Drug Plane Shootdowns

Every once in a while a nation plays with the idea of just shooting down drug-smuggling planes. No chases, no arrests, certainly no trials— just shoot 'em down.

Missionary plane mistakenly shot down

It is Brazil's turn to try it out. And please don't worry that now and then a non-drug plane might be blasted out of the Brazilian sky by accident. It couldn't happen. Well, almost couldn't happen. Their Defense Minister Jose Viegas says the chance of destroying a plane with innocent people inside is, in his words, "practically zero."

Practically zero.

In April 2001, *"Peruvian pilots directed by CIA contract employees blew a plane carrying US missionaries out of the sky over the Amazon, killing US citizen Veronica Bowers and her infant child."

The war on drugs in the southern hemisphere is overseen by the United States. If Uncle Sam said don't, it wouldn't be done. So summary executions in the sky are apparently tacitly okayed by the United States.

The Brazilian shootdown policy begins in 90 days. The chance of destroying a plane with innocent people inside is "practically zero." That's apparently close enough for government work.

Brad Messer, commentary, KTSA.