NewsWhore
11-18-2008, 04:00 PM
Deputy Vinicio Castillo Seman, who has submitted a bill aimed at enabling the Dominican authorities to intercept unauthorized planes suspected of carrying drugs, is highlighting the contradiction between the support the US government gave to a similar bill in Colombia and its rejection of the Dominican bill. The bill seeks to interrupt the air bridge between suppliers in Colombia and Venezuela and the target markets in the US and Europe. Castillo believes that the strongest argument in favor of the bill is the deterrent effect of the potential interdiction on drug trafficking operations by air.
Castillo comments that if the real reason behind their opposition to the Bill for Air and Maritime Interception of drug planes is to prevent interception errors, the logical thing would be that the US, as the final destination for most of the drugs that are dropped over Dominican territory, and the world's strongest military power, should take on the task of preventing planes from the South American cartels from penetrating DR territory, as they do with Puerto Rico.
"If the US's concern is that our military is not trained to their security standards, then they should sign a cooperation agreement for interception training, linked with radars that would be coordinated with the US military. The multinational nature of drug trafficking justifies an equally multinational combat force made up of the states in the area and much more justified efforts of the state to where most of the drugs are targeted at," he writes in an op-ed piece in Listin Diario on 17 November.
On the other hand, Senator Wilton Guerrero of Peravia opposes the passing of the interception bill. "I am completely against that bill because there are no guarantees on who will decide who will be shot down. I do not know if it will be officers like the officers who are involved in the Paya case," he told Listin Diario. The Paya case consists of a dozen Navy officers suspected of involvement in a major drug dealing case. Senator Wilton Guerrero, who has openly accused high-ranking government officials of complicity with the drug traffickers, also opposes the purchase of the Brazilian Super Tucano planes. "The Super Tucano may serve to combat drugs, but they could also serve to transport more drugs to the DR," he said. He commented that this has occurred with Navy ships, which have been used to transport drugs to the DR.
The senator reiterated his belief that local civil and military government officials who are responsible for combating drugs have been negligent in their roles.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#11)
Castillo comments that if the real reason behind their opposition to the Bill for Air and Maritime Interception of drug planes is to prevent interception errors, the logical thing would be that the US, as the final destination for most of the drugs that are dropped over Dominican territory, and the world's strongest military power, should take on the task of preventing planes from the South American cartels from penetrating DR territory, as they do with Puerto Rico.
"If the US's concern is that our military is not trained to their security standards, then they should sign a cooperation agreement for interception training, linked with radars that would be coordinated with the US military. The multinational nature of drug trafficking justifies an equally multinational combat force made up of the states in the area and much more justified efforts of the state to where most of the drugs are targeted at," he writes in an op-ed piece in Listin Diario on 17 November.
On the other hand, Senator Wilton Guerrero of Peravia opposes the passing of the interception bill. "I am completely against that bill because there are no guarantees on who will decide who will be shot down. I do not know if it will be officers like the officers who are involved in the Paya case," he told Listin Diario. The Paya case consists of a dozen Navy officers suspected of involvement in a major drug dealing case. Senator Wilton Guerrero, who has openly accused high-ranking government officials of complicity with the drug traffickers, also opposes the purchase of the Brazilian Super Tucano planes. "The Super Tucano may serve to combat drugs, but they could also serve to transport more drugs to the DR," he said. He commented that this has occurred with Navy ships, which have been used to transport drugs to the DR.
The senator reiterated his belief that local civil and military government officials who are responsible for combating drugs have been negligent in their roles.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#11)