European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 10, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes columns Andrew j. Glass . Defense priorities appear a bit warped thus far in Ronald Reagan s presidency taxpayers have shelled oui nearly 122 billion to combat illicit drugs. Of Ikis sum the Federal government has put Only a Nickel of each Dollar it has spent into prevention programs. The rest a gone Inlo cutting the Supply. And that has proven to be a s21 billion sinkhole. Official report on he drag crisis make up a regular Industry in the nation s capita. The studies Tell us which latin lands grow coca refine cocaine and Laun Der drag profits. Rarely do they focus on what the latins themselves say about the Issue. Trie Ulins say Hal soaring de Mand within the United slates has sparked a dramatic Rise in output. Kansas sen. Robert Dole the sole presidential candidate to show up at the latest White House drug conference accurately framed he problem. He noted that 23 million americans use illegal drug every month that cocaine is available in iwo third of the nation s school Anil that most criminal suspect in major cities test positive for drug. Racism is partly responsible for the administration s aversion against mounting a coordinated educational Campaign against drugs. It sees heroin in partic ular Ai a Black inner City problem. With his fetish for Down sizing the government Reagan in t about to funnel serious Money and manpower into the nation s segregated Black neighbourhoods to underwrite drug Prev Calion and treatment programs. The drug culture is hardly a Black problem however. In the prosperous suburbs that ring the nation s capital nearly half the drug treatment admissions to hospitals last year were White. Three of every five peo ple Sekins to break their addiction in Maryland s up scale Montgomery county arc Whites. The White House drug conference largely ducked a key question Why do so Many of today s affluent Young people pursue the drug culture is it because marijuana makes them feel Mellow docs cocaine makes them feel terrific at least until they become hooked docs a popular culture which celebrates to Over Reading and Hanf Rock music Over red Conversa Tion create a Breeding ground for drugs Why does t the president Ever Lalk about that the War on drugs Reagan tells us is an untold american Success the use of illegal drugs he ventures hat already gone out of style in the United . Rosenthal while the Ink on his assertions is still wet the state department weighs in with d research Effort mandated by inc Congress. Ii finds that the drug crisis has spun out of control. That report says we have been unable to Slop narcotics production and it blames corruption of government officials and Law enforcement officers bribery trafficker intimidation and it concludes that nations arc Oulman cd outgunned fld oils pct by narcotics that s so Why Doit the Pentagon want to Mothball eight frigates previously involved in anti drug running efforts Secretary of slate George Shultz fingers As a drug lord Panama s strongman Gen. Manuit Antonio no Riega. If that s so Why was Noriega kept on the Cia s payroll at 1250.000 n year since the mid-l96qs7 so he could rat on i fellow drug dealer Fidel Castro while the Cia plays its usual games in the Tup posed interest of National Security the Haemorrhaging goes on. What could be closer to the Core of National Security than the slow rot of american cities caught in the awful Ina of he drug culture perhaps someone can prove Hal the Kremlin is be Hind such drug racketeers As Colombia s Medellin car Tel which uses its ill gotten billions to undermine latin governments. Yet until they do ii looks As if our defense priorities Are a bit warped. Political military historic truths in Middle East it happens to everybody from time to time. We believe certain things about a Matler of important controversy and we say them. But when we hear the same paints made by others we become queasy and know something is wrong or missing. Many of us have been saying the same thing about Israel Israel cannot go on forever being in occupying Power. Jews must not break Bones. Israeli use of Force against Young palestinians is casting her support around the world. Israel must enter negotiations on Gaza and la West Bank. Right right. But sometimes when 1 hear or read these Points which i have made myself made Over and Over by others 1 find myself deeply uneasy. It is not because there is no Validity in them but because so often they arc presented empty of the historic Reali ties Hal brought about the crisis and must be understood to find a Way oui. This is an attempt to set Down the political military and historic truths that raise fears about the Road Hal Many american intellectuals journalists and senators arc demanding is Rael take. Causes the critics implication is that the cause of fhe current crisis i prime minister Yitzhak Shamir s opposition loan International conference and his refusal to agree in Advance to cede Wisl Bank territory. This is not True. The cause is 40 years of Arab refusal to accept the exis tence of Israel 40 years of furious hostility and military attempts to destroy her. You do not have to like Shamir to realize that if the arabs had accepted Israel in the beginning or for 20 years hereafter All of the West Bank and Gaza and other territory would today be pan of a palestinian state. If you believe that the very existence of Israel is anathema you Are right to see her policies As the Root cause of the Mideast ugliness. Otherwise not. Occupation some critics also act As if it were israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in 1967 Hal led to so Many years of unrest and skirmishing there. This too is a historic distortion. It was the Arab countries that seized Gaza and the West Bank which were to be part of the palestinian stale under be 1947 . Partition plan and occupied them for 20 years not in peace but with constant harassment and attack against Israel. Finally Israel struck Back. Her unhappy occupation of the West Bank is 3 result not the cause of aggression Arab aggression. Negotiation with whom and for what the . Proposes an International conference with the pig five participating. Since Britain and France Are coot to Israel and the soviet Union and China Are hostile the Chicken is being invited to negotiate under the sponsorship of four foxes and a lame Dove. To think the major Powers would not pressure Israel for Arabad Vantage is not Only naive by Black comedy it is not the big five Israel must live with bul the palestinians and other arabs. Which Arab states have promised to negotiate directly with is Rael none. Which Arab Leaden Are criticizing palestinians sworn to Chr elimination of Israel where Are the moderate palestinians who can swerve the Young men of Gaza and the West Bank away from seeking Israel s death stakes Israel is fighting for survival. The Arab slates arc fighting out of hatred of Israel and fear of the palestinians. The Young palestinians Are fighting for a new palestinian stale be cause obey hate the ruler of a present stale with a palestinian majority Jor Dan. They plan to eliminate King Hus Sein one Day and Swallow Jordan As pan of their own single Palestine. As things hand any ceded West Bank territory will become a de Facto state run by the Plo and other palestinians sworn to destroy Israel. Those Young palestinians would not be hurl ing stones from their territory but rockets. Solutions open pressure on Israel 10 make concessions must be accompanied by open pressure on the Arani palestinians must accept total and clearly the right of Israel to live for Ever secure and in peace. The . And inc Arab leaders can achieve Iii and guarantee it if we have Ibe Wilt and they the courage. Shamir May not Promise in and Vance to cede territory for that is what direct Lalk Are for. Bui the definition of peace cannot mean palestinians continuing War to the death. And they Loo roust fee hard pressure to do some ceding specifically of their demand for another pales Tinian slate in a Region where one Al ready Eniss and to negotiate m peaceful stages for the eventual goal a single Jordan Palestine. Americans have a right to criticize Israel. They have a right la suggest so Lution Bui not the suggestion of suicide. A Yvett thus Newt Swvick tie opinions expressed in the column Ltd met oort on ibis Page represent those of the lotion we tit in no Way to be Cimi dered u representing he View of the Stan and stripes or the United slates Gorum mint
