Drug Smuggling Bahamas

Sir Lynden O. Pindling, prime minister of the Bahamas, blames racism and overzealous U.S. officials for persistent accusations that over the past decade he amassed a fortune in payoffs from drug traffickers. Pindling, a feisty and articulate London-trained lawyer who has led the country since independence from Britain in 1973, flatly denies he has ever been tainted by drug money. And he questions the motives of members of Congress and other U.S. officials who doubt him.

As drug fighters, they were ugly and unwieldy--nearly twice the size of the Goodyear blimp. Tethered to 10,000-foot cables, the U.S. government's high-tech radar blimps were also difficult to maintain. They were vulnerable in bad weather. One even had to be shot down when it tore loose from its moorings several years ago. But their sheer bulk was also a plus: A Bahamian official likened the unmanned airships to a highly visible cop on the beat. U.S.

The government's case against alleged cocaine kingpin Carlos Lehder is only "a masquerade of horrors" designed to convict him of drug-smuggling at any cost, the defense said in opening arguments in Jacksonville, Fla. Defense attorney Edward R. Shohat accused the government of pulling out all stops in its effort to paint Lehder as a top figure in the Colombia-based Medellin Cartel, which is responsible for up to 80% of U.S. cocaine imports. Lehder, 38, is charged with importing 3.

Sir Lynden O. Pindling, prime minister of the Bahamas, blames racism and overzealous U.S. officials for persistent accusations that over the past decade he amassed a fortune in payoffs from drug traffickers. Pindling, a feisty and articulate London-trained lawyer who has led the country since independence from Britain in 1973, flatly denies he has ever been tainted by drug money. And he questions the motives of members of Congress and other U.S. officials who doubt him.

The chairman of a congressional drug task force, warning that he will contest the Reagan Administration's certification of the Bahamas as cooperating in anti-narcotics efforts, declared Wednesday that U.S.-bound cocaine shipments through the Bahamas have doubled in the last year and that U.S. and Bahamian authorities have ignored the problem. Rep. Larry Smith (D-Fla.

The ruling Progressive Liberal Party claimed victory Friday night in parliamentary elections, returning Prime Minister Lynden O. Pindling to office despite allegations of corruption. Unofficial results announced by the Parliamentary Registrar's Office, broadcast over a government-owned radio station, reported that Pindling's party had won at least 25 seats in the 49-member House of Assembly.

As drug fighters, they were ugly and unwieldy--nearly twice the size of the Goodyear blimp. Tethered to 10,000-foot cables, the U.S. government's high-tech radar blimps were also difficult to maintain. They were vulnerable in bad weather. One even had to be shot down when it tore loose from its moorings several years ago. But their sheer bulk was also a plus: A Bahamian official likened the unmanned airships to a highly visible cop on the beat. U.S.

The chairman of a congressional drug task force, warning that he will contest the Reagan Administration's certification of the Bahamas as cooperating in anti-narcotics efforts, declared Wednesday that U.S.-bound cocaine shipments through the Bahamas have doubled in the last year and that U.S. and Bahamian authorities have ignored the problem. Rep. Larry Smith (D-Fla.

The government's case against alleged cocaine kingpin Carlos Lehder is only "a masquerade of horrors" designed to convict him of drug-smuggling at any cost, the defense said in opening arguments in Jacksonville, Fla. Defense attorney Edward R. Shohat accused the government of pulling out all stops in its effort to paint Lehder as a top figure in the Colombia-based Medellin Cartel, which is responsible for up to 80% of U.S. cocaine imports. Lehder, 38, is charged with importing 3.

The ruling Progressive Liberal Party claimed victory Friday night in parliamentary elections, returning Prime Minister Lynden O. Pindling to office despite allegations of corruption. Unofficial results announced by the Parliamentary Registrar's Office, broadcast over a government-owned radio station, reported that Pindling's party had won at least 25 seats in the 49-member House of Assembly.