George Bush

President Bush has unveiled a national drug control strategy aimed at reducing illegal drug use in the United States by 10 percent over the next two years, and by 25 percent by the year 2007.

Mr. Bush says the $19.2 billion plan is aimed at stopping drug use, rehabilitating drug users and disrupting the narcotics market.

Speaking Tuesday at the White House, the president says illegal drug use costs the United States almost $15 billion, and leads to the deaths of some 20,000 Americans each year.

Mr. Bush says drug sales in the United States are likely funding terrorists networks. He says 70 percent of the world's opium came from Afghanistan, and the Taleban received a significant amount of money from its sale.

The president also says $731 million will go to the Andean Counter-Drug initiative to target the supply of illegal drugs from South America. In another development, the U.S. ambassador to Peru, John Hamilton, says Washington's anti-narcotics aid to Peru will total more than $150 million for 2002.

Speaking in Lima, Mr. Hamilton says part of the increase - up from $50 million in previous years - will finance programs to help farmers develop an alternative to growing coca, the raw ingredient in cocaine.

Ambassador Hamilton says Washington hopes to announce soon when drug interdiction flights will resume in Peru. He says officials hope to make the announcement next month when Mr. Bush visits Lima.

The interdiction flights were suspended after the Peruvian Air Force mistakenly shot down a small plane flying over the Amazon in April. A U.S. missionary and her baby were killed.

Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.

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