Source: Los Angeles Times (CA) Pubdate: 21 June 1998 Contact: http://www.latimes.com/ Author: Marshall Phillips, Long Beach DRUG WAR In 1993, when Vice President Al Gore undertook his "reinventing government" assignment, I was delighted when he seemed to indicate that the Drug Enforcement Administration would (be) abolished and its functions absorbed by another agency. During 20 years of service and travel in South America,I had had many opportunities to observe the inability of the DEA to do a job described by the Economist as "Mission Impossible," because it was based on an unworkable policy of prohibition. Once again,we are asking the international community to join hands in pounding sand in a rat hole. - --- Checked-by: (trikydik)