U.S. COUNTER-DRUG AID EFFECTIVE

WASHINGTON - Declaring a key victory, U.S. drug czar John Walters on
Thursday said cocaine has become more expensive and less pure on U.S.
streets this year -- the first sign that billions of dollars in
counter-drug aid to Colombia may be having an impact.

Walters' aides said the new data reverses three years of steadily
declining cocaine prices, which had perplexed policymakers as
Washington poured more than $4 billion into Colombia since 2000 as
part of an effort to increase Bogota's ability to curb drug
production and trafficking.