Volume I, Issue No. 2

February 20 and February 21, 1993
Compiled by Paul Stanford

CLINTON URGES U.S.-CENTRAL AMERICAN UNITY IN DRUG WAR
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BELIZE CITY, Belize (Reuter) -- President Bill Clinton called on Saturday for unity and cooperation with Central American countries in the fight against drugs.
In a letter to five Central American leaders attending a drug summit here, Clinton said, "Only working together -- sharing information and knowledge, cooperating in the application of the law and working to reduce demand -- can our countries effectively combat this threat."
Clinton offered no specifics in his letter, but has said previously that, in contrast to the Bush administration's focus on eradicating drug supplies, he would put more emphasis on reducing demand.
The drug summit, which began on Friday in this former British colony, was attended by the leaders of Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama and Honduras.
They signed a declaration on Saturday calling for a joint commission, to be created in the next 90 days, to coordinate the region's battle against the growing drug plague.
According to regional law enforcement agencies, Central America has become a major transit point for drugs shipped to the United States and Europe. Estimates are that at least 300 tonnes of cocaine and thousands of tonnes of marijuana are shipped annually through the region.
The declaration made no mention of the need for economic aid to combat drug-trafficking, but said that poverty in the region must be eradicated to mount an effective campaign.
Belize Prime Minister George Price told reporters: "There's a limit to what we can do alone...Together, we can coordinate efforts."
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POLICE QUESTION AMERICAN PROFESSOR OVER MARIJUANA
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OSAKA, Japan (UPI) -- Police and customs officials have questioned a former American guest professor at the University of Kyoto over a package mailed to him containing marijuana, officials said Sunday.
Police seized five marijuana cigarettes from the Kyoto home of Michael Moerman on Jan. 29.
Customs officials said they will file a complaint with the Osaka District Public Prosecutor's Office against Moerman, 58, a professor of anthropology at the University of California who was working at the University of Kyoto's research institute for cultural sciences.
The marijuana was mailed from Los Angeles inside a hollowed-out book, police said. Moerman told them he used to smoke marijuana in the United States and had asked a friend to mail some to him.
Japanese customs officials inspected mail addressed to Moerman at the Osaka Central Post office and found 27.5 grams of vinyl-wrapped marijuana with a street value of $960 in a hollow inside the book.
Moerman was on a one-year visit to the university in Japan's ancient capital and was to have continued his studies until March, but resigned as guest professor early this month.

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