From: [C--a--r] at [IslandNet.com] (Matt Elrod)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs,rec.drugs.cannabis
Subject: In the news
Date: 17 Jul 1996 15:31:24 -0700

More than 10 aides or applicants in President Clinton's White House had
illicit drug histories that concerned the Secret Service, a supervisor
testified in Congress today. ``The only thing I can recall is that it
was more than 10,'' Secret Service Special Agent Arnold Cole testified
when asked if there were 18 or 20 such cases. When asked if the Secret
Service raised concerns that had to be answered before the aides or
applicants could get White House passes, Cole replied: ``That is
correct.'' The White House had no immediate comment.

===========

President Clinton has announced an election-year program to get 50,000
cellular phones to community crime watch groups. He says it will help
level the playing field with criminals. ``When drug dealers wear pagers,
and gang members have cell phones, I think it's time we put high
technology on the side of law and order,'' Clinton said in announcing
the plan. The phones are being donated by regional cell phone companies
that are members of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry
Association.

===========

Authorities say 15 New York police officers have been charged with
income tax evasion in a scheme in which some wrote to the IRS claiming
the government had no right to tax them. U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White
says the fact that the defendants are police officers sworn to uphold
the law makes the charges all the more galling and offensive. White says
the scheme was led by two officers who are charged with conspiring from
1992 until last month to recruit and advise other police officers
against paying federal income taxes. Some of the officers, whose
salaries are paid with tax money, claimed they do not recognize the
United States as a legal entity.

===========

The U.S. decision to revoke Colombian President Ernesto Samper's visa
may be helping, not hurting, Samper's politicial viability.

Reuters reported July 12 that a poll finds that most Colombians are
offended by the U.S. decision. Also, the usually conservative El
Espectador newspaper calle the visa revocation "an outrage."

"It doesn't matter if the U.S. State Department says this is a personal
problem with Samper and has nothing to do with the Colombian people," El
Espectador said. "The country feels wounded, humiliated and like a new
victim of intervention in apparently independent countries that are
subject nonetheless t the law of the strongest."

The paper said that 65 percent of poll responsdents rejected the move
against Samper, while 68 percent said ther U.S. was intervening in
Colombia's internal affairs.

Samper intends to travel to New York in September to address the United
Nations even if he does not have a visa, government officials said.

===========

The U.S. and Mexico will jointly fight the war on drug trafficking,
according t Gen. Barry McCaffrey, director of the Office of National
Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

Reuters reported July 11 that McCaffrey said that the U.S. will give
Mexico training, information and equipment to fight drugs from flowing
over the border "The program is imperative because the threat to Mexican
and U.S. sovereignty i enormous," said McCaffrey. "This is something
neither one of us can do on our own."

McCaffrey said a five-year plan would be developed with Mexican
officials. "These well-organized narco-traffickers are posing a threat
to democratic institutions on both sides of the border," McCaffrey said.
"If we don't confront them together we will lose our freedom."

===========

An Illinois school teacher  is appealing to Gov. Jim Edgar to issue him
a pardon for a 22-year-old marijuana offense. Michael Maynard was fired
from his teachin job after the drug conviction came to light.

UPI reported July 12 that Maynard, now 42, was fined $100 on a
misdemeanor marijuana possession charge in 1974. He was fired when a
background check by Bloom Township High School in Chicago Heights
unearthed records of Maynard's guilty plea. "I did use it," said
Maynard. "My unfortunate thing was I got caught. That was a mistake. I'm
sorry it happened. I don't do drugs now. I haven't done drugs in more
than 20 years. I am not a drug user, so therefore I should be in the
classroom."

A review board will make its recommendation to Edgar on Maynard's
petition in about two weeks. Maynard's employer said he would have to
have his record expunged and obtain a pardon before it considers
rehiring him.