US troops "tried to smuggle cocaine" (The Guardian)

[Up2Late]

US troops "tried to smuggle cocaine"

Toby Muse in Bogotá
Saturday April 9, 2005
The Guardian

Four US soldiers serving on anti-narcotics missions in Colombia are being held on charges of drug trafficking after the discovery of 35lb (15kg) of cocaine on a military aircraft. The four, who have not been identified, were arrested at the end of March when their plane landed in Texas after taking off from southern Colombia. A fifth man was released. Colombian authorities are investigating to see if other members of the US or Colombian military were involved.

William Wood, the US ambassador in Bogotá, said the four would not be extradited even if it was proved they had committed crimes on Colombian soil. He said a three-decade old agreement gave immunity to US soldiers serving in Colombia, but stressed: "We do not tolerate corruption."

The news that the soldiers can not be extradited to Colombia, which has sent over 200 nationals to stand trial in the US in the past three years, provoked uproar in congress. "This agreement must be changed," said Senator Jairo Clopatofsky, of the foreign relations committee. "It's completely unjust that we are sending Colombians abroad to stand trial and we can't request anyone be sent here."

(more at link above)

[adwon]

1. At least

it wasn't the ambassador's family this time. The damage done to Colombia even makes me wonder if we shouldn't just legalize it and give Colombians the best help we can to reclaim their country.

[Up2Late]

4. I was just thinking the same thing, but for a different reason

I just heard a radio report from the show "On the Media," which said the corporations are getting worried about the dropping numbers of Network T.V. viewers, and especially that nobody's watching the commercials anymore.

If they legalized it, how many folks would bother flipping channels or programing a TIVO anymore. And I bet Internet traffic would drop a bunch too.:hippie:

[Psephos]

2. Deep-six the "Agreement" and hang 'em by their thumbs n/t

[Nevernose]

3. Happens all the time. It was on 60 Minutes a few years ago

n/t

[Sparkle]

5. They were trying to smuggle it for Bush!

You know, earn extra points.

[BringEmOn]

6. That's what happens if you try to muscle in on the CIA's action

[Freedom_from_Chains]

7. The CIA is not going to be happy when they hear about this.

They don't take kindly to interlopers of their business.

[saigon68]

8. CIA = the worlds largest Narco Terrorist Organization.

They ran the poppy fields and the drug trade in Laos for twenty years.

They also KILLED lots of people and pissed on their graves.

[Up2Late]

9. I was wondering the other day, when Laura took Air Force 1 (or 2?)...

...over to Afghanistan "to meet with School Teachers" for 4 hours, ya think maybe the loaded the belly of the 747 with this years Opium crop?

Seems like an awful lot to spend to fly her over there to meet with some teachers, especially when you figure that they could have brought a few dozen teachers here for less.:shrug:

[saigon68]

10. They don't have any "PESKY" customs inspectors when they come back.

[Up2Late]

11. Exactly what I was thinking

And we all know how much * respects the "Code of Law"

[leftchick]

16. and are doing the same in Afghanistan today....

:hi: saigon! Good to see you.

[DulceDecorum]

17. Which is one reason why

it is not so bad to see the neocons taking them apart.

[emad]

12. US troops 'tried to smuggle cocaine'

Toby Muse in Bogotá
Saturday April 9, 2005
The Guardian

Four US soldiers serving on anti-narcotics missions in Colombia are being held on charges of drug trafficking after the discovery of 35lb (15kg) of cocaine on a military aircraft.

The four, who have not been identified, were arrested at the end of March when their plane landed in Texas after taking off from southern Colombia. A fifth man was released.

Colombian authorities are investigating to see if other members of the US or Colombian military were involved.


William Wood, the US ambassador in Bogotá, said the four would not be extradited even if it was proved they had committed crimes on Colombian soil. He said a three-decade old agreement gave immunity to US soldiers serving in Colombia, but stressed: "We do not tolerate corruption."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/colombia/story/0,11502,1455559,00.html

[Catch22Dem]

13. Something similar happened to some friends of mine

When I was stationed in Okinawa, several people I knew got busted for smuggling drugs back from Thailand. I think they're still in jail.

[Selteri]

14. Such good ambassadorial work

We won't accept it, but you can't charge them. ;sarcasm;

[SodoffBush]

15. Support our troops!

So say the Cocaine Abusers of America

[chlamor]

18. Guardian: U.S. Troops 'Tried to Smuggle Cocaine'

US troops 'tried to smuggle cocaine'

Toby Muse in Bogotá
Saturday April 9, 2005
The Guardian

Four US soldiers serving on anti-narcotics missions in Colombia are being held on charges of drug trafficking after the discovery of 35lb (15kg) of cocaine on a military aircraft. The four, who have not been identified, were arrested at the end of March when their plane landed in Texas after taking off from southern Colombia. A fifth man was released. Colombian authorities are investigating to see if other members of the US or Colombian military were involved.

William Wood, the US ambassador in Bogotá, said the four would not be extradited even if it was proved they had committed crimes on Colombian soil. He said a three-decade old agreement gave immunity to US soldiers serving in Colombia, but stressed: "We do not tolerate corruption."

<snip>

The arrests are the second setback on the frontline of the war on drugs in as many weeks. Last month it was revealed that in spite of record fumigations across Colombia in 2004 the estimated land given over to planting coca remained unchanged at 114,000 hectares.

Aerial fumigations, the principal weapon in disrupting coca growing, remain controversial. While the US and Colombian governments insist fumigations are safe, peasants living in heavily fumigated zones complain of a host of problems ranging from the destruction of legal crops to skin rashes and birth defects.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/colombia/story/0,11502,1455559,00.html?gusrc=rss