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News & Opinion 1. What Really Happened To Diane Linkletter? 2. San Francisco Says Meth Use Is At 'High Plateau' (Despite Data Suggesting That Methamphetamine Use Is Falling) 3. Cologne And Antiseptic: Russia's Killer Drinks 4. Speeding HIV's Deadly Spread (Multiple, Concurrent Partners Drive Disease in Southern Africa) 5. [US] Air Force Charges Victim in Her Own Rape 6. The Political Junkets of Bush's Drug Czar A. To Our Contributors B. Upcoming Conferences C. Listings Of Blogs & Sites We've Been Visiting Lately D. Quotes E. Know Someone Who Might Enjoy Receiving This Newsletter? How To Help ~ About HRP ~Subscription Information -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. What Really Happened To Diane Linkletter? Written by Doug DeLong Published July 27, 2007 The beautiful young woman who jumped out of her sixth-floor apartment window at 9 am on October 4, 1969 had no way of knowing that her death was destined to become a focal point of the anti-drug movement in America. Diane Linkletter was the 20-year-old daughter of Art Linkletter, the prominent radio and TV personality. Before an autopsy had even been performed, her famous father claimed to the media that she had taken LSD the night before her death. (Linkletter had not talked to his daughter before her death, but maintains that she had told her brother Robert that she had taken the acid.) He was quoted as saying, "It isn't suicide because she wasn't herself. She was murdered. She was murdered by the people who manufacture and sell LSD." When the autopsy showed no signs of drugs in her system, he changed his story to claim that she was suffering an LSD flashback from months earlier and that had caused her to jump out the window. The media, of course, ran with the story, and used Art Linkletter's claims to create the narrative, without doing much investigating of their own. By the time the dust had settled, the story had been transformed in most people's minds to reflect an old urban legend about a girl, high on LSD, who jumped out her window because she thought she could fly. A much more accurate picture of what happened can be gleaned by examining the testimony of Diane's boyfriend, Edward Durston, who was present when she died. Diane had summoned him to her apartment at 3 am and had spent the final six hours of her life with him. He told investigators that she was a desperately unhappy and despondent young woman who was determined to end her life. He had no reason to believe, and she had not indicated, that drugs were a factor in her death. Art Linkletter, understandably devastated, became one of the most vocal critics of the counterculture, speaking out against drugs at every opportunity, while telling the tale of his daughter's LSD death. Dr. Timothy Leary, the LSD guru who had urged young people to "turn on, tune in, drop out," became his archenemy. In this fascinating video from 1980, Leary is surprised on an interview show with a call from Linkletter. Listening to him scream at Leary that he "wishes he had died, or been hung" was a little disconcerting coming from someone whose public persona was that of the kindly father. [Please click link the following link to view video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT31oB2vspw Did Art Linkletter truly believe that his daughter's death was caused by LSD or was it easier for him to view it through that prism? Did it make his burden easier to bear, believing that an outside force of some kind was responsible, and not any negligence on his part? One thing is for certain. The story lodged itself in the public's consciousness and helped to fuel the anti-drug sentiments that led Richard Nixon to declare a War on Drugs in 1971, a seemingly unending battle that has strained our prison system and drained the nation of valuable resources.

Drug Truth Network Update: Cultural Baggage + Century of Lies + 4:20 Drug War NEWS + Willie Nelson Joins LEAP! Half Hour Programs, Live Fridays... at 90.1 FM in Houston & on the web at www.kpft.org. Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, www.audioport.org and at www.radio4all.net. We provide the "unvarnished truth about the drug war" to scores of broadcast affiliates in the US and Canada., Cultural Baggage for 08/10/07 Thomas Schweich, State Dept Counter-Narcotics official's "plan" for Afghanistan + Poppygate MP3 MP3 LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/007DTNaudio/FDBCB_081007.mp3 Century of Lies for 08/10/07 Nurse Mary Lynn Mathre re Medical Marijuana Safety + Drug War Facts MP3 MP3 Link: http://www.drugtruth.net/007DTNaudio/COL_081007.mp3 4:20 Drug War NEWS 08/13/07 to 08/19/07 now online (3:00 ea.): Monday 08/13/07 Doug McVay with Drug War Facts Tuesday 08/14/07 Poppygate + "Legalize", per Financial Times Wednesday 08/15/07 Thomas Schweich, State Dept Counter Narcotics re Afghanistan Opium I Thursday 08/16/07 Thomas Schweich, State Dept Counter Narcotics re Afghanistan Opium II Friday 08/17/07 Willie Nelson re marijuana laws Saturday 08/18/07 Willie Nelson Joins Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Sunday 08/19/07 Thomas Schweich, State Dept Counter Narcotics re Afghanistan Opium III NEXT Friday: ) - Cultural Baggage 8 PM ET, 7 PM CT, 6 PM MT & 5 PM PT. Nora Callahan on snitches, Phil Smith on informants - Century of Lies 2 PM ET, 1 PM CT, Noon MT & 11 AM PT. TBD Check out our latest videos on You Tube via www.drugtruth.net/dtnvideo.htm Please become part of the solution, visit our website: www.endprohibition.org for links to the best of reform. "Once we remove these charlatans from positions of power, other social changes will become much easier." - Reverend Dean Becker, Drug Truth Network Producer Dean Becker 713-849-6869 www.drugtruth.net

Dispensary Progress in LA Despite DEA Raids City Council Starts Regulatory Process; Calls on DEA to Cease and Desist For two years, ASA organizers have been working with city officials in Los Angeles to ensure safe access to medical marijuana, educating them on the needs of patients and the benefits of a sound regulatory approach. The efforts of ASA and other patient advocates has resulted in significant progress in LA, so much so that the DEA has made it a target. On the same day that the Los Angeles City Council was preparing to take an important step toward regulating the operation of medical cannabis dispensing cooperatives, federal agents staged another set of coordinated paramilitary raids designed to intimidate local officials and patients. The raids on ten dispensaries came within weeks of the DEA sending over a hundred threatening letters to landlords of LA dispensaries, telling them the dispensaries are operating illegally under federal law and that the landlords could lose their buildings to federal asset forfeiture. These attacks on patient access were similar to the dozen simultaneous raids conducted in January. Like then, ASA activists sprang into immediate action, organizing protestors at dispensaries while raids were still going on and alerting the local media, which turned out in force. Within two hours of the raids starting, over 200 patients and advocates had gathered at one Hollywood dispensary, blockading the entrances and preventing DEA agents from leaving until they released the employees being detained. That same day, the Los Angeles City Council - under the leadership of Councilmember Dennis Zine, a former LA police officer with whom ASA has worked closely - voted overwhelmingly to establish the groundwork for a regulatory process for medical cannabis dispensaries that ASA has been advocating for two years. The council then all signed a letter to the DEA and then unanimously approved a motion endorsing the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment, which would prevent future DEA attacks on state medical marijuana programs. Councilmember Zine also joined ASA before the hearing in a press conference calling on the DEA to abandon its attacks on medical cannabis dispensaries and allow LA to move forward without further federal interference. ASA's communication efforts helped ensure that LA media covered the raids and City Council actions from the patients' perspective - not the DEA's. And the story was picked up by the major networks and carried by hundreds of television and radio stations as well as newspapers across the country.

Washington: Editorials, Advocates Still Steaming at Supreme Court Decision The Olympian published an editorial last week expressing disappointment in the Washington Supreme Court's 6-3 decision to continue the voting ban for citizens with felony convictions that have yet to pay restitution and/or court fees. The editorial states that "no one is arguing that felons shouldn't pay court costs, fines and restitution to their victims. What the Legislature must repair is the court decision that says failure to pay is sufficient grounds to deny voting rights." During a press conference this week, Gov. Chris Gregoire, also in support of re-enfranchisement was quoted as saying: "I just fundamentally don't believe in a debtors' prison. And so to hold people right to vote away from them simply because they're low income and don't have any money and can never fathom the capacity to pay back their financial obligation I just think is a lack of incentive of what's to do right in this country." Erika Wood, counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice, wrote an op-ed in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer arguing that the current law creates a lifetime voting ban for low-income individuals as a result of the interest and surcharges imposed by the state. Wood shared the story of Beverly Dubois, who has completed her sentence but has outstanding financial obligations, to highlight how the law can act as a permanent barrier to the franchise. Although Ms. Dubois makes monthly payments, interest continues to accrue on her debt at a rate that is more than she can afford on her fixed disability income, Wood writes. "It is time for Washington lawmakers to get in step with the national movement to restore voting rights to people who are out of prison, living and working in the community." "States across the country have come to understand that giving someone a stake in the political process helps build community ties and foster social responsibility." For additional coverage of the Washington decision, see the Spokesman Review. - - - - - - Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today. Contact Information -- Email: [email protected], Web: http://www.sentencingproject.org

ASA ACTION: Pursuing the Truth about Medical Marijuana FEDERAL: DEA Interfering with Medical Marijuana Dispensaries OREGON: Feds Escalating Investigation of Patients CALIFORNIA: Merced Patient Wants Seized Property Back CALIFORNIA: Implementation Around the State CALIFORNIA: Dispensary Debates Continue RESEARCH: Biased Reporting Skews Findings -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASA ACTION: Pursuing the Truth about Medical Marijuana When ASA petitioned to correct misinformation about medical marijuana spread by the federal Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration, the agencies stalled for two years and then refused to respond. So ASA filed suit to force the issue. The judge hearing the case has indicated that ASA may be able to make the government respond, but may have no legal recourse to correct the false information. Yet the law says federal agencies must rely on sound science in the information they disseminate, so ASA will first try to get an answer. And if that answer does not acknowledge the consensus of doctors and scientists about the medical efficacy of marijuana, there will be an appeal. Suit Over Pot's 'Benefit' Stumbles by Matthew Hirsch, The Recorder (CA) An Oakland, Calif.-based nonprofit can't put the federal government on trial for saying that marijuana has no medical use -- but it might get to challenge the government for blowing deadlines, a federal judge in California ruled last week. Americans for Safe Access sued in February after two federal agencies refused to alter government-published statements saying marijuana has "no currently accepted medical use in the United States." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEDERAL: DEA Interfering with Medical Marijuana Dispensaries In the week after the coordinated raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles, editorial pages and patient protests around the state have denounced the interference with state and local handling of public health matters. Collusion between the DEA and rogue elements of the LAPD is being investigated, and local officials are calling for changes in the law. Feds, LAPD freeze Berkeley pot club's assets by Paul T. Rosynsky, Oakland Tribune A city-sanctioned medical marijuana dispensary had its assets frozen this week, prompting some city council members to call for new city laws protecting such businesses. Berkeley medical pot club raided by Carolyn Jones, San Francisco Chronicle The Los Angeles Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency seized the assets of a Berkeley marijuana club Tuesday, following a raid of its sister club in Los Angeles. Backers of medical marijuana protest raids by John Asbury, Press-Enterprise (CA) Medical-marijuana advocates staged a protest in front of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration building in Riverside on Friday to oppose recent raids on Southern California distributors. DEA's Scarlet Letter by Celeste Fremon, LA Weekly The DEA and the City of Los Angeles are at war over medical marijuana. On one side of the fight is the Drug Enforcement Administration, which seems to be doing all within its power to shut down the 180 or so medical-marijuana collectives (as dispensaries are called) in Los Angeles County. COMMENT Only Congress can resolve pot battle EDITORIAL, Daily Breeze (CA) In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that medical marijuana users could be federally prosecuted, though the court did suggest that supporters of medical marijuana could lobby Congress to change the law. That's where municipal leaders who support regulating medical marijuana at the local level should place their energies. Federal intervention EDITORIAL, Los Angeles Daily News Feds, back off. That's what the Los Angeles City Council and medical marijuana advocates hope will happen by adopting a moratorium on new dispensaries and bringing current ones into compliance while stricter rules are written. Why Don't More Republicans Oppose the DEA's Medical Marijuana Raids? by Jacob Sullum, TownHall.com Last week, the Los Angeles City Council voted for a measure that asked the federal government to stop harassing medical marijuana users in California. Minutes later, the Drug Enforcement Administration raided 10 medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles County. Fed's medipot raid priorities are out of whack by Thomas Elias, Columnist, San Gabriel Valley Tribune (CA) There's something almost idiotic about the obviously confused and misguided way in which federal authorities are trying to enforce anti-marijuana laws in California today. DEAsy Pickings by Dan Bernstein, Columnist, Press-Enterprise (CA) I never realized the Drug Enforcement Agency gets the summer blahs, just like everybody else. But I happened to be talking with a friend who knows all about this stuff. DEA thwarts Montana's medical marijuana law by Robin C. Prosser, OpEd, Billings Gazette (MT) Five years ago, I starved myself to bring attention to the plight of the sick in Montana that need medical marijuana. Two years later, I worked hard on the campaign for our state medical marijuana initiative, which passed with more support than any other.

1. Statement On The Arrest Of Dr Kian Tajbakhsh 2. Iran Uses Activists For Propaganda 3. Media Marijuana Mania Part Duh 4. Why Africa Fears Western Medicine 5. The Taliban's Opium War 6. Hillary Clinton On Needle Exchange 7. Coverage of Susan Kingston's Crystal Meth Uncensored: What the DEA and Gay Media Won't Tell You A. To Our Contributors B. Upcoming Conferences C. A Listing Of Blogs & Sites We've Been Visiting Lately D. Quotes E. Ask An Associate If She Or He Would Like To Receive This Newsletter How To Help ~ About HRP ~ Subscription Information -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Statement On The Arrest Of Dr Kian Tajbakhsh Payvand's Iran News ~ 7/17/07 Imperial College London Statement Respected academic Dr Kian Tajbakhsh, an Imperial College alumnus, was arrested in Iran in May 2007 and has been held without charge ever since. Imperial joins the international community in calling on the Iranian government to allow Dr Tajbakhsh legal representation and to provide evidence of the accusations against him. Dr Kian Tajbakhsh Dr Tajbakhsh graduated with a BSc (Eng) in civil engineering from Imperial in 1983, and went on to complete an MSc in urban planning at University College London. He has built a reputation as a leading expert in local government reform, urban planning and social policy, consulting for Iranian government organizations and international non-governmental organizations such as the World Bank and the Netherlands Association of Municipalities. He holds dual citizenship of the United States and Iran, and has taught at universities in both countries. Information on the campaign to raise awareness of Dr Tajbakhsh's plight is at www.freekian.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drug Truth Network Update: Cultural Baggage + Century of Lies + 4:20 Drug War NEWS Half Hour Programs, Live Fridays... at 90.1 FM in Houston & on the web at www.kpft.org. Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, www.audioport.org and at www.radio4all.net. We provide the "unvarnished truth about the drug war" to scores of broadcast affiliates in the US and Canada., Cultural Baggage for 08/03/07 Valerie Corral, dir of Women's Alliance for Medical Marijuana & Bruce Mirken of Marijuana Policy Project MP3 MP3 LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/007DTNaudio/FDBCB_080307.mp3 Century of Lies for 08/03/07 Judge James P. Gray author of "Why our Drug Laws have Failed and What We Can Do About It - A Judicial Indictment of the War on Drugs" MP3 MP3 Link: http://www.drugtruth.net/007DTNaudio/COL_080307.mp3 4:20 Drug War NEWS 08/06/07 to 08/12/07 now online (3:00 ea.): Monday 08/06/07 Corrupt Cop Story with Phil Smith of Stop The Drug War Tuesday 08/07/07 Doug McVay with Drug War Facts + YouTube Video for Republican Debate Wednesday 08/08/07 Valerie Corral of WAMM + Austin Freedom Fest Thursday 08/09/07 Bruce Mirken of Marijuana Policy Project Friday 08/10/07 Paul Armentano of NORML re Freedom Fest Saturday 08/11/07 Nurse Mary Lynn Mathre: Patients out of Time Sunday 08/12/07 Superior Court Judge James P Gray NEXT Friday: ) - Cultural Baggage 8 PM ET, 7 PM CT, 6 PM MT & 5 PM PT. Nurse Mary Lynn Mathre - Century of Lies 2 PM ET, 1 PM CT, Noon MT & 11 AM PT. Expose' of Afghan Opium Scam Check out our latest videos on YouTube from US Social Forum via www.drugtruth.net/dtnvideo.htm Please become part of the solution, visit our website: www.endprohibition.org for links to the best of reform. "Once we remove these charlatans from positions of power, other social changes will become much easier." - Reverend Dean Becker, Drug Truth Network Producer Dean Becker 713-849-6869 www.drugtruth.net

Florida: Now that it's Official, Hurry up Already Writing in the Palm Beach Post, Mark Schlakman urged Gov. Charles Crist and his Cabinet to speed up the rights restoration process for the nearly one million citizens convicted of a felony. Reaching this goal would help to ensure that citizens can vote in time for the Presidential election, regain full citizenship, and be gainfully employed - particularly with regard to occupational license eligibility. Further, Schlakman argued that clemency issues should be considered apart from employment eligibility issues as they slow down the state's current process of identifying who is now eligible to vote. In the spring, Crist's Cabinet reinstated the right to vote to citizens convicted of non-violent felonies. Washington: After Supreme Court's Decision, Lawmakers Aim for Legislation "[The] ruling is just plain mean-spirited," the editorial board of the Columbian wrote in response to the Washington state Supreme Court's 6- 3 ruling last week that bans individuals from voting until court fees and restitution is paid. As a result, House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler and Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, in January, will rally for legislation that allows citizens charged with convictions the right to vote despite unpaid restitution or court fees, according to the Olympian. The two lawmakers are unsure of a victory considering the upcoming election season as Rep. Kessler said it will be a "difficult issue for my [Democratic] caucus." "The bottom line with my bill is that ... people not in prison, after meeting residency requirements and following registration procedures, would be eligible to vote," Kohl-Welles was quoted as saying in the Ballard News-Tribune. - - - - - - Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today. Contact Information: email: [email protected], web: http://www.sentencingproject.org

FEDERAL: More Intimidation Aimed at LA’s Politicians and Patients FEDERAL: Congress Gets Two Votes Closer to Stopping DEA Raids CALIFORNIA: Kern County Patients Struggle with Access CALIFORNIA: Claremont Endorses Dispensaries NEW MEXICO: Medical Marijuana Program Gets Started CANADA: Patients Still Insist on Growing Their Own IN MEMORIAM: Reform Advocate Virginia Resner Dies ____________________________________________ FEDERAL: More Intimidation Aimed at LA’s Politicians and Patients Another set of coordinated DEA raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles proved again that federal action on the issue is less about law enforcement than it is politics. And it wasn’t just that the ten simultaneous raids came close on the heels of intimidating letters sent to at least 150 landlords renting to patient cooperatives, it was the day chosen. At the very moment federal agents were kicking down doors and detaining patients, two important political actions were in progress. The Los Angeles City Council was taking action on establishing regulatory ordinances for the operation of the dispensaries, and the US House was considering for the fifth year an amendment to stop funding for DEA raids on patients. Not only did LA -- under the leadership of councilman Dennis Zine, a former LAPD officer -- take a step toward regulation, it added a resolution urging Congress to stop federal interference in this local public health issue. Unfortunately, Congressional leadership failed to put their weight behind the bipartisan Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment, but it came two votes closer to passage than it did last year. ASA emergency response to the raids turned out hundreds of protesters within two hours, helping generate intense media coverage and, more importantly, secure the release of dispensary employees being held by the DEA. DEA raids 10 pot shops by Steve Hymon, Los Angeles Times The gap between state and federal drug laws became apparent again Wednesday when federal agents raided 10 local medical marijuana facilities only minutes after the Los Angeles City Council placed a moratorium on new facilities so rules could be drafted to better regulate them. DEA raids LA medical marijuana clinics by Andrew Glazer, Associated Press Federal agents raided 10 marijuana clinics Wednesday, the same day city leaders introduced a measure calling for an end to the crackdown on the dispensaries allowed under state law. DEA serves 10 warrants in LA medical marijuana crackdown Associated Press The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration served search warrants at 10 different locations throughout Los Angeles County in connection with its crackdown on medical marijuana facilities. DEA targets landlords in pot battle by William M. Welch, USA Today The U.S. Justice Department is unleashing a potent new weapon in its battle against California’s hundreds of medical pot clinics, threatening landlords with arrest and property seizures for renting to tenants who flout federal drug laws. Humboldt County ASA to hold protest Eureka reporter (CA) The Humboldt County chapter of Americans for Safe Access will hold a protest on the front lawn of Arcata City Hall tonight at 5, according to a news release from ASA. The demonstration will be held in response to raids conducted Wednesday by the Drug Enforcement Administration against medical marijuana dispensaries in the Los Angeles area. Medical pot stores' profits questioned by Dan Abendschein, Whittier Daily News (CA) The recent busts of medical marijuana dispensaries have raised questions about the revenue the operations collect. "A business grossing the kind of numbers released by the DEA is not making that much money," said Chris Fusco of the Americans for Safe Access organization. "Both the federal and state governments need to give clear guidelines so there is no confusion for dispensary operators."

News & Opinion This Week 1. How, and How Not, to Stop AIDS in Africa 2. Transcending God B Upcoming Conference C Quotes D How To Help E About HRP F Subscription Information -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. How, and How Not, to Stop AIDS in Africa By William Easterly The Invisible Cure: Africa, the West, and the Fight Against AIDS by Helen Epstein Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 326 pp., $26.00 From Volume 54, Number 13 August 16, 2007 of The New York Review Of Books One of the classic works of journalism of the last couple of decades was Randy Shilts's And the Band Played On[1] about the sluggish response to AIDS in the 1980s in the United States, which indicted both the Reagan administration and the leaders of the gay community. I still remember the sense of outrage I felt when reading Shilts's book; it struck just the right note, leaving one both horrified about the tragic incompetence of so many and yet also hopeful that someone, somewhere could do things better next time. Yet after reading Helen Epstein's masterful new book, the response to AIDS in America now looks in retrospect like a model of courage, speed, and efficiency by comparison with the response in Africa. In the US, the government publicized the threat and funded research, the gay community reduced its infection rates by encouraging less risky sexual behavior, the dreaded breakout into the heterosexual population never happened, and AIDS receded to become a disease that, while still tragic, could in most cases be kept under control with expensive new antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). The opposite is true in every respect of AIDS in Africa, which was anticipated as a looming crisis already in the 1980s, yet governments, foreign aid agencies, and even activists reacted with denials and evasion. The disease rampaged through the heterosexual population and is still rampaging, ARVs were too late, too costly, and available to too few, and Africa is still in the midst of an epic disaster without a solution in sight. As of the latest figures in 2006, 25 million Africans are HIV-positive, 2.1 million die from AIDS every year, and 2.8 million are newly infected each year.[2] Epstein's book lays all this out in courageous and thought-provoking detail, describing the maddening complexity of the AIDS crisis in Africa, and the reprehensible and simplistic evasions of nearly everyone involved. It is not only a book that should be required reading for people concerned in the least with AIDS or with Africa; it is also compulsively readable. It is not without some flaws. Epstein's discussion of the economics of African poverty is overly simple-it sometimes sounds more like flat statements about corporate and official power than deep analysis. More seriously, for some of her key points, the evidence base-the numbers of studies and of people and the different groups whose experience she draws on-seems a little thin, although I found her points plausible and largely convincing. Perhaps the fact that there is insufficient evidence about so many aspects of AIDS in Africa is itself a symptom of the skewed priorities that the book describes as afflicting the international AIDS effort. The history of the response to African AIDS can be divided into two phases: (1) fiddling while Rome burns, and then (2) trying to use the fiddles to put out the fire. Phase I began long ago, undermining any claims of any of those involved to ignorance of the problem. An article published in the London Times on October 27, 1986, said: A catastrophic epidemic of AIDS is sweeping across Africa.... The disease has already infected several millions of Africans, posing colossal health problems to more than 20 countries.... "Aids has become a major health threat to all Africans and prevention and control of infection...must become an immediate public health priority for all African countries," says a report published in a leading American scientific journal. Signs of the coming epidemic had appeared even earlier. A sample of prostitutes in Butare, Rwanda, in 1983 found that 75 percent were infected with HIV. A later study reporting this statistic dated the general awareness that Central Africa was at risk for the spread of AIDS back to 1983 as well.[3] An article in 1991 in the World Bank/ International Monetary Fund quarterly magazine predicted that 30 million people would be infected worldwide by the year 2000 if nothing were done.[4] This was not far off the actual outcome in 2000, so sixteen years ago many knew that a catastrophic epidemic was underway. One of the lead organizations for fighting the African epidemic was the World Bank, which says today on its AIDS Web site that it is "the largest long-term investor in prevention and mitigation of HIV/AIDS in developing countries." In its first AIDS strategy report in 1988, the World Bank said the crisis was urgent. It presciently detected "an environment highly conducive to the spread of HIV" in many African countries. It noted that the epidemic was far from reaching its full potential and that "the AIDS epidemic in Africa is an emergency situation and appropriate action must be undertaken now."[5]