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. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake