Bush Dismayed By Coca Production

By GEORGE GEDDA Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP)--Despite intensified eradication, coca production in Colombia increased by about 25 percent last year, the Bush administration said, contradicting Colombian government claims of a significant decline.

In releasing the figures Thursday, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy admitted that the results of the escalating effort were less than it had hoped for.

The gloomy assessment contrasted sharply with the announcement last week by Colombian Justice Minister Romulo Gonzalez that his figures showed a decline in coca production by about 16 percent _ from 392,000 acres to 336,000 acres--between August 2000 and December 2001.

He said that trend was a ``clear demonstration'' the U.S.-backed eradication campaign was working.

The White House statement attributed part of its finding of an increase to the inclusion of a coca growing area not surveyed in 2000 because of cloud cover.

It also said some of the coca included in the estimate was later eradicated by spray planes.

Based on satellite imagery, the coca crop was reported to be 417,430 acres last year, 82,992 more than in 2000, the statement said. Last week, the State Department said nearly twice as many acres were sprayed last year compared with 2000.

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