Plan Colombia- Cashing In On the Drug War Failure (Sept. 30, 2003)
"Allegedly intended to fight the production of coca and cocaine in Colombia, the $2 billion-U.S. 'Plan Colombia' assistance package (currently renamed "Andean Initiative") has 80% of its aid going to the Colombian police and military for weapons, training and helicopters. While this policy meant huge contracts for U.S. defense contractors paid for by U.S. tax-payers, it translated into abruptly stopping a peace and dialogue process between then Colombian President Andres Pastrana and the leftist rebel groups, stepping up the war in the country's 50-year civil struggle."

War on Terrorism Helps Increase Drug Seizures Along US-Mexico Border (Sept. 30, 2003)
"Seizures of narcotics along the Mexican border so far this year are already close to the total for all seizures made last year. The amount of drugs being found in single incidents has also tended to be higher than in previous years."

Second Opinion: The Great Pharmacy To the North (Sept. 30, 2003)
"The Bush administration and the pharmaceutical companies are up in arms. The Justice Department is seeking an injunction to block Canadian drug imports by an Oklahoma-based pharmacy depot."

CIA agent's 'outing:' A high-stakes whodunit (Sept. 30, 2003)
"The White House struggled yesterday to fend off pressure for an external probe into whether administration officials deliberately — and illegally — 'outed' an undercover CIA agent in retribution for her husband's criticism of President George W. Bush's prewar claims about Iraq."

Girl, 5, Makes Bong in Class (Sept. 30, 2003)
"A five-year-old Territory girl shocked teachers when she showed her class how to make a bong out of a Coke bottle during a 'show and tell' session."

Who's Sordid Now? (Sept. 30, 2003)
"Think about it: the cost of the occupation is exploding, and military experts warn that our army is dangerously overcommitted. Yet officials are still allowing Iraqi reconstruction to languish, and the disaffection of the Iraqi public to grow, while they steer choice contracts to their friends."

History Repeats Itself, Again (Sept. 29, 2003)
"The public has been led into a trap from which it will be hard to escape with dignity and honor. They have been tricked into it by a steady withholding of information," he said. "The Baghdad communiqués are belated, insincere, incomplete. Things have been far worse than we have been told, our administration more bloody and inefficient than the public knows. He added: "We are today not far from a disaster" — T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) Sunday Times of London August 22, 1920

Will the 2004 Election be Stolen With Electronic Voting Machines? (Sept. 29, 2003)
This is a very serious issue that needs much more mainstream press coverage and questioning as the threat to our democratic system is an extremely dire reality.

ASU professor teaches from knowledge, experience (Sept. 29, 2003)
"He considers his time spent in prison on a marijuana conviction an asset to his profession."

Pilot shot down in Colombia was outside regular campaign route (Sept. 29, 2003)
"Mario Alvarado, a native of Costa Rica who worked for an unidentified U.S. company, was killed last Sunday when his plane crashed while fumigating coca crops in the rebel stronghold of Catatumbo."

What fear is doing to our freedoms (Sept. 29, 2003)
"When access to governmental activity is denied or restricted in any way, and access to the opportunity to observe that activity is stopped, democracy dies. It's just that simple. For, if this is truly a country of, by and for the people, then the people must be informed, if they are expected to act. The people have the right to know."

U.S. Uses Terror Law to Pursue Crimes from Drugs to Swindling (Sept. 29, 2003)
"The Bush administration, which calls the USA Patriot Act perhaps its most essential tool in fighting terrorists, has begun using the law with increasing frequency in many criminal investigations that have little or no connection to terrorism."

Demonstrators Gather in Cities Around the World to Demand Pullout from Iraq (Sept. 29, 2003)
"Thousands of protesters demanding an end to the occupation of Iraq took to the streets Saturday in London, Athens, Paris and other cities around the world, chanting slogans against the United States and Britain."

The Presidential Bubble (Sept. 29, 2003)
"Four progressive political groups sued the Bush administration this week, charging that the Secret Service is systematically keeping protesters away from the president's public appearances. They make a serious point about free speech rights, but they also point out a disturbing aspect of the Bush White House: the country has a chief executive who seems to embrace the presidential bubble."

White House Insists It Had Iraq WMD Intelligence (Sept. 29, 2003)
Wonder why they insist they had the intel to warrent going to war? Could it be all the deaths of US servicefolk currently serving in Iraq? Maybe it's all the money US taxpayers are being forced to pay for this evil War?

CIA seeks probe of White House (Sept. 27, 2003)
"The CIA has asked the Justice Department to investigate allegations that the White House broke federal laws by revealing the identity of one of its undercover employees in retaliation against the woman’s husband, a former ambassador who publicly criticized President Bush’s since-discredited claim that Iraq had sought weapons-grade uranium from Africa, NBC News has learned."

Number of People Living in Poverty in U.S. Increases Again (Sept. 27, 2003)
Remember, it's Socialistic, even Communistic, to want to spend out taxes here at home on our fellow US citizens, but it's wonderful and necessary to give billions of dollars to Iraq to rebuild the damages caused by over a decade of sanctions and US and British bombs.

In GOP, Concern Over Iraq Price Tag (Sept. 27, 2003)
So where's the outrage over the continued spending of billions of US taxdollars on an utterly destructive and wasteful War on Some Drugs and Users, you know, the one that's been on-going for the last 30 years and counting?

Ashcroft Is Unprintable, and Glad of It (Sept. 27, 2003)
One way to avoid answering troublesome questions is to avoid the reporters who may ask them. Ashcroft and others in the Bush administration have turned this into an art form of sorts.

Cheney's Ties to Halliburton (Sept. 27, 2003)
"A Congressional Research Service report released yesterday concluded that federal ethics laws treat Vice President Cheney's annual deferred compensation checks and unexercised stock options as continuing financial interests in the Halliburton Co."

Ecstasy report 'low-quality': Minister (Sept. 26, 2003)
"Australia has disputed a United Nations finding that it was a world leader in ecstasy abuse and had the second highest levels of methamphetamine abuse."

Speaker makes case against marijuana (Sept. 26, 2003)
"Marijuana is addictive and harmful and is being used by teens and children, said Dr. Susan Dalterio, a drug expert from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Efforts to legalize the drug will weaken when more people are made aware of its bad effects, Dalterio told a group of about 125 law officers and government leaders attending an anti-drug conference Wednesday in Billings."

Herbalists' role in search for cure (Sept. 26, 2003)
"Raw roots and dried leaves on display by herbalists at the Icasa meeting offer a sharp contrast from the neatly-packaged drugs exhibited by pharmaceutical giants."

Abuse of Synthetic Drugs Increasing, says UN (Sept. 26, 2003)
"The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime says the production, trafficking, and abuse of synthetic, so-called designer drugs, is increasing worldwide."

Concerns about citizen privacy grow as states create 'Matrix' database (Sept. 26, 2003)
"They say that Matrix houses restricted police and government files on colossal databases that sit in the offices of Seisint Inc., a Boca Raton, Fla., company founded by a millionaire who police say flew planeloads of drugs into the country in the early 1980s."

Draft Report Said to Cite No Success in Iraq Arms Hunt (Sept. 26, 2003)
"An early draft of an interim report by the American leading the hunt for banned weapons in Iraq says his team has not found any of the unconventional weapons cited by the Bush administration as a principal reason for going to war, federal officials with knowledge of the findings said today."

Congress Shuts Pentagon Unit Over Privacy (Sept. 26, 2003-Free NYTimes registration required)
"They turned the lights out on the programs Poindexter conceived," said Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, who led opposition to the office. "From a standpoint of civil liberties, this is a huge victory."

Cops Against the Drug War (Sept. 25, 2003)
"The organization argues that the only way for illegal drugs to truly become 'controlled substances' is to subject them to federal regulations similar to those imposed on alcohol and tobacco."

Drug War Reality Tour (Sept. 25, 2003)
"Throughout the tour, street-wise KWRU members break down facts about the narco-culture and how forces like police complicity and corporate investment are aiding and using the drug epidemic to drive Kensington's people out of their own neighborhood in order to make room for new urban development."

U.S. States Find Alternatives to Drug War (Sept. 15, 2003)
"Rather than following policies to harshly penalize drug offenders, more U.S. states are enacting alternatives that treat addiction as an illness, the Associated Press reported Sept. 17."

War on Terrorism Helps Increase Drug Seizures Along US-Mexico Border (Sept. 25, 2003)
"Seizures of narcotics along the Mexican border so far this year are already close to the total for all seizures made last year. The amount of drugs being found in single incidents has also tended to be higher than in previous years."

Diebold's Problems Multiply (Sept. 25, 2003)
"It isn’t news when a wealthy Republican businessman promises to deliver his home state to Bush. Hell, Ken Lay promised so much back when he was running a little concern out of Houston. It is news when that wealthy Republican happens to be the CEO of a leading electronic voting machine company."

U.S. Remains Leader in Global Arms Sales, Report Says (Sept. 25, 2003- Free NYTimes registration required)
"The United States was the leader in total worldwide sales in 2002, with about $13.3 billion, or 45.5 percent of global conventional weapons deals, a rise from $12.1 billion in 2001. Of that, $8.6 billion was to developing nations, or about 48.6 percent of conventional arms deals concluded with developing nations last year, according to the report." While the Constitutional right to own a firearm is not in question here at DrugWar.com, the idiocy of selling more weaponry around the world than anyone else while claiming to be fighting terrorism is blatantly obvious.

IVINS: Bush-haters (Sept. 25, 2003)
"Poor Bush is in way over his head, and the country is in bad shape because of his stupid economic policies. If that make me a Bush-hater, then sign me up."

New Plea Bargain Limits Could Swamp Courts, Experts Say (Sept. 24, 2003- Free NYTimes registration required)
"If Attorney General John Ashcroft's new directive limiting the use of plea bargains in federal prosecutions were enforced to the letter, legal experts said, the criminal justice system would soon face a crisis."

Cheney's conflict with the truth (Sept. 24, 2003)
"Cheney's latest attempt to play Americans for fools came in the very same interview during which he was forced to say 'I did misspeak' about Saddam Hussein having nuclear weapons, a falsehood that whipped up support for the invasion. The question is how many more misspeaks and lies Americans will tolerate."

'Hear and Now (Sept. 24, 2003- audio file)
"Alan Young discusses his new novel on 'Hear and Now.' CBC Radio 1."

Colleges report few on-campus arrests in ‘02 (Sept. 23, 2003)
"The statistics represent alleged criminal offenses reported to campus security authorities or local police agencies."

Missouri to Receive $486,000 to Fund Youth Anti-Drug Programs; Only 14 Jurisdictions to Receive Federal Grants (Sept. 23, 2003)
"Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced that the governors' offices in 14 states and territories will receive State Incentive Grants to reduce illegal drug, alcohol and tobacco use among children, youth, and young adults."

Bush Accused by Lords of the Bar (Sept. 23, 2003)
"Ignored by most media, an array of prominent federal judges, government officials, and other members of the legal establishment has joined in a historic rebellion against George W. Bush's unprecedented and unconstitutional arrogance of power that threatens the fundamental right of American citizens to have access to their lawyers before disappearing indefinitely into military custody without charges, without seeing an attorney or anyone except their guards."

For Those Who Wish to Dissent: Speech, Silence and Patriotism (Sept. 23, 2003)
"In fact, as Ashcroft has taken his dog-and-pony show on the road, he's been saying that not only is it good for the police to arrest me, or library patrons, or college students, without needing to show probable cause, they should have even more power. They should be able to search all our records, and to hold us without bail when they do arrest us. He says those of us objecting are 'Sraising the phantom of lost liberty,' and we're giving 'ammunition to America's enemies.'"

Stretched Thin, Lied to & Mistreated (Sept. 23, 2003)
So why haven't more US cops on the front lines of the War on Some Drugs and Users had the same revelations these toopers in Iraq have had? The cops are also lied to and streched thin by their lying murderous superiors, so what's the difference, other than that the troopers in Iraq are in more of a "both sides are really armed" sort of war, while the cops are in a "war on our own citizens" sort of war?

Some cons to get hepatitis drugs (Sept. 23, 2003)
"Several prisoners have sued the state for the treatment, but officials said the lawsuits are not the reason the new treatment program is being offered."

Cow Palace sting leads to dozens of arrests (Sept. 23, 2003)
"A sting operation conducted during a Cow Palace rave party Saturday night netted more than 60 arrests for alleged illegal drug sales and possession, according to authorities." Don't cops have better things to spend our taxdollars investigating rather than a bunch of folk having fun at a party? Why are cops conducting "sting operations" at a party in the first place? Does "sting operation" mean the cops were selling the drugs they busted people for possessing?

Arctic ice shelf splits (Sept. 23, 2003)
"The largest ice shelf in the Arctic has fractured, releasing all the water from the freshwater lake it dammed."

Ashcroft Limiting Prosecutors' Use of Plea Bargains (Sept. 23, 2003- Free NYTimes registration required)
"Attorney General John Ashcroft today made it tougher for federal prosecutors to strike plea bargains with criminal defendants, requiring attorneys to seek the most serious charges possible in almost all cases." How the hell such a facist came to power here in the Land of the Free is extremely disturbing to the editor of DrugWar.com. Have US citizens forgotten what the word "freedom" really means?

Betraying One's Passengers (Sept. 23, 2003- Free NYTimes registration required)
It appears that many have forgetten just what the core values of being a US citizen are supposed to be, particularly amongst some big business types and the government itself. Spying on one another and turning over the information in secret to the government (which JetBlue denies while admitting it made an "error" in compiling private information of its passengers) raises serious similarities to the very worst totalitarian governments throughout history. We should not be giving up our freedoms for a fake sense of security, but many don't seem to have a problem with it.

Galileo Mission Ends with Dive Into Jupiter (Sept. 23, 2003)
The end of another voyage of discovery into outer, instead of inner, space.

50,000 children taking antidepressants (Sept. 20, 2003)
"An antidepressant which GPs have been prescribing to thousands of children, in spite of the fact that it is not recommended for their use, can cause youngsters to want to kill themselves, the government's regulatory agency warned yesterday."

Human Rights and Colombia (Sept. 20, 2003)
"Alvaro Uribe ran for Colombia's presidency promising to crack down on left-wing guerrillas and right-wing paramilitaries while respecting civil rights and the Constitution. New proposals from his government make both promises ring hollow."

City Creates Post-Jail Plan for Inmates (Sept. 20, 2003- Free NYTimes registration required)
"For the first time, New York City officials from several agencies have agreed to create a comprehensive post-jail employment, drug treatment and housing plan that they say will prevent far more Rikers Island inmates from committing new crimes that return them to jail."

The War Party's Enablers: all of us (Sept. 20, 2003)
"Presidents decide to go to war in the context of a favorably disposed mass culture. Painful as it is for members of the Peace Party to admit, many Americans take pleasure in 'kicking ass,' and they do not much care whose ass is being kicked or why. So long as Americans are dishing out death and destruction to a plausible foreign enemy, the red-white-and-blue jingos are happy."

Bush's Saudi Connections (Sept. 20, 2003)
"The links between the House of Bush and the House of Saud are deep, overlapping and notoriously opaque: the Saudi investment in the Carlyle Group, the private equity firm whose rainmakers include George Bush Senior; the Saudi bankrolling of Poppy's presidential library; the lucrative contracts the Saudis doled out to Halliburton when Dick Cheney was at the company's helm. The main law firm retained by the Saudis to defend them against the 9-11 families is Baker Botts -- as in James Baker, the Bush family consigliere. And, of course, there's oil, the black glue connecting all these dots."

Mistakes of Vietnam Repeated With Iraq (Sept. 20, 2003)
Max Cleland is not at all happy with the Bush cabal's nearly complete dearth of experience and lack of lessons learned in a previous boondoogle of a war, Vietnam.

VENEZUELA: Chavez continues `offensive' against imperialism (Sept. 19, 2003)
"According to Forrest Hylton of the Zmag web site, at the inauguration ceremony of President Nicanor Duarte in Paraguay on August 15, on the initiative of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, all the presidents of the South American republics, except Chavez, signed a declaration pledging support for the 'war on drugs and terror' — Washington's political cover for using the Colombian military forces to defeat the social movements and armed resistance in the Andean region."

Southern Front (Sept. 19, 2003)
"For the past 25 years, U.S.-Colombian relations have been defined by drug-trafficking concerns, and U.S. military aid has been primarily used for drug interdiction programs. Although the United States has tacitly supported counterinsurgency operations in Colombia for decades -- linking the rebels to the war on drugs by labeling them "narcoguerrillas," for instance -- this is the first time a U.S. administration openly eliminates the distinction between counternarcotics and counterinsurgency operations."

Big lie on Iraq comes full circle (Sept. 19, 2003)
"Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's propaganda chief (director of communications, in the current parlance), once said that if you are going to lie, you should tell a big lie. That may be good advice, but the question remains: What happens when people begin to doubt the big lie? Herr Goebbels never lived to find out. Some members of the Bush administration may be in the process of discovering that, given time, the big lie turns on itself."

9/11/01: Where Was George? (Sept. 19, 2003)
A few more quesitons that should be asked again and again as loudly and publicly as possible.

The Terrorism Link That Wasn't (Sept. 19, 2003- Free NYTimes registration required)
"But on Sunday, Vice President Dick Cheney went too far. He said it was "not surprising" that many Americans drew a link between Mr. Hussein and 9/11. Asked if there was a connection, he replied, 'We don't know.' But the administration does know, and Mr. Bush was forced to acknowledge it on Wednesday." Now he tells us, says the Baltimore Sun.

Paths of Glory Lead to a Soldier's Doubt (Sept. 19, 2003)
"For the last six months I have participated in what I believe to be the great modern lie: Operation Iraqi Freedom," notes this US soldier stationed in Iraq. Now when are the soldiers fighting the evil War on Some Drugs and Users, waging war on their fellow US citizens, going to shake themselves awake and realize this war is also based on lies, on evil, destructive deceptions.

Tommy Chong is Free in Jail (Sept. 19, 2003)
"Face the future with grace and courage, Tommy. Your jail sentence will only add to the authenticity of the beloved character you have delighted us with for decades. The youth of America are depending on you to tell the truth about marijuana. Do the right thing for all of us."

The State Of Drug Reform (Sept. 19, 2003)
"The report details more than 150 changes in 46 states on a wide range of drug-related issues, including medical marijuana, needle exchange and possession, alternatives to incarceration, bans on racial profiling, and the restoration of benefits and voting rights to ex-offenders."

Struggling Against Teenage Drinking (Sept. 19, 2003)
"Almost everyone deplores the epidemic of teenage drinking in this country, but it seems devilishly difficult to do much about it. Drinking is so ingrained in the cultural fabric, and the long-ago failure of Prohibition has left such a feeling of futility, that few politicians are willing to take on the alcohol lobbies."

Angry Fiction (Sept. 19, 2003)
"I mean come on, the more this guy [Dick Cheney] talked, the more I heard Joseph Heller writing in Catch-22 about Milo Minderbinder: 'Milo had been caught red-handed in the act of plundering his countrymen, and, as a result, his stock had never been higher.'"

The Real Cost of War (Sept. 19, 2003)
"The next time you read about fees going up at your local Junior College or State University, think Iraq. The next time you wonder about how many people in the United States don't have access to adequate health care, think Iraq. The next time you read about rising fees and diminishing services in our national parks, think Iraq. When you're suffering compassion fatigue and are annoyed by the growing number of homeless on your city streets, think Iraq." And don't forget to think the Stupid War on Some Drugs and Users too, another wasteful boondogle that has no end in sight, yet.

U.S. Budget Deficit Mounts Toward All-Time High (Sept. 19, 2003)
"With only one month left in the fiscal year, the U.S. budget deficit moved further into record territory, passing the $400 billion mark for the first time, the Treasury Department said Wednesday."

U.N. Says U.S. Eradication of Coca in Colombia Is Working (Sept. 18, 2003- Free NYTimes registration required)
"The United Nations said today that American-financed aerial eradication of Colombia's vast coca fields is starting to pay big dividends and released estimates that show the size of the crop dropping by 32 percent in the first seven months of the year." So what about the other coca-friendly countries in the region? Has the price and purity of cocaine in the US dropped simultaniously? How the Colombian poppy/opium/heroin production going? Is the US prohibitionist government using fuzzy math again?

No proof Iraq tied to 9/11: Bush (Sept. 18, 2003)
Bush finally admits bluntly that there are no ties between Iraq or Saddam Hussein and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the US. So why do so many US citizens believe those ties exist? "We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with Sept. 11," Bush said. He did continue to link Iraq to Al Qaeda and other terrorists though.

Ashcroft Slams Critics as Patriot Act Backlash Grows (Sept. 18, 2003)
"One of the main charges critics of the Patriot Act aim against Ashcroft is that rules designed to catch terrorists will be used against ordinary citizens. They also say police and prosecutors will use the laws created by the Patriot Act in other areas of law enforcement...Finally, it seems that Ashcroft is having some legal problems of his own. On Friday his department filed a brief saying that he shouldn't be required to appear in a Michigan federal court to explain why he violated a judge's gag order in place during a terrorism trial."

Oil Services Firm Paid Cheney as VP (Sept. 18, 2003)
"Vice President Dick Cheney, a former CEO of Halliburton Co., has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the company since taking office while asserting he has no financial interest in the company, Senate Democrats said Tuesday." In other words, Dick Cheney has lied yet again.

Federal Budget Disaster Seen, But Won't Be Heard (Sept. 18, 2003)
"Something remarkable will happen here today. A senior congressional figure will declare the federal budget, in effect, a disaster area - and official Washington will probably react with a shrug."

U.S., U.K. hyped claims of Iraqi weapons: Blix (Sept. 18, 2003)
"'What in a way stands accused is the culture of spin, the culture of hyping... Advertisers will advertise a refrigerator in terms that we don't quite believe in, but we expect governments to be more serious and have more credibility,' Blix said."

Say No Way To Drugs and Terrorism Law (Sept. 17, 2003)
"Senators are drafting a “drugs and terrorism” bill that could treat many non-violent drug offenders as terrorists and strip away civil liberties from every American. Unless you tell your Senators 'No way!' it could be introduced soon."

Vancouver's heroin users get safe-injection site (Sept. 17, 2003)
More signs that some Canadians understand compassion, not to mention common sense, much better than do most US citizens.

Heroin seizure breaks record set two week ago (Sept. 17, 2003)
"More than 87 pounds of heroin has been seized during a bust at the Paso Del Norte port of entry in El Paso, breaking the region's record set only 10 days earlier."

Cops: Tainted heroin may have killed four (Sept. 17, 2003)
"Alvarez said that the unusually high number of overdoses all occurred during a three-week period. 'Usually people overdose from prescription medicine,' he said."

Second Ecstasy study retracted (Sept. 17, 2003)
Using methamphetamine instead of MDMA, scientists screwed up and bolstered prohibitionist malarkey, not once, but twice. What else have we been told about currently illegal drugs that is just plain wrong?

Recovery Month draws attention to addiction help (Sept. 17, 2003)
"This September is the 14th annual National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Organized and sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the month is intended to educate the public about substance addiction, its negative effects on public health and its treatment options."

11 million Americans have driven while on drugs (Sept. 17, 2003)
"John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said the statistics show a failure to convince drivers that drugs impair driving as much as alcohol does. His office is kicking off an ad campaign to warn teens about driving while smoking marijuana."

Officers mistake man's garden for illegal drugs (Sept. 17, 2003)
"Narcotics officers thought they had made a big bust when they seized 500 suspicious plants from Marion Waltman. Authorities say the plants looked like marijuana, but they turned out to be protein plants used to bulk up deer."

Special local police push focused on illegal drugs (Sept. 17, 2003)
"Local law enforcement agencies are planning to continue with a criminal interdiction program launched Labor Day weekend, focusing on areas where illegal drugs are a concern."

Cheney Link of Iraq, 9/11 Challenged (Sept. 17, 2003)
Not that it should be surprising to anyone with two eyes and a brain, but US Vice-President Dick Cheney is still lying through his teeth about Iraq and about his ties to Halliburton too. Or as the LATimes put it, Cheney [is living] in Wonderland.

White House's Cynical Iraq Ploy: 'Misspeak' First, 'Correct' It Later (Sept. 17, 2003)
"The brainwashing of Americans, two-thirds of whom believe that Saddam Hussein was behind the attacks, is too effective a political ploy for the Bush regime to suddenly let the truth get in the way." And in that vein, there's an Indefinite Delay on Weapons Report that may show how little truth were in the assertions about WOD in Iraq before the invasion.

Cultural Baggage show for 9/16 now online with Dr. Geoffrey Guy of GW Pharmaceuticals (Sept. 17, 2003)
MP3 and RealPlayer format. Dr. Geoffrey Guy, the Executive Chairman of GW Pharmaceuticals in the UK has invented an under the tongue spray labeled "Sativex" that has 97% pure THC, extracted for cannabis plants. The interview deals with medical studies, patient needs, America's attitude to cannabis, vaporization and more. Ethan Nadelmann, the Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance visits to tell of this days release of their report showcasing the more than 150 drug reforms passed in the last 15 years. The "Hero of the Week" is Cheryl Miller, recently deceased medical marijuana patient. We also begin a short mid show break piece: "Name that drug... by it's side effects."

4:20 Drug War News now on seven days per week (Sept. 17, 2003)
MP3 format only, all 7 days at this link. This weeks shows feature voices of Ethan Nadelmann and Marc Emery, songs of Johnny Cash and parodies with Tommy Chong & more. 3:00 each.

Saudi beheaded for smuggling marijuana into kingdom (Sept. 16, 2003)
These evil maniacs are our allies?

Chong's Bong Nightmare (Sept. 16, 2003)
Claiming he had a "problem" with pot, this article doesn't mention the more disturbing part of this story, of how prosecutors apparently threatened to indict Chong's family members if he didn't cop a guilty plea.

Medical marijuana stymies police busts (Sept. 16, 2003)
"When drug-enforcement officers fly over Jackson County in search of marijuana, they can’t always confiscate the plants they spot."

'The Truth About Medical Marijuana' to be Discussed by Authorities In Medicine, Drug Policy and Civil Liberties (Sept. 16, 2003)
"Addressing one of the most visible and controversial public policy issues of the day -- the legal use of marijuana for medical purposes -- the Independent Institute of Oakland has assembled some of the nation's foremost experts for a public forum in San Francisco on October 2nd."

Smoking Marijuana is Criminal (Sept. 16, 2003)
Reefer Madness 2003. This editorial would be funny if there weren't such an evil, destructive war on pot smokers going on at the same time. It is so full of bull manure that it stinks right through the computer screen.

Canadians Pan Government-Backed Marijuana (Sept. 16, 2003)
"Some of the first patients to smoke Canada's government-approved marijuana say it is 'disgusting' and they want their money back."

B.C.'s marijuana law doesn't exist, judge rules (Sept. 16, 2003)
"Provincial court Judge Patrick Chen found the pot possession law went up in smoke three years ago when Ontario's top appeal court found the law invalid."

Medical marijuana user doesn’t get job back (Sept. 16, 2003)
"Washington County worker was fired after drug arrest, but may be hired for another position if she's cleared."

VENEZUELA: Chavez continues `offensive' against imperialism (Sept. 15, 2003)
"Although Washington has its hands full with its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is also preparing the ground to move more aggressively against Venezuela. For example, the US government has allocated $US700 million in 2003 alone for the Plan Andes — an extension of Plan Colombia. The objective of this plan is to militarise the pro-US governments in the Andean region, a hotbed of radical social movements."

Medics in the war on drugs (Sept. 15, 2003)
"And why, with all the medical proof that meth use is so harmful to the body and personality, why do meth users continue to abuse the drug? 'They're in denial like many alcoholics and they don't want to give up their lifestyles,' said Novak." Scare stories from the front lines.

Drugs: The Thai War on Drugs is a War Against Civil Rights and the Thai People (Sept. 15, 2003)
"Emerging democracies could in fact make good use of more tolerant and liberal policies instead of the militarization of their society, which can only increase public spending and provoke more violence and death."

1 cigarette can get you hooked, study finds (Sept. 15, 2003)
"Research refutes belief it takes time to become addicted."

$87 billion funding bid being led by Cheney (Sept. 15, 2003)
Why does this not surprise the editor of DrugWar.com?

Illinois May Buy Canadian Drugs (Sept. 15, 2003)
"Facing budget-breaking increases in prescription drug bills, the governor of Illinois took the first step yesterday toward purchasing lower-cost medications from Canada, a move that puts him in direct conflict with federal regulators and signals a dramatic escalation in the civil war over U.S. drug prices."

WAMM Set for Appeal to Return Seized Pot (Sept. 15, 2003)
"Attorneys for an area medical marijuana cooperative will be in federal appeals court Wednesday, seeking return of more than 160 pot plants seized by federal agents in a September 2002 raid."

Canada: A Radical Approach To Aid Drug Addicts (Sept. 15, 2003)
"Proponents argue that the clinic is needed to fight the epidemic of drug-related infections and disease raging though Vancouver's skid row. Detractors -- and there are plenty -- say it condones drug use and will speed the downward spiral of addicts."

Pot Smoking to Be Made Legal (Sept. 15, 2003)
"Home Secretary David Blunkett's plans follow a campaign by recreational users who argue the drug is less harmful than alcohol."

White House just says no to affordable drugs (Sept. 15, 2003)
"If the Justice Department has time to block the import of inexpensive medicine while taking the trouble to put an aging comic in federal prison for selling bongs, we must finally have neutralized al-Qaida. Or we wouldn't waste the resources, putting Americans at greater risk."

Bush Seeks to Expand Access to Private Data (Sept. 15, 2003)
"In a three-point presidential plan that critics are already dubbing Patriot Act II, Mr. Bush is seeking broad new authority to allow federal agents - without the approval of a judge or even a federal prosecutor - to demand private records and compel testimony."

Public Says $87 Billion Too Much (Sept. 15, 2003)
"Six in 10 Americans said they do not support the proposal, which the president announced in his nationally televised address last Sunday night. That marks the most significant public rejection of a Bush initiative on national security or terrorism since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001."

Ethics: It's unethical to use parents' car to score drugs (Sept. 14, 2003)
Common sense advice.

Pointing in a new direction (Sept. 14, 2003)
"Injection site workers motivated by loss of friends, relatives."

Ashcroft's Errant Hammer (Sept. 14, 2003- Free LATimes registration required)
"Unlike terror suspects or bomb makers, Chong was easy to find (a home in Pacific Palisades and a business in Gardena) and posed no threat of violence. The same goes for the smokers and growers of medical marijuana in California, many of them slowed down by AIDS or cancer or even confined to wheelchairs."

Everyman, With a Voice (Sept. 14, 2003- Free NYTimes registration required)
Who was Johnny Cash? "He used his success, in fact, to provide a voice for the downtrodden, for lost souls and lost causes that might otherwise have found no place in the American Dream."

Shooting Case Against Drug Agent Is Dismissed, but Not Over (Sept. 14, 2003-Free NYTimes registration required)
"He said the judge had ignored what he called the real issue, which he said was whether the agent committed a crime by killing Mr. Dewgard with a shot in the back."

Safe Access Now- Reasonable Medical Marijuana Guidelines (Sept. 14, 2003)
Read up on California medical marijuana legislation.

Bush Seeks to Expand Access to Private Data (Sept. 14, 2003- Free NYTimes registration required)
"For months, President Bush's advisers have assured a skittish public that law-abiding Americans have no reason to fear the long reach of the antiterrorism law known as the Patriot Act because its most intrusive measures would require a judge's sign-off. But in a plan announced this week to expand counterterrorism powers, President Bush adopted a very different tack."

Dizzying Dive to Red Ink Poses Stark Choices for Washington (Sept. 14, 2003- Free NYTimes registration required)
"Should Washington reconstruct Iraq's schools and hospitals, lawmakers are asking, or America's? Should it pay for more than 100,000 American troops to stay in Iraq, or for 40 million seniors to be offered prescription drugs through Medicare?"

Tommy Chong sentenced on drug charges (Sept 11, 2003)
"Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, asked for leniency from a judge Thursday but was sentenced to nine months in prison for conspiring to sell drug paraphernalia."

Giuliani's Mexico City Game (Sept. 11, 2003)
"Only now are New Yorkers feeling the effects of a regime that spent freely—in a 'crime war' against non-violent offenders—during a recession...It is not clear whether those on the Giuliani bandwagon don’t see the costs behind the successes, or whether they feel the costs and abuses were worth it."

Another fine mess (Sept. 11, 2003)
"Politicians have a habit of declaring war on all sorts of intangible enemies - war on crime, war on drugs, war on whatever."

WTO protest turns ugly as talks begin (Sept. 11, 2003)
"Thousands of protesters clashed with Mexican riot police in the seaside resort city of Cancun yesterday as trade ministers from 146 countries sat down for the start of global trade talks that are deadlocked over cutting subsidies by wealthy countries to their farmers."

Inside prison, outside the law (Sept. 11, 2003)
"Every year, tens of thousands of inmates in state and federal custody are attacked. The exact number who die is difficult to determine: According to the nonprofit Criminal Justice Institute, in 2000, the most recent year for which figures have been compiled, 55 inmates were murdered, 39 died "accidentally," and 118 died for unknown reasons. The California nonprofit Stop Prisoner Rape estimates that 1 in 5 men is raped in custody."

Marijuana billboard snuffed (Sept. 11, 2003)
"The message of the billboard was that legalizing and taxing marijuana would bring back public services and plug the budget gap."

Media lose access to information (Sept. 11, 2003)
"Senften said he wondered: 'What happens in the jails now if a cop beats an inmate?'''

September 11 in the Memory Hole (Sept. 11, 2003)
Russ Kick has compiled a trove of information about that dark day in history, saving it from being lost or hidden away. The official version of things doesn't stand up so well. And as the NYTimes put it, "Foreign Views of U.S. Darken Since Sept. 11." (Free registration required), as well as giving us a view of "The Other Sept. 11," US-backed (maybe plotted to begin with) terrorist attack that took place in 1973.

Enron treasurer gets five years (Sept. 11, 2003)
So when is Ken Lay going to see the inside of a court room?

Student tips police to online drug "supermarket" (Sept. 10, 2003)
A clear example of idiotic hysteria on the part of this prohibition-supporting US newspaper.

He Must Admit the Error of His Ways (Sept. 10, 2003)
If the War on Some Drugs and Users is any indication, the administration is not going to be addmitting the error of its ways any time soon. "How can the president tell us with a straight face that we taxpayers have a patriotic duty to cough up $87 billion more to enable him to sink us deeper into the Iraq quagmire of his making?" Or as Jason Vest puts it, "Indeed, it was hard to decide what was more appalling about Bush's address: The shamelessness with which he appealed for more deficit spending or the divorced-from-reality conviction with which he parroted his speechwriter's spin."

A Tale of Two Septembers (Sept. 10, 2003)
"September 11th marks the second anniversary of the aerial attack by terrorists that killed 2,700 people and profoundly changed American society...American commentators probably won't mention the 1973 attacks on Chile and their aftermath. They should, because in those attacks it was the U.S. government that played the role of Al Qaeda – recruiting, training, arming, financing and coordinating the terrorists."

Path of Lies: 9/11 to Iraq (Sept. 10, 2003)
It may be difficult not to hate these maniacal murderous liars, but it behooves us not to allow them to drag us down to their level. "For those in the White House who have long supported regime change in Baghdad, the national tragedy was a window of opportunity through which they aggressively, repeatedly, and ruthlessly rammed their plans for a spectacular sequel to the first Gulf War."

An Ounce of Detention (Sept. 10, 2003)
"Detention and killing, whether through the justice system or waging war, are the two most extreme acts a state can take, and both carry substantial risks of abuse. For these reasons, both the criminal law and the law of war strongly disfavor locking up human beings or launching a war for preventive purposes."

The Implosion of US Media (Sept. 9, 2003)
"Similarly, and even more outrageously, The New York Times and The Associated Press propagated nearly every false story ( ie including the aluminum tubes fiasco; Saddam's palaces being used for chem-bio weapons; trucks being used as mobile labs; false allegations from Iraqi defectors ) that contributed to convincing the people that Saddam posed a imminent threat to US national security. A claim that we know now was so wildly exaggerated that it is laughable, if not criminal." Why does this remind me of the support for the endless lies both told and propagated to drive the War on Some Drugs and Users?

Stop Drug War From Causing Problems for Detroit (Sept. 9, 2003)
"This past summer no fewer than 17 Detroit police officers were indicted on charges of stealing drugs and money from suspected drug dealers over two years. In the high-profile Los Angeles Police Department Rampart scandal three years ago, only nine officers were ultimately prosecuted, yet the Detroit scandal barely made headlines outside of Michigan...Detroit Chief of Police Jerry Oliver was no doubt less than thrilled when the prohibition-related corruption he's warned about hit home."

Another Official Pre-9/11 Image of the WTC Being Targeted (Sept. 9, 2003)
As my birthday on the 11th rapidly approaches, I again find myself focusing on the empty skyline outside my window in Lower Manhattan, and getting angrier about both the attacks and the subsequent capitalizing on the attacks, not to mention the myriad lies told, by the murderous and deceitful Bush and crew.

Pentagon Initiates New Research into Prohibited Chemical Weapons (Sept. 9, 2003)
Knowing what I know about Agent Orange, Gulf War Illnesses, anthrax vaccinations, chemical dousing of Colombia and other points South, and a number of seriously blatant, expensive and deadly lies, exactly which government holding chemical weapons of mass destruction is it I'm supposed to be concerned about and therefore supportive of an extra $87 billion price tag for this year alone to combat?

The 12 Percent Problem (Sept. 8, 2003-Free NYTimes registration required)
Bush wants the taxpayers to shell out $87 billion more to "reconstruct" Iraq, but isn't willing to help out the growing numbers of American citizens entering real poverty here at home. What is wrong with this picture?

Ashcroft's Tour Rallies Supporters and Detractors (Sept. 8, 2003- Free NYTimes registration required)
"Protesters have shadowed his appearances at every stop, waving signs denouncing as 'fascist' Mr. Ashcroft and the law he helped create...But the event that most worried the Justice Department and helped send Mr. Ashcroft on the road, officials said, was a Congressional vote in July that got little attention at the time. By a 309 to 118 vote, the House voted to repeal a provision of the law allowing officials to execute search warrants secretly and to delay notifying the target."

Ex-Generals and Others Protest Peru Report on Rebel Conflict (Sept. 8, 2003-Free NYTimes registration required)
"The report, issued 10 days ago, laid most of the blame for the war with the Maoist rebel group Shining Path, but concluded that the armed forces were responsible for 'generalized and systematic violations of human rights.' It also found that many in Peru's powerful political class, from congressmen to Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, were indifferent to the suffering of Peru's Indians, who bore the brunt of the war deaths."

Special bureau's assignment: Stop flow of illicit funds into Mexico (Sept. 7, 2003)
"The U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement has taken up the effort to block the flow of this kind of illegal money that drives drug smuggling, the kind that could be used to further the cause of terrorism."

The Militarization of the Americas (Sept. 7, 2003)
"Spurred in part by anti-terrorism, Plan Colombia alone has funneled over $3 billion in U.S. aid to that region over the past three years, most of it military."

Drug suspect policeman arrested (Sept. 7, 2003)
"The Mexican authorities say they have arrested a former Peruvian policeman who is suspected of being a major trafficker of drugs to North America."

Courts Give Drivers Victory (Sept. 7, 2003)
"Randomly stopping motorists at checkpoints and compelling them to submit to a search for illegal drugs is a case study in such overzealousness that has been, thankfully, ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court."

Ice threatens more crime (Sept. 7, 2003)
"Crystal methamphetamine, the illegal drug also known as ice, and marijuana continue to pose the most serious drug threat to Guam, according to a recently released U.S. Department of Justice report."

Steroid bust nets over half million in value (Sept. 7, 2003)
"More than half a million dollars worth of steroids - clear liquid in small bottles and vials and pills in foil packages - filled three six-foot tabletops at the Randolph County Sheriff's Department on Friday."

Charges after police raid on store (Sept. 7, 2003)
"Businessman Jeffrey Ditchfield says he wants to help people who want cannabis for pain relief by dispensing medication from the shop - called It Beggars Belief - and stresses his merchandise is legal."

Local High Schoolers: Buying Illegal Drugs a Snap (Sept. 7, 2003)
"San Antonio high school students say marijuana and cocaine are far easier for them to get their hands on than beer. A Pride survey released this week shows illegal drug use about 6th through 12th graders rose 2% in the past year, while alcohol use held steady. The survey shows 24% of the nation's teenagers have used an illegal drug in the past year." So the billions we taxpayers have spent on the ONDCP Anti-Drug Media Campaign, and all the billions spent locking up small time users and medical marijuana patients and other illegal drug users has done nothing but increase the use of illegal drugs in this country. Good plan.

Additional Resources Needed in Drug War (Sept. 7, 2003)
Yeah, that's a good plan- more money is needed since we've seen such wonderful results already from all the money our prohibitionists have burned away already while waging their evil, destructive War on Some Drugs and Users, and we're obviously so very close to a victory now.

No action taken yet in El Rey raid case (Sept. 7, 2003)
"Nearly a year after Milwaukee police stormed two Latino grocery stores and a tortilla factory in search of antibiotic drugs, arrested five workers and outraged the Latino community, no charges have been filed."

Bush responds to pressure from his own party (Sept. 7, 2003)
"At a time of economic distress at home and growing criticism about American casualties in Iraq, Republican congressional sources said GOP House and Senate leaders made it clear to Bush that he needs to be more forthright about what the U.S. commitment in Iraq entails."

School Kids Go Begging as Military Gets Billions (Sept. 7, 2003)
"Our nation cries for leadership. Our ship of state is piloted by mean-spirited bureaucrats and their cronies who are robbing the commonwealth. They are building prisons at record rates while our schools, parks, air, water and, yes, the economy deteriorate before us."

Canna-Lympics 2004 (Sept. 7, 2003)
"TOKERS OF THE WORLD, IGNITE! It's coming at last! The fun event of the year for tokers worldwide. Nine days of innovative, friendly but fierce competition for the 57 gold medals to be won in the World Championships of cannabis-related sporting, artistic & 'social' events, held under the summer sun in the coffeeshops, bars, clubs, parks & auditoria of the spiritual home-city of toking freedom, the Big "A". And YOU can be there!"

Who's Counting the Dead in Iraq? (Sept. 7, 2003)
"Various news organizations have come up with estimates of Iraqi dead that range from 1,700 to 3,000 persons. The heavy tonnage of bombs dropped on Iraq probably raised the civilian death toll higher."

I Vote to Bring the Troops Home Now (Sept. 7, 2003)
"Your activism is needed now more than ever. The world is uniting in opposition to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. This war was built upon lies. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops were told that they would be welcomed as liberators and not occupiers. Bechtel, Halliburton and the oil and banking corporations will make billions from the takeover and privatization of Iraq."

Perry Fund Accepting Applications for 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 School Years, Providing Scholarships for Students Losing Aid Because of Drug Convictions (Sept. 6, 2003)
"The John W. Perry Fund, a project of the DRCNet Foundation in association with Students for Sensible Drug Policy, provides college scholarships to students losing federal financial aid because of drug convictions. The Fund has monies remaining for fall 2003 as well as future semesters, and eligible students are urged to apply as soon as possible."

Cheryl Miller Memorial Congressional Phone Slam Day, 9/23/03 (Sept. 6, 2003)
"Your phone calls on September 23 will coincide with a day of Capitol Hill lobbying by attendees at the Memorial Project, and will ensure those visits are taken very seriously."

22 million Americans are addicts (Sept. 6, 2003)
"Around 22 million Americans were addicted to alcohol or drugs last year, according to a federal survey designed to capture more accurate data about substance abuse...The most common addiction — with 14.9 million people — was alcohol. Another 3.9 million people were addicted to illegal drugs and the remainder were addicted to both drugs and alcohol, SAMHSA said in its new National Survey on Drug Use and Health." So the US is spending billions of dollars every year to chase some 3.9 million hard-core addicts in its War on Some Drugs and Users.

Medical Marijuana Slowly Gains Ground (Sept. 6, 2003)
"Clinical Studies Begin to Replace Emotion with Evidence."

This war on terrorism is bogus (Sept. 6, 2003)
"This is a blueprint for US world domination. But before it is dismissed as an agenda for rightwing fantasists, it is clear it provides a much better explanation of what actually happened before, during and after 9/11 than the global war on terrorism thesis. This can be seen in several ways. First, it is clear the US authorities did little or nothing to pre-empt the events of 9/11. It is known that at least 11 countries provided advance warning to the US of the 9/11 attacks."

10th Circuit: Church likely to prevail in dispute over hallucinogenic tea (Sept. 6, 2003)
"A New Mexico church was handed a small victory yesterday when a federal appeals court ruled its use of hallucinogenic tea was likely to be protected under religious-freedom laws."

Scientists Retract Story on Ecstasy Brain Damage (Sept. 6, 2003)
"Researchers horrified to find they had used a mislabeled bottle in an experiment retracted their findings on Friday, saying they had failed to show the drug Ecstasy can cause a certain pattern of brain damage." More shoddy science used to bolster shoddy prrohibitionist anti-drug claims.

US: Business Behind Bars (Sept. 6, 2003)
"Why the sudden interest? The U.S. prison population has reached 2.1 million, up from just 300,000 20 years ago. Cash-strapped state governments are struggling both to cover the annual cost of incarceration, which has swelled over that time from $3 billion to $40 billion, and to find enough work to keep all those prisoners occupied."

In Same Case, DNA Clears Convict and Finds Suspect (Sept. 6, 2003-Free NYTimes registration required)
"The charges against Mr. Ruffner open a new chapter in a case that has become a prime example of the two-edged nature of DNA testing: not only as a means of clearing the wrongly accused, but also of identifying new suspects in cold cases."

Federal judge refuses to halt state pot club raids (Sept. 5, 2003)
"U.S. Judge Jeremy Fogel of San Jose wrote he's 'acutely mindful of the suffering' patients have demonstrated, 'and of the evidence that medicinal marijuana has helped to alleviate that suffering. As it commented at oral argument, the Court finds the declarations of the Patient-Plaintiffs deeply moving.'" But he's not so mindful, nor were the patients' declarations moving enough, that he felt a need to stop the destructive federal raids.

Law Enforcement Agencies Split on Marijuana Law (Sept. 5, 2003)
"State Public Safety Commissioner Bill Tandesky says Alaska State troopers will not bust people for possessing less than four ounces of the drug in the their home, while the Anchorage Police Department will continue to do so."

State police recover burned marijuana evidence (Sept. 5, 2003)
The people who took this pot should have their heads examined by professionals, not be locked up in a jail somewhere.

The National Dance and Music Rights Alliance Rally + Music Event (Sept. 5, 2003)
"This summer, join ROAR! for a demonstration against the assault on music and a festival for our civil liberties. We will display the force and unity of our culture through performances by international artists and speakers from major industry groups and politically influential organizations."