Texsox Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 I guess Brazil believes it truly is a war. No trials, just death sentences. BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil is set to start shooting down aircraft suspected of smuggling drugs across its jungles in 90 days, now that it issued a controversial new law on Monday after a six year delay. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's signature on the law, which was approved by Congress in 1998, has prompted Washington to warn that it could curtail anti-drug cooperation with Brazil if it concludes there are not sufficient precautions to satisfy U.S. law. Publication of the measure in the government's official diary on Monday starts a 90-day clock at the end of which it goes into effect. Brazilian Defense Minister Jose Viegas has said the law is necessary to curb constant incursions by drug traffickers from neighboring countries into Brazil. Brazil is a major transit nation and a big market itself for cocaine from Colombia and Peru. The drug trade is fueling gang violence in Brazilian cities. Brazilian officials estimate there are more than 4,000 unregistered small aircraft flying over the Amazon jungle, a remote area larger than the continental United States. The rule said an aircraft would only be shot down by Brazilian fighters as a "last resort" and a series of steps would be taken before the decision is taken to open fire. The controversy grew after Peru accidentally shot down a small plane in 2001, killing an American missionary and her child. Brazil has its own radar tracking devices and fighter jets to carry out its plans. But it would benefit from information from the United States, which currently shares with Brazil details such as departures of suspect planes. Brazilian fighter pilots would only fire at suspect aircraft if they refuse to identify themselves, do not land and fail to respond to warning shots, at which point they would be "considered hostile and subject to destruction," according to the published law. It said planes would only be shot down in areas where there are no population centers and where there are "routes presumably used by drug traffickers." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldmember Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 sure. why not. looks like they're gonna take some good precautions to make sure they don't accidently shoot down wrong planes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Tell me if I am wrong here, but isn't Brazil the country where a huge piece of the country is basically particianed off into rebel control? I would call that a war myself, and I can understand the need to do something there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted July 20, 2004 Author Share Posted July 20, 2004 sure. why not. looks like they're gonna take some good precautions to make sure they don't accidently shoot down wrong planes... We just had a Governor flying into Washington whose plane could not communicate. If for only a moment, Gov. Ernie Fletcher's arrival in Washington, D.C., yesterday upstaged the ceremony for President Reagan. A Kentucky State Police airplane carrying Fletcher triggered an evacuation of the Capitol about 4:15 p.m. after a piece of equipment failed, making the aircraft electronically unidentifiable to air traffic controllers, officials said. Once controllers established radio contact with the plane, the alarm was called off — but not before two airborne F-15 fighter jets were diverted to intercept Fletcher. "It's embarrassing. It also could be a lot worse," Fletcher's communications director, Doug Hogan, said in Frankfort last evening. "The plane landed safely." Brazil shot down a missionary family in 2001 with no ties to drugs. Would you fly a plane if you knew a communications failure could be a death sentence? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldmember Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 We just had a Governor flying into Washington whose plane could not communicate. Brazil shot down a missionary family in 2001 with no ties to drugs. Would you fly a plane if you knew a communications failure could be a death sentence? they still have two more oppurtunities after a communication failure... Brazilian fighter pilots would only fire at suspect aircraft if they refuse to identify themselves, do not land and fail to respond to warning shots, at which point they would be "considered hostile and subject to destruction," according to the published law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Tell me if I am wrong here, but isn't Brazil the country where a huge piece of the country is basically particianed off into rebel control? I would call that a war myself, and I can understand the need to do something there. Nevermind, I was thinking of Columbia. Sorry about that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted July 20, 2004 Author Share Posted July 20, 2004 they still have two more oppurtunities after a communication failure... Any thoughts if they had hostages on the planes? Seems like if I was a smuggler, I would kidnap some innocents to use as human shields. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreye Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Nevermind, I was thinking of Columbia. Sorry about that... Oh yeah, Brown people are all the same, huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted July 20, 2004 Author Share Posted July 20, 2004 Nevermind, I was thinking of Canada. Sorry about that... Trouble with the keyboard today, that's a big difference . . . OMG, are you thinking about work!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUKE_CLEVELAND Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 That's what we should be doing here. Not to mention sinking drug laden boats, using special operations forces to find and napalm laden jets to destroy coca fields in Columbia and elsewhere, manditory death sentences for drug dealers and smugglers and manditory rehab stays for those caught using drugs. Now that's a war on drugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted July 21, 2004 Author Share Posted July 21, 2004 That's what we should be doing here. Not to mention sinking drug laden boats, using special operations forces to find and napalm laden jets to destroy coca fields in Columbia and elsewhere, manditory death sentences for drug dealers and smugglers and manditory rehab stays for those caught using drugs. Now that's a war on drugs. And Mexico should send troops into US cities, gather up all the users who create the demand, and send them to Mexican jails. Of course law enforcement in the US should be allowed to shoot any suspected dealer or user. Then we have a war on drugs. If we kill all the users there will be no dealers or smugglers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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