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Latin America ideas from NDT-Land

Tuna

=========

Date:    Fri, 21 Apr 1995 15:17:25 -0400
From:    KATSULAS@BCVMS.BC.EDU
Subject: Topic Information on Latin America

The topic committee is seeking advice on how to word the Latin America
topic.  Presently, the topic wording calls for increasing trade
liberalization and drug interdiction/eradication.  The trade liberalization
aspect of the topic is problematic.  Nobody seems to have any idea about
what cases would be topical under it.  The literaure which discusses the
need for liberalizing trade with Latin America does not offer policy
options for the United States.  Therefore, we have serious questions as to
how limiting this wording would be on affirmative case options.

The only viable alternative, if we want to retain the trade focus, is to
phrase a bi-directional topic calling for the United States to change its
trade policies toward Latin America.  However, we initially rejected this
option for fear that it would allow too many small cases.  That is, the ban
product of the week cases.

The wording for the drug wording also needs to be changed.  The contextual
literature does not consider crop substitution programs as part of
eradication or interdiction.  Therefore, I have suggested changing the
wording to "increasing narcotic control efforts."

This wording would allow ample affirmative ground.  I have compiled a list
of affirmative cases which could be advocated under this new topic.  We
are seeking advice as to whether you think this is a broad enough area
for the drug topic to stand alone, without the trade focus.

Affirmative Cases under "increasing Narcotics control efforts."

1) Decertify countries such as Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, and Paraguay. Make
restoration of aid conditional upon cooperation with U.S. drug control
efforts.  Helms advocates decertifying Colombia.

2) Increase drug interdiction.  Re-engage the DOD, DEA, Coast Guard, and
State Department.  Clinton policy is sending mixed signals.  What else is
new?

3) Increase security assistance for military training and technical
assistance for drug enforcement.

4) Restore real-time intelligence sharing with Latin American countries.
Clinton terminated it due to the existence of a treaty which forbids
U.S. intelligence sharing if it could be used to forcibly shoot down
civilian aircraft.

5) Increase U.S. pressure on World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank
lending.  Place conditions on loans to require nations to cooperate to stop
money-laundering, the diversion of precursor chemicals.  You also could force
nations to extradite drug criminals.

6) Increase Mexican border enforcement.  Increase funding to Northern
Border Task Force to improve radar capabilities.  Allow AWAC flghts.

7) Establish a multinational task force to target narcoterrorists.  Use
intelligence to infiltrate and destroy groups.  Establish a National Drug
Intelligence Center.

8) Ban the Line-Release program.  It allows companies to avoid inspections
when they ship commerce into the United States from Mexico.

9) Increase aerial spraying to eradicate crops.  Require countries receiving
aid to support eradication efforts.

10) Increase aid and training to civilian judicial systems.  Promoting
democracy will reduce corruption in judicial system.

11) Increase aid to (UNIDCP) United Nations International Drug Control
Program
to promote crop substitution.

12) Change from herbicide to biological controls for crop eradication

13) Promote more trade in drug regions.  Remove U.S. tariffs for value-
added products from Latin America.  Increase trade preferences to Andean
region under the Andean Trade Initiative (ATI).  Direct the Overseas
Private Investment Corporation to make the Andean region a priority.

14) Refocus development assistance certification so as to minimize pressure
to require eradication.

15) Increase aid to grass roots organizations to promote rural empowerment.

16) Improve coordination of U.S. agencies involved in drug control.  DEA,
AID, State Department, InterAmerican Foundation act in conflicting ways.

17) Promote fisheries, wildlife conservation, and forestry programs as an
alternative to coca growing

18) Switch to different alternative crops, e.g, stop the growing of tobacco.

The increase narcotics control language was obtained from an OTA report on
the Andean Region.  Call Number is Y3.T22/2:2c64/1993. The term narcotics
control is used to describe both supply and demand reduction stragties.
It includes education, treatment and rehabilitation, development assistance,
interdiction, and enforcement components.

We need input on whether you want a drug topic focused on increasing
narcotic control efforts toward Latin America.  Should we keep the trade
liberalization wording or focus the topic strictly on narcotics control?

Please reply quickly because we need to finalize the wordings by the end of
April.  Your advice is greatly appreciated.

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Archive created by Jonathan Stanton (jonathan@cs.jhu.edu)
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