Pubdate: Sun, 03 Sep 2000 Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat (CA) Copyright: 2000, The Press Democrat Contact: http://www.pressdemo.com/index.html Forum: http://www.pressdemo.com/opinion/talk/ ESCALATING A WAR During his quick stopover in Colombia Wednesday, President Clinton wasted no time in steering attention away from the intended purpose of his visit. There were plenty of photo opportunities of the president strolling the cobbled streets of Cartagena, being entertained by dancers and touring a neighborhood legal aid center. These images belied the true reason for this trip: to hand over a $1.3 billion check for U.S. military and social aid to help battle leftist rebels and drug traffickers. They also camouflaged the volatility of this troubled country. Clinton and his entourage were kept far from any areas of guerilla fighting and stayed a mere eight hours because of security concerns. It's true that $238 million of the U.S. aid is intended for economic development programs, encouraging substitution planting for drug crops, fostering judicial reform and stepping up programs to prevent human rights violations. But the remaining $1 billion or so will be used to train and equip the Colombian military and police to do battle with drug traffickers and guerrillas. This amounts to four times more assistance than the Clinton administration has yet offered to Colombia and more than any U.S. government has turned over to South American countries since the 1980s. Let's make no mistake about this. The U.S. is stepping up the war on drugs. The president's contention that "A condition of this aid is that we are not going to get into a shooting war . . ." rings hollow. The aid package includes 60 military helicopters and 500 U.S. Army and intelligence instructors. These helicopters are only to be used for anti-drug efforts, unless, that is, they are fired upon by guerrillas. It's unlikely that the guerrillas are going to consider the distinction. The hopes of this campaign are many. Colombia is a country that produces an estimated 90 percent of the cocaine that enters the United States. It also is a country that has been rocked with high unemployment and widespread corruption. At best this aid, which Congress approved in June and is part of an overall $7.5-billion Colombian plan, will cripple the guerrillas' power, constrict the passage of drugs into the United States and provide governmental and economic stability in Colombia and the region. But the risks are great. Critics of the aid program fear the package will escalate violence in the country leading to renewed flights of refugees to such neighboring countries as Brazil and Ecuador. Legitimate concerns also remain about the government's track record concerning human rights. Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Delaware, part of a bipartisan Congressional delegation that accompanied the president on the trip, justifiably warned President Andres Pastrana that continued Congressional support is dependent on the government showing a high standard for human rights. During his visit, Colombian officials had planned to have President Clinton tour a facility where military personnel would be trained by U.S. advisers in how to wipe out coca crops and hit guerrilla targets. The president instead opted for a tour of something less controversial. Considering the severity of the campaign that's about to get under way, Americans would have benefited from a closer and more honest look at where their money is going. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D