Pubdate: Mon, 24 Sep 2001
Source: Ledger-Enquirer (GA)
Copyright: 2001 Ledger-Enquirer
Contact:  http://www.l-e-o.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/237
Author: Buster Jones
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?203 (Terrorism)

TRANSFER THE AGENTS

I read that many DEA agents were pulled off their task of watching 
the sick going in and out of West Coast medical marijuana buyers 
clubs last week and rushed to take part in the terrorist 
investigation.

To help secure our travel safety, sky marshals now have to be found, 
then, after FBI background checks are conducted, trained and put on 
our commercial airlines - a task that will take many months if new 
persons are hired. But already qualified DEA, FBI and other federal 
agents busy watching or busting marijuana users could be moved 
quickly, with the same pay and status, to permanent anti-terrorist 
jobs, including being sky marshals.

Let us ask our elected officials to use these well-qualified 
personnel against what is now clearly the greatest threat. If the $40 
billion a year being wasted at all levels of government in this 
neverending war on drugs had been - and could easily now be - 
invested in making us all more secure from real threats, we may well 
not have been caught off guard.

It is past time for our leaders to get the priorities in order.

BUSTER JONES, Albany, Ga.
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MAP posted-by: Josh