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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 1989)
The Battalion WORLD & NATION Page 6 The Battalion Tuesday, Septembers Trafficking ‘super state’ forms drug war problem Iran: Hostages may be freed if country’s assets get release WASHINGTON (AP) — A troubling challenge facing President Bush as he gropes for ways to com bat drug smuggling is the emergence of a drug “su per state” in Latin America, an entity with many of the trappings of a nation state. The drug “super state” — a term once used by a Colombian attorney general shortly before he was murdered by drug traffickers last year — has a de fense establishment, controls large swaths of terri tory, issues communiques, and even boasts what amounts to a “commerce department,” which assidu ously promotes the export of cocaine and other illicit drugs. It also has what its defenders regard as a progres sive political philosophy. Diego Cordoba, a lawyer employed by Colombian drug barons, contended in an interview with a Bra zilian newspaper last year that drug trafficking has done more to alleviate poverty and hunger in Latin America than any government in the region. Another lawyer for the traffickers, Mario Arango, wrote in a best-selling book that the drug business has opened new opportunities for the underprivi leged classes. “The money from the drug traffic has acted as a brake on the social and political deterioration of the country,” Arango said. According to U.S. government figures, as much as $1.7 billion in cocaine-generated revenues last year bolstered the economies of Peru and Bolivia, the two largest cocaine producers in the world. The figure for Colombia, the conduit for 80 percent of the co caine consumed in the United States and Europe, is estimated at $4 billion. The super state boasts a formidible defense estab lishment. While the underfunded Colombian police have about 30 helicopters at their disposal, one sin gle trafficker, Jorge Luis Ochoa, reportedly has 50 aircraft and an arsenal of weapons. Unlike the Colombian government, which re quires months and sometimes years to acquire weap onry for its military, the drug traffickers — unhin dered by red tape — can get what they want in days or even hours. Another characteristic of a nation state the drug lords have is the ability to declare war. After Colom bian President Virgilio Barco ordered a crackdown on the drug traffickers two weeks ago — confiscating millions of dollars worth of property and arresting 11,000 suspects — the cartel issued a statement as serting the existence of a state of “absolute and total war” with the government. NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A se nior Iranian official said Monday his government had been in touch with Washington and that Western hos tages in Lebanon could be freed if the United States releases Iranian as sets frozen 10 years ago. The official Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Ali Moham mad Besnarati, deputy foreign min ister, as saying President Bush had sent several letters, the latest three weeks ago, to “the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” In Kennebunkport, Maine, where Bush has been vacationing, White House spokesman Roman Popadiuk responded, “There has been no mes sage sent by the president to the Ira nian leadership.” Besharati said the hostages “may be released” if the United States turns loose the billions of dollars worth of assets, including military hardware, frozen after the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979. Sixteen Western hostages are held in Lebanon, most by radical Shiite Moslems loyal to Iran. Eight are Americans and the one held longest is Terry A. Anderson, chief Middle East correspondent of the Asso ciated Press, who was abducted March 16, 1985. In its report on an interview with Besharati by the English-laii: Tehran Times, the newsagent he believed Bush was i® greater efforts toward conci than did Ronald Reagan. “We see the Bush adminisi has tried to undo many things past,” Besharati said. Police fire into crowd of S. African proteste JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) — Police opened fire Monday on a crowd of protesters who defied a ban on rallies and gathered at a Durban university. At least 10 peo ple were reported injured in a stam pede that followed, witnesses said. A police official warned that the escalating series of protests keyed to Wednesday's parliamentary elec tions, which exclude blacks from ei ther seeking office or voting, be dealt with “mercilessly.” About 2,500 students at the racial University of Natal late fied a police ban on the meetin gathered to protest the election Police arrested 18 protesters firing on the crowd with teargas bullets, witnesses said, speakitj See S. Africa/Page Dallas Times Herald Student Faculty Special For Fall Semester $12.00 Ask About The Ft Worth Star Telegram 846-1253 846-2911 It's the ultimate! HP Business Consultant II Professional Calculator Another member of HP's proud NEW family of quality calculators. Hp 19fi liy it today. List $175.00 Hewlett Sale $130.95 PACKARD UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORES North gate Culpepper Village Shopping Center Plaza Shopping Center 461 don’t want a lot of hype. I just want something I can count on. W STRETCH Your Dollars! 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