U.S.-EU TROIKA MEETING GENERATES WIDE-RANGING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 BRUSSELS 003530

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR INL/FO, INL/PC, EUR/ERA, L/LEI
JUSTICE FOR CRIMINAL DIVISION, OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL
AFFAIRS;
DIR ONDCP FOR OSR;
DEA HQS FOR OC, OE, SOD;
ROME FOR DCM, POL, DEA;
KABUL FOR DCM, POL, NAS, DEA;

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PGOV PREL SNAR EU
SUBJECT: U.S.-EU TROIKA MEETING GENERATES WIDE-RANGING
DISCUSSION OF DRUG ISSUES

REF: BRUSSELS 2415 (NOTAL)

BRUSSELS 00003530 001.2 OF 010


--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. (SBU) Officials from the United States and the European
Union (EU) engaged in a wide-ranging discussion of drug
issues at a US-EU Troika Meeting in Brussels on November 14.
The U.S. Delegation, led by Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS)
Christy McCampbell of the International Narcotics and Law
Enforcement Affairs (INL) Bureau, encouraged greater EU
involvement in all aspects of couter-drug and rule of law
efforts in Afghanistn. The U.S. also sought clarification
of the terms of reference for an EU-funded study on
traditional coca use in Bolivia and encouraged interaction
with Venezuela to boost efforts against drugs transiting that
country. The EU, led by International Political
Organizations Head of Division Pedro Monteiro of the
Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed overall
agreement with U.S. counter-drug objectives, including
greater focus on incentives and disincentives to reduce opium
cultivation in Afghanistan. Representatives of the
Commission and EU Member States repeated long-standing EU
opposition to the use of spray eradication. The Commission
remained non-committal on the idea of seeking extradition of
selected, high-value drug traffickers from Afghanistan,
noting that individual Member States would need to determine
whether their national laws permitted such measures.
Implementation of the United Nations General Assembly Special
Session (UNGASS) Ten-Year Review and U.S. Drug Kingpins Act
also generated lively discussions. END SUMMARY.

--------------
TROIKA MEETING ON DRUG ISSUES
--------------


2. (U) U.S. and EU officials met November 14 in Brussels in
the informal "troika" format to discuss drug developments and
issues of mutual interest. The U.S. Delegation included INL
DAS Christy McCampbell, Mission INL Counselor James McAnulty,
Mission Justice Counselor Mary Lee Warren, Mission Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) Assistant Regional Director
Thomas Scarantino, INL Policy Coordination Acting Office
Director John Bargeron, INL Asia, Africa, and Europe Foreign
Affairs Officer Elizabeth Carroll, and Office of National
Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Official Richard Baum. The EU
Delegation included Head of Division Monteiro, Justice and
Home Affairs (JHA) Counselor Paulo Cunha Alves of the
Portuguese Permanent Representation in Brussels, Head of Unit
Johannes Vos of the Council Secretariat, Drugs Coordination
Head of Unit Carel Edwards of the European Commission, Drugs
Coordination Deputy Head of Unit Francisco Bataller of the
Commission, Precursor Chemicals Administrator Suzanne
Stauffer of the Commission, and representatives from 16 EU
Member States, the European Police Office (EUROPOL),and the
European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction
(EMCDDA).

-------------- ---
COUNTER-NARCOTICS AND RULE OF LAW IN AFGHANISTAN
-------------- ---

COUNTER-NARCOTICS STRATEGY
--------------


3. (U) After welcoming remarks and introductions on both
sides, DAS McCampbell briefed on the updated U.S.

BRUSSELS 00003530 002.2 OF 010


counter-narcotics strategy in Afghanistan. She expressed
U.S. concern over the large increase in cultivation over the
past season, noting that cultivation reflected a
"north-south" divide in the country based on stronger
security and political will in the north. The good news is
that the number of poppy-free provinces had increased from
six to thirteen. Even so, the processing of opium into
heroin and other products permeates the country, even in
areas free of cultivation.


4. (U) DAS McCampbell encouraged EU partners to become more
involved in all aspects of the strategy, including the five
pillars which the U.S. supports. Eradication until now has
involved negotiations with local leaders to identify fields
to be targeted and has experienced only limited success. The
U.S. plans to proceed on "non-negotiated" programs that will
target wealthy farmers and corrupt officials. Interdiction
funding will increase from 137 million dollars last year to
355 million dollars this year, with focus on higher-level
targets. DEA officials are working with Afghanistan Sensitive
Investigative Units (SIUs) to gather evidence, including
through court-ordered wiretaps.


5. (SBU) Director Bargeron elaborated by explaining that the
U.S. had refined its strategy, based on lessons learned, and
wanted to focus on promoting both incentives and
disincentives for behavior by farmers. This included
increased funding for the Good Performers Fund and greater
emphasis on and funding for interdiction operations focused
on taking down high-level targets. He invited the Europeans
to consider contributing to the Good Performers' Initiative.
The U.S. favored a spray eradication program but would only
implement one if the Afghan Government agrees. The U.S. is
aware that Taliban insurgents could exploit a spray program
if not implemented properly. Noting that some allies oppose
aerial spraying, he said the U.S. seeks EU help in
identifying new ideas for "non-negotiated" eradication. He
also stressed the importance of doing a better job in
coordinating public information campaigns by
counter-narcotics and counter-insurgency forces and asked for
EU help on this.

RULE OF LAW EFFORTS
--------------


6. (SBU) Justice Counselor Warren cited progress on rule of
law efforts in Afghanistan as a "good news" story for
Afghanistan. With the help of the U.S. and other partners,
particularly the UK. and Norway, the Afghanistan Government
has established fledgling criminal justice institutions to
promote rule of law in the country. Progress has occurred in
the capital, but officials must extend their reach out to the
provinces. The Attorney General has embarked on an
anti-corruption campaign, including announcing a "jihad"
against corruption. Investigators, prosecutors, and judges
operate through the Criminal Justice Task Force and Central
Narcotics Tribunal in Kabul with exclusive jurisdiction over
handling drug offenses. More than 500 successful
prosecutions occurred in past year for crimes involving drug
trafficking and corruption. .


7. (SBU) As a complement to these efforts, Afghanistan
extradited one major drug trafficker to the United States
under provisions of the 1988 Vienna Convention against Drugs
and Psychotropic Substances. Another three individuals
surrendered voluntarily in lieu of formal extradition
proceedings and continued incarceration in Afghan prisons.
Warren encouraged colleagues from EU Member States to seek

BRUSSELS 00003530 003.2 OF 010


the extradition of traffickers in appropriate cases who have
caused major harm to their societies. The primary U.S.
objective remained capacity building but selected
extraditions could promote justice in those cases that the
Afghanistan criminal justice system could not yet handle.

PARIS PACT
--------------


8. (U) INL Foreign Affairs Officer Carroll provided a
read-out from a recent Paris Pact meeting in Kabul. She
encouraged greater focus on China as a source of precursor
chemicals for Afghanistan, noting the lack of seizures of
acetic anhydride from that country. The United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has proposed five pilot
projects for countries east of the Black Sea that merit
international support.

EU: SUPPORT FOR OVERALL APPROACH, OPPOSE SPRAY ERADICATION
-------------- --------------


9. (SBU) Commission Deputy Head of Unit Bataller expressed
overall EU agreement with "many" ideas from the U.S., adding
that some proposals required further discussion He
reiterated long-standing EU opposition to the use of spray
eradication, expressing the desire to develop alternatives
that would make "non-negotiated" manual eradication more
effective. Nonetheless, he agreed that greater focus should
be devoted towards interdiction. Commission officials always
remained concerned about the negative impact of eradication,
particularly in the short term. Eradication should target
large farmers controlled by warlords. Bataller described
extradition as an "interesting idea," but noted that
individual Member States would need to determine whether
their national laws permitted such measures. He agreed on
the need for greater coordination between counter-narcotics
and counter-insurgency efforts, acknowledging the existence
of a close "alliance" among insurgents, warlords, and drug
traffickers. He stated EU broad support for the overall
counter-narcotics strategy, adding that much work and many
challenges remained ahead to promote greater Afghanistan
capabilities in a difficult environment. .


10. (SBU) Bataller said he viewed Paris Pact efforts in a
"less positive" way than his colleagues from Member States.
He acknowledged the need for greater coordination among
countries in the region, particularly among Afghanistan,
Pakistan, and Iran. UK Representative Leslie Pallet
expressed support for the "reinforced approach" of the U.S.
in Afghanistan, including a better balance between "sticks
and carrots," which included more funding for interdiction
and the Good Performers Fund. The international community
must reward good behavior and punish bad behavior.
Developing an effective criminal justice system would be key
-- there was no point in developing good policing, if
authorities could not effectively prosecute and punish
criminals. The German Representative described many elements
f the new strategy as "very promising," especialy the Good
Performers initiative. He lamentd reports of increased
cultivation of cannabi in poppy-free provinces and advocated
zero tlerance of any drug cultivation. Otherwise, critics
would label the program as the "Good Poppy Initiative." The
main difficulty with eradication was that it targeted opium
farmers rather than going after those who converted opium
into heroin and supplied precursor chemicals. He understood
that processing of opium into heroin had declined lately in
Afghanistan, which he attributed to lesser availability of
precursor chemicals. Efforts should target interdiction of

BRUSSELS 00003530 004.2 OF 010


precursors and destruction of drug laboratories. Another
representative asked for clarification of U.S, views on ISAF
support of counter-drug efforts.


11. (SBU) DAS McCampbell agreed on the need to eliminate all
drug crops, including both opium poppy and marijuana.
Bargeron noted that, under its operations plan, ISAF forces
could provide certain types of support to counter-drug
operations, including provision of intelligence information.
Law enforcement personnel would do the actual seizures and
destruction of laboratories. Soldiers should not get
involved directly. Scarantino added that the U.S. side was
not asking for anything more than what already existed in the
ISAF operations plan. Strong links existed between
insurgents and drug trafficking. Counter-drug efforts
promoted counterinsurgency objectives. Bargeron agreed on the
need to tackle the drug issue from all angles, including
control of precursor chemicals. Eradication had a
disproportionate impact on farmers, and the U.S. promoted
alternative development as a way to allow farmers to grow
licit crops. Considerable opium production now occurred in
Helmand province, where, ironically, eradication could have
the greatest impact on wealthy farmers and Taliban
insurgents. The Dutch representative asked for reasons
behind the U.S. change in policy regarding negotiated
eradication. The Dutch effort in Oruzgan involved close
coordination with the governors, because, without local
support, longer-term results would not be possible. Bargeron
explained that negotiated eradication worked well in the
north, but not in the south, which lacked political will.
INL experiences in other countries indicated that successful
elimination of drug crops only occurred after a period of
time using a multi-pronged approach that included forced
eradication.

--------------
WESTERN HEMISPHERE
--------------

EU COUNTER-DRUG ASSISTANCE
--------------


12. (U) Bataller noted that, as of December 2005, the
Commission had allocated 235 million euros (note: over 330
million U.S. dollars at current exchange rates) in funding
for projects in Latin America, primarily involving
alternative development projects. Some funding went towards
law enforcement, border cooperation, and control of precursor
chemicals as well. Most projects involved bilateral ones
between the Commission and individual nations. The Andean
region received the lion's share of the funding -- some 220
million euros. The Commission also supported three regional
projects -- (1) promoting intelligence sharing via a network
of liaison officers (led by the UK),(2) encouraging
intelligence sharing between South America and six African
nations (implemented by UNODC),and (3) promoting demand
reduction (implemented by CICAD). Bataller acknowledged that
intelligence sharing between South America and Africa
remained a work in progress, given limited
intelligence-gathering capacity in Africa.

EU-FUNDED STUDY ON USES OF COCA LEAF IN BOLIVIA
-------------- --


13. (SBU) Commission Desk Officer Murray provided an update
on the status of the EU-funded study in Bolivia on
traditional demand for coca leaf. She provided some of the
history, noting that, in 2004, the then Bolivian Government

BRUSSELS 00003530 005.2 OF 010


had reached agreement with coca growers on the idea of such a
study. The EU had also consulted with international
partners, including the U.S., which encouraged funding for a
study on traditional uses. A long interlude occurred without
final agreement on the terms of reference (TORs). After the
election of Evo Morales, the Bolivian Government asked to
review the TORs. Finally, in June 2007, the Commission and
the Bolivian Government agreed on the TORs for the project,
which would include a group of eight studies or analyses
within an integrated framework. Overall funding would amount
to one million Euros. She cautioned that the project should
not be seen as an "EU study" or a "Commission study" but
rather as a "Bolivian Government study" to be funded by the
Commission. The project would involve a mix of quantitative
and qualitative analyses, including some case studies.
Analyses would examine household demand, economic costs,
existing markets, and new consumers within the internal
market of Bolivia. A nine-person Committee, including a
UNODC representative, would oversee implementation of the
study. Delays had occurred, initially owing to internal
divisions within Bolivia and then to the change in
government. She anticipated that the signing of the
financing agreement would occur by the end of the month.


14. (SBU) DAS McCampbell expressed strong U.S. concern over
the possible scope of the study, which may go beyond analysis
of the traditional uses of coca leaf. The U.S. Embassy in La
Paz had received and translated a document that seemed to
include many aspects of commercialization and
industrialization, including analysis of the structure of the
current and future markets and potential demand generated by
new consumers. Such language would seem to support Bolivian
efforts to legalize use of the coca leaf beyond current
traditional uses. Such actions would run counter to
provisions of the 1988 UN Convention Against Drugs. The U.S.
side heard that the Commission may be paying for certain
aspects, while the Bolivian Government would pay for others.
DAS McCampbell suggested a separate meeting or conference
call soon to clarify the issue.


15. (SBU) Murray noted that she had not seen the document to
which DAS McCampbell referred. So, she could not comment
authoritatively. She remarked that some language, including
references to potential demand generated by new consumers,
sounded similar to language in the EU-funded study.
Certainly, she insisted, the Commission would not finance
anything to do with commercialization and industrialization.
That said, the Commission could not control other studies
funded by the Bolivian Government itself, but the UNODC would
be among the Committee members overseeing the study. She
expressed hope that the Commission could alleviate U.S.
concerns. DAS McCampbell promised to forward a copy of the
document obtained by the U.S. Embassy to Murray for
comparison. Bargeon noted that the document that they had
received was only a portion of a larger paper and lacked a
title. So, it was unclear how it fit into the overall terms
of reference. Murray reviewed the earlier consultation that
her Commission colleagues had with U.S. officials on funding
the study. DAS McCampbell said she understood, but she did
not want to play into the hands of the current Bolivian
Government, which seemed intent on building an economy based
on coca leaf and did not seem concerned about transformation
of coca leaf into cocaine. The U.S. remained greatly
concerned about coca leaf leaving Bolivia in the form of
cocaine.

THE "MERIDA INITIATIVE"
--------------

BRUSSELS 00003530 006.2 OF 010




16. (U) DAS McCampbell provided an overview of the recently
announced "Merida Initiative that would involve expenditure
of 1.4 billion U.S. dollars on counter-drug, security, and
anti-gang projects. She described the program as an
"unprecedented" step resulting from a meeting between the
U.S. and Mexican Presidents in Merida last March. Both
Presidents agreed to work as partners against drug
trafficking and transnational crimes. In the first year,
assuming Congressional approval, 500 million would go towards
projects in Mexico and 50 million towards projects in Central
America. The USG sent a team to Mexico to examine upgrades
to existing programs on border security, detection and
monitoring of drug movements, provision of equipment, and
training of police and prosecutors, and support for
non-gvernmental organizations involved in demand redution
initiatives. Commodities to be provided to Mexican
authorities will include aircraft, helicopters, computer and
communications equipment, and non-intrusive inspection
equipment. Central American programs will focus on drug
trafficking and community action programs against gangs. DAS
McCampbell emphasized that the "Merida Initiative" is not a
repeat of Plan Colombia and certainly will not involve
deployment of U.S. troops to Mexico.


17. (U) Justice Counselor noted that Mexican Attorney General
Eduardo Medina Mora and his Central American colleagues had
specifically requested a regional approach in fighting drug
trafficking. Otherwise, traffickers would continue to
circumvent measures put into place. She also recalled a
"watershed" moment in the U.S.-Mexican relations when Mexican
President Felipe Calderon had agreed to extradite 19 major
fugitives, including four or five drug kingpins, to the
United States. ONDCP Analyst Baum added that the United
States and Mexico had enjoyed a long, close partnership on
fighting drugs. Interdiction efforts along the U.S.-Mexico
border appeared to have transformed the U.S. cocaine market,
at least temporarily, with cocaine prices rising 44 percent
and supply dropping 15 percent. U.S. authorities also
observed "sporadic shortages" of cocaine in 37 U.S. cities.
INL Officer Carroll observed that these figures seemed to
indicate that counter-drug efforts had produced a
"disturbance" in the U.S. drug market, but the situation
merited further monitoring.

COCAINE FLOWS TO EUROPE FROM SOUTH AMERICA
--------------


18. (SBU) Mission DEA Representative Scarantino said the
movement of an estimated 220 metric tons of cocaine via
Venezuela exerted a major impact on Europe and West Africa.
Colombian drug traffickers had become involved in smuggling
cocaine through Venezuela and Brazil to West Africa,
particularly to Mauritania and Senegal. Traffickers relied
not only on maritime conveyances, but use of aircraft
modified to carry large loads over long distances. Citing
figures from Joint Inter-Agency Task Force - South
(JIATF-South),DAS McCampbell emphasized the increasing
amounts of cocaine smuggled from Venezuela to Hispaniola
(Haiti and Dominican Republic) since 2003. Currently, formal
counter-narcotics cooperation by Venezuela with both the U.S.
and Colombia remained limited, and did not include sharing of
drug-related intelligence. She appealed to EU countries with
better relations with Venezuela to work towards greater
cooperation on stemming the flow of drugs. Monteiro, while
noting that Portugal had a Drug Liaison Officer in Caracas,
remarked that he did not foresee any improvement soon of
counter-drug efforts or the quality of police in Venezuela.

BRUSSELS 00003530 007.2 OF 010


The Spanish representative acknowledged the problem of drugs
entering his country via the south from Africa. The UK
Representative shared U.S. analysis of the situation,
including use of larger aircraft to transport drugs. While
the UK enjoyed a slightly better relationship with Venezuela,
she cautioned that any counter-drug cooperation would need to
proceed cautiously, perhaps with involvement of the Maritime
Analysis and Operations Center. The Dutch representative
agreed, adding that getting drug information from Venezuelan
officials, even with the assignment of a DLO in Caracas since
November, remained difficult. EUROPOL agreed with the
observation on the increase in suspicious flights from
Venezuela to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, noting that
many drug seizures in Europe could be linked to Venezuela.
Monteiro cited some cooperation on screening cargo
containers, given Venezuela's large volume of trade with
Portugal. DAS McCampbell said the U.S. had invested in
inspection equipment at one of Venezuela's ports, but
authorities there did not use the equipment.

--------------
WEST AFRICA
--------------

MAOC NOW OPERATIONAL
--------------


19. (U) Monteiro briefed on operations at the MAOC, which now
included seven EU Member States -- France, Spain, Ireland,
the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Portugal. To
date, MAOC had already conducted 27 operations, including 8
maritime events, that resulted in the seizure of some 20 tons
of cocaine. He compared MAOC's role to that of JIATF South,
while noting differences in composition. He described MAOC
as primarily a law enforcement center with some military
support. Monteiro said MAOC enjoyed good cooperation with
JIATF-South, whose officials played an "instrumental" role in
the establishment of this organization. The Center itself
serves mainly as a fusion center for intelligence and has no
significant costs. It remains open to membership from
additional EU nations. Currently, MAOC focuses primarily on
the Atlantic and West Africa. DAS McCampbell noted that she
had met with the prospective MAOC Director after attending
the International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC) in
Madrid earlier this year. Monteiro noted that MAOC was now
fully operational and inquired how it might interact with the
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). INL Officer Carroll noted
that AFRICOM was in the process of establishing its structure
and for the moment remained based out of Stuttgart. She
noted that the Southeast Europe Cooperation Initiative (SECI)
Center and Central Asia Regional Information Coordination
Center (CARICC) could also become valuable partners for MAOC.
Monteiro said MAOC could expand its focus into the
Mediterranean, Head of Unit Edwards declared that, with MAOC
up and running, the new entity represented a success for the
EU, which had a lengthy coastline to patrol. Along with
MAOC, the Baltic Sea Task Force, European Maritime Security
Task Force, and Black Sea Cooperation Forum served as
building blocks for a security "ring" around the EU based on
intelligence-sharing.

CONFERENCES FOCUSING ON AFRICA
--------------


20. (U) DEA Representative Scarantino noted that IDEC
participants had expressed concern over the lack of
capabilities and infrastructure in most African nations to
curb drug trafficking. The international community needed to

BRUSSELS 00003530 008.2 OF 010


address this issue with a multilateral, unified approach.
The European Command and INL planned to organize a conference
in early 2008. Monteiro invited U.S. support for
transforming general conferences into operational ones. DAS
McCampbell expressed support for this idea. Monteiro
promised to forward contact information on a future
EU-sponsored conference through the INL Counselor.

--------------
PRECURSOR CHEMICALS
--------------

21, (U) DAS McCampbell characterized the U.S.-EU partnership
on control of precursor chemicals as "extremely productive."
Operational Crystal Flow had a real impact, with seizures of
53 tons of precursor chemicals in 65 countries. Such efforts
have had a significant impact on methamphetamine price and
purity in the U.S., resulting in an increase in price of 73
percent and a drop in purity of 31 percent. Moreover, the
Mexican Government had pledged to ban the import of all
ephedrine and pseudo-ephedrine soon. Bargeron described the
role of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) as
very important in controlling precursors. Even so, 80
countries, including three EU member states, had not yet
reported their estimated needs and production of such
substances. Diversion could occur through these
non-reporting states, especially given the large amount of
transshipment occurring through countries not considered to
be major producers or importers. He said the U.S. was
considering conducting demarches with the countries that had
not yet reported and suggested that the EU consider doing the
same. Perhaps, the U.S. and the EU could coordinate on the
timing of these demarches or even consider joint demarches
where appropriate.


22. (U) Bargeron also described reporting requirements
instituted by the U.S. Congress under the Combat
Methamphetamine Act to identify the top five foreign
countries that produced and imported pseudo-ephedrine and
ephedrine, respectively, and to certify compliance with
precursor control controls. He assured EU colleagues that
the Act was not intended as a "punitive" measure for
countries on the lists that implemented effective controls.
He added that the U.S. had increased its funding for the INCB
to help in carrying out its new mission.


23. (U) Commission Administrator Stauffer asserted that the
EU had experienced "less pronounced" problems than the U.S.
with methamphetamine use, but that the situation merited
continued vigilance. She expressed agreement with U.S. views
on the important role played by INCB and on the requirement
for countries to estimate legitimate needs. Stauffer
expressed some concern, however, about the "certification"
requirement under the Combat Meth Act, given the presence of
two EU member states on the lists. Bargeron noted that no
country had ben decertified, and he could not envision a
siuation where an EU Member State would be decertified.
Moreover, the U.S. identified itself in the text of the
report to Congress as the largest importer of such
substances. Stauffer also urged continued attention to
non-controlled substances. An experts meeting in December
would examine private sector cooperation as well.

-------------- --------------
UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPECIAL SESSION REVIEW
-------------- --------------


24. (SBU) Referring to the upcoming UNGASS Ten-Year review,

BRUSSELS 00003530 009.2 OF 010


Monteiro said the thematic debate at the March 2008
Commission on Narcotics Drugs (CND) would examine the issue
of when to stop collecting data and to start negotiating the
text of the report. He said that all EU Member States
supported the principles of a balanced approach and shared
responsibility. DAS McCampbell cautioned against getting
overly focused on the collection of data for the report's
findings. INL Counselor noted that a three-way digital video
conference (DVC) in early 2007 had proven quite useful in
coordinating actions before the last CND session; he
suggested consideration of another DVC before the March CND.
INL Officer Bargeron noted that focus on implementation of
the three Drug Conventions would be critical. He suggested
that the U.S. and EU share concepts or ideas that may later
form the basis of the UNGASS review report. ONDCP Officer
Baum noted that the U.S. would likely propose a resolution at
the upcoming CND session that would outline six measures that
have proven useful in U.S. demand reduction efforts and could
prove instructive to other nation's efforts. Monteiro said
the EU took the UNGASS Review exercise seriously and had no
interest in changing the global Drug Conventions. He agreed
with the suggestion to review ideas before preparing the
formal resolutions.

--------------
U.S. DRUG SCREENING PROGRAM
--------------


25. (U) During the working luncheon, ONDCP Official Baum
briefed on use of a screening mechanism used in the U.S.
health care system to identify abusers of drugs who would
benefit from counseling and treatment. Monteiro described
the idea as "interesting," given the generally lengthy
interval that occurred between the start of drug use and the
abuser's request for voluntary treatment. The EMCDDA
Representative inquired about the scope of the program and
safeguards to protect personal freedoms. Baum explained that
screening programs in the military and schools had mechanisms
to protect privacy rights. Drug courts also used incentives
in sentencing guidelines to encourage drug abusers to undergo
treatment.

--------------
U.S. DRUG KINGPIN ACT
--------------


26. (U) DAS McCampbell, Counselor Warren, and DEA Official
Scarantino explained the great utility of the U.S. Drug
Kingpin Act in preventing access by drug kingpins and their
families to the U.S. financial system. Such measures not
only resulted in forfeiture of over 2.1 billion dollars in
assets since the Act's inception in 1999, but in undercutting
the ability of drug traffickers to conduct their illicit
operations, including money laundering and arranging of
transport services. DAS McCampbell invited the EU to provide
names for the U.S. to consider in its system of designations.
Head of Unit Edwards inquired whether such designations
resulted from court convictions for from mere suspicions
Warren explained that names of kingpins, associates, and
relatives added to the designation lists have undergone
thorough vetting within the U.S. executive branch. INL
Counselor, noting EU concerns over safeguards, inquired
whether any persons had successfully challenged their
designations. Counselor Warren cited one case in which a
person (a step-child to a kingpin) had successfully gained
removal of her name. Head of Unit Edwards explained that the
EU legal system worked differently and that any seizure of
assets would require a court order. He added, however, that

BRUSSELS 00003530 010.2 OF 010


the name of anyone charged in the court of an EU Member State
with a serious drug offense would become a matter of public
record. Counselor Warren clarified that the U.S. Kingpin Act
permitted the designation of individuals who could no longer
gain access to the U.S. financial system, but that the actual
taking of property would require a court decision in the U.S.
as well.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


27. (SBU) The latest meeting of the U.S.-EU Troika on Drug
Issues again provided a valuable opportunity for senior U.S.
and EU officials to engage on drug issues and trends of
mutual interest. Lively, wide-ranging discussions confirmed
transatlantic convergence on many drug issues, with the
notable exception of spray eradication in Afghanistan. The
EU remained largely non-committal on the idea of extradition,
leaving this initiative to the discretion of individual
Member States. The Commission promised to examine more
closely the terms of reference for the EU-funded study in
Bolivia. END COMMENT.


28. (U) The INL Bureau cleared on this telegram.

MURRAY
.