U.S. Personnel May Stay Longer in Bolvia

U.S. military personnel taking part in an anti-drug campaign aimed at destroying Bolivia’s $600-million-a-year cocaine industry will remain for at least another month, the interior minister indicated Thursday.

The 170 Americans are still scheduled to leave Sunday at the end of the two-month anti-drug campaign agreed upon in July by Bolivia and the U.S. government. But Interior Minister Fernando Barthelemy said he expects his government to request that the U.S. soldiers stay on for at least another 30 days--but no longer than 60 days--to train Bolivians in the use of communications and other equipment that the United States is expected to provide.