U.S. COERCING COLOMBIA INTO BIO-WEAPONS ERROR

With the threat of terrorists using biological weapons against this
country, it's inexcusable for U.S. officials to encourage their use in
other nations.

But that's what they're doing.

Both the White House and Congress have pressured Colombia to study using a
fungus to kill coca and poppy plants - the main ingredients in cocaine and
heroin respectively - by threatening to pull $1.3 billion in anti-drug aid.
Essentially, the research is the first step in making the fungus a
biological weapon for the United States' war on drugs.

Facts about the fungus, Fusarium oxysporum, range from sketchy to scary.

It is known to kill a variety of plants all over the world and can remain
dormant in soil for decades. Scientists, however, disagree on how Fusarium
could affect human health and how dangerous it would be if used as a
widespread herbicide.

In some parts of the world, Fusarium is considered a scourge that ruins
trees and crops, such as potatoes, tomatoes, melons and corn. But in
northern Africa, agricultural experts are exploring ways to turn the fungus
into a herbicide for weeds.

Trying to rig the fungus to attack certain plants seems to beg for
unintended consequences. Even if Fusarium is released in controlled
circumstances and starts out only affecting coca and poppy plants, the
fungus could mutate and infect cash crops.

Justified outrage from the environmental community and complaints from the
Department of Environmental Protection helped scuttle Florida Drug Czar Jim
McDonough's plans to use a form of Fusarium on marijuana fields.

Florida already has had its share of "biological" solutions that have
gotten out of control - melaleuca (planted to drain the Everglades),
Australian pine (planted as a windbreak) and love bugs (bred to eat
mosquitoes). It didn't need another.

Plus, some scientists don't believe that using the fungus as a weapon would
work at all.

"I'm sure the narcos have been planning ahead. They'll probably go to
fungicides or breed their coca to be resistant to the fungus," Jonathan
Gressel, a professor of plant sciences at the Weizmann Institute of Science
in Rehovot, Israel, told The New York Times.

Pursuing Fusarium as an element in biological warfare is troubling not only
for environmental and medical reasons; it's not sound drug policy, either.

Officials should be more concerned with eliminating the demand for cocaine
and heroin. Law enforcement must address drug suppliers and growers but not
at the expense of environmental safety.

Congress and the White House would be wiser to invigorate effective drug
treatment programs and prevent people from becoming addicts.

As far as foreign policy is concerned, Colombia needs the $1.3 billion aid
package to help battle drug producers, but that assistance should come
after the United States clips the strings attached to biological weaponry.