard now comes from Colombia. Illegal drugs cost America 52,000 lives a year and $110 billion. Moving forward on the counterdrug front is in our national interest and supports Colombian president Pastrana's peace process. Colombia, which has been a longtime ally, is so close geographically that we are directly and indirectly affected by its growing drug production, violence, and chaos."

As of June 26, 2000, this document was also available online at http://usinfo.state.gov/admin/011/lef502.htm