Free Republic

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell has recommended resuming U.S.-backed anti-drug flights over Colombia that were halted two years ago after a U.S. missionary and her baby died when their plane was mistakenly shot down over Peru, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. Restarting the "Airbridge Denial" program, under which U.S. equipment and intelligence would help the Colombian military track and possibly force down suspected drug flights, would be a boost to President Alvaro Uribe, who took office pledging to crack down on Colombia's illegal drug trade. The U.S. officials, who asked not to be named, said President Bush...

The illegal drug trade has established thousands of underground people to serve as distributors of illicit substances, which people by the millions, lacking any knowledge, other than the assurances of criminals, about the exact contents of what they are ingesting, knowinginly inhale and inject into their bodies. The caves of Afghanistan were found to contain heroin, as well as weapons and other customary tools of terrorists. America also supported the Taliban's efforts of drug eradication. Suppose some shipments of drugs were assembled that had been spiked with anthrax or smallpox or other bioweapon. Some of these would be intercepted, but...