Pubdate: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 Source: Orange County Register (CA) Copyright: 2000 The Orange County Register Section: News, Page 27 Contact: P.O. Box 11626, Santa Ana, CA 92711 Fax: (714) 565-3657 Website: http://www.ocregister.com/ Author: George Gedda, The Associated Press COLOMBIA DRUG WAR IMPRESSES SECRETARY CARTAGENA, Colombia-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright got a firsthand look Saturday at Colombian efforts to intercept cocaine shipments at this steamy Caribbean port. She came away impressed with government sleuths' high-tech tools - and the methods drug lords use to circumvent them. "That's fantastic," Albright said when shown an Internet hookup that allows Colombia to connect with 286 ports in 80 countries as part of an integrated counterdrug campaign. She also was shown manifests purporting to document legal exports that were an attempt by drug traders to conceal cocaine or heroin shipments. "They certainly are ingenious," Albright said. President Andres Pastrana, appearing with Albright at a news conference on the grounds of the seaside guest house where she stayed Friday night, cited the near-dismantling of cartels in Medellin and Cali as an indication of Colombia's progress in the drug war. "We can and will do more," he said as three Coast Guard speedboats armed with M-60 rifles deployed in waters just yards away. He said European donors will meet in June or July to make pledges to assist Colombia in fighting the drug trade. Albright said the two countries are sharing a "very important moment" and are "fully in harmony" on high-priority objectives. While Albright was in northern Colombia, 50 people were killed Saturday in clashes between leftist rebels and security forces hundreds of miles away, near Bogota, the capital. The Colombian government and the rebels also held peace talks Saturday in a southern jungle. It was not clear if the attack was meant as a show of force to coincide with the peace talks or Albright's visit. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk