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Colombian Pres Uribe urges more decisive help to fight drugs

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N24465715.htm

Colombia urges more decisive help to fight drugs 24 Sep 2008 22:49:06 GMT
Source: Reuters
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Colombian President Alvaro Uribe called on Wednesday for more decisive cooperation to stamp out the global drug trade, warning that people who use narcotics are responsible for causing violence.

"Whoever buys a personal dose of illicit drugs, helps to set off a car bomb in Colombia," Uribe told the U.N. General Assembly.

"To help free us from the horrors of drug trafficking, terrorism and poverty, we need to count on a more decisive help from the international community."

Uribe, an ally of the United States, has received billions of dollars in U.S. aid to fight cocaine traffickers and left-wing rebels, who have been weakened, but are still fighting Latin America's oldest guerrilla war.

Violence has declined sharply under Uribe's government, which has sent troops to retake areas once under the control of armed groups. But the country is still the world's No. 1 cocaine producer, turning out around 600 tonnes a year.

Uribe acknowledged Colombia's coca leaf cultivation remained high despite years of fumigation and eradication efforts backed by the United States. But he urged other countries to share responsibility in erasing consumption.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, has lost several guerrillas commanders this year and government forces rescued high-profile hostages, Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans. But the rebels remain a force in rural areas helped by finances from cocaine trafficking.

By mariacvetanoski on Sep 25, 2008, 07:38 in Politics & the war.

Tinto (Moderator) says on Sep 25, 2008, 08:17:

"Whoever buys a personal dose of illicit drugs, helps to set off a car bomb in Colombia," Uribe told the U.N. General Assembly.

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True, but he's a hypocrite if he fails to give the same speech in Colombia, which has legal personal consumption and rates of use in young adults that aren't much different than North America and Western Europe.

I know he tried and failed to get the personal consumption laws overturned, but until that happens, or until more countries legalize, quotes like the one above remind us that we're watching absurd political and law enforcement theater.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

lpdiver says on Sep 25, 2008, 08:52:

I would say that whoever strives to keep illicit drugs illicit is the actual party to detonation.

ts

"cook some rice!"

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romy says on Sep 25, 2008, 09:54:

Tinto- in that speech to the UN he criticized the Colombian drug user as well...

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manINred says on Sep 25, 2008, 19:06:

He is absolutely correct. The US has embarked its futile war on drugs in a series of bilateral efforts that are simply not conducive to winning this war. ALL central states involved in the drug trade need to combine forces in a true multilateral effort if this ridiculous war is ever going to be won.

Policy-makers do not help the situation, if anything, they are the biggest ones to blame.

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