The United States used a two-track process to select the four forward operating locations. First, U.S. embassies canvassed regional governments' willingness to host U.S. military counterdrug operations. Second, Defense Department and U.S. Customs Service personnel assessed airfields within the region to determine whether they met operational requirements by providing proximity to the source and transit zones and force protection. As of July 2000, the Department of Defense estimated the total cost of developing the four airfields at $136.6 million. The level of operations at the sites could be affected by the unavailability of U.S. aircraft to conduct counterdrug operations. Some problems are the allocation of fewer aircraft to the counterdrug mission; the lack of an interagency agreement regarding who will pay to ship the equipment and spare parts necessary to maintain operations at Manta; aging aircraft being used to interdict or apprehend traffickers over foreign governments' territories; and any restrictions on the flight of U.S. aircraft over countries in transit or in pursuit of traffickers. 11 figures, 2 tables, and appended detailed analysis