Pubdate: Tue, Feb 8 2000
Source: Guardian, The (UK)
Copyright: Guardian Media Group 2000
Contact:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Author: Martin Hodgson, in Bogota

COLOMBIA ANTI-DRUGS AID RAISES ARMY FEARS

Bill Clinton's budget includes a $1.3bn (pounds 840m) package to help 
Colombia battle against its thriving narcotics trade, but many fear that 
the money will aggravate the violence and suck the US deeper into a vicious 
civil war.

The main focus of the aid plan, which includes support for judicial reforms 
and human rights protection, is a massive boost for the Colombian army, 
which has been strictly controlled since 1994 after it was involved in 
torture and other human rights abuses. More than $600m will be used for 
drugs interdiction programmes, including equipment and training for three 
elite counter-narcotics battalions, and the construction of radar bases and 
intelligence networks. Thirty hi-tech UH-60 Blackhawk and 33 Huey 
helicopters will be lent.

Colombia produces more than 80% of the cocaine sold in the US, and 
narcotics production has more than doubled since 1997, but leftwing rebel 
groups say that the aid is merely an excuse to step up counter-insurgency 
operations.

"The problems here are about the social order. Hunger, poverty and 
exploitation are not solved with rifles and machine guns," said Manuel 
Marulanda, the head of the 15,000-strong Revolutionary Armed Forces (Farc). 
But in the remote Amazon jungles where Farc fighters protect drug 
installations in return for "war taxes", the distinction between 
anti-narcotics operations and counter insurgency missions will be hard to 
maintain.

Human rights groups say that as anti-drugs units push into rebel-dominated 
regions, the civilian population will once more be caught in the crossfire. 
In the past decade, about 35,000 people have died, and some 1.7m civilians 
have been driven from their homes.

Although US law forbids military aid to units involved in torture or other 
abuses, human rights groups are calling for tighter monitoring.

According to Amnesty International, although the army's human rights record 
has improved, some sections continue to support rightwing militias accused 
of torture, kidnap and murder. 
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