Pubdate: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 Source: New York Times (NY) Copyright: 2000 The New York Times Company Contact: 229 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036 Fax: (212) 556-3622 Website: http://www.nytimes.com/ Forum: http://www10.nytimes.com/comment/ Section: Letters Author: Cindy Franklin, New York Ref: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1198/a07.html DRUG WAR CASUALTIES Re "Colombia Pledges to Investigate Killing of 6 Children by Troops" (news article, Aug. 20): How can the United States build up the military in Colombia, to the tune of $1.3 billion in aid -- even with the benevolent purpose of fighting drug trafficking -- when there is such clear evidence that this same military is waging a war of terror against the country's villagers? We have no choice but to look not only at our intentions but also at the results of our actions. What is the actual result for the lives of average Colombians? Is it a decrease of narcotics trafficking? Or does the narcotics trafficking just end up in better armed and more deadly hands? Whatever the United States does in Colombia, fostering human rights and the safety of Colombians should be No. 1 on our agenda. - --- MAP posted-by: John Chase