Pubdate: Sat, 20 Jan 2001
Source: Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)
Copyright: Allied Press Limited, 2001
Contact:  P.O. Box 181, 52-66 Lower Stuart Street, Dunedin, New Zealand
Website: http://www2.odt.co.nz

US PROMISE TO CIVILIANS

Bogota - With the United States on the verge of sending helicopter gunships 
into Colombia's war, a top US military commander expressed faith that 
Colombian troops would not harm civilians with the lethal hardware.

Two US-trained army battalions are poised to launch large-scale operations 
in Colombia's southern cocaine-producing region and US special forces 
troops will soon begin training a third battalion here.

Marine General Peter Pace, chief of the US Southern Command, said General 
Mario Montoya, who will command operations involving the US-supplied 
helicopters and US-trained troops, was a "responsible commander" who would 
prevent civilians from being killed with Washington's weaponry.

US-trained army battalions flying aboard the helicopters will try to seize 
the coca fields and processing laboratories from leftist rebels and 
right-wing paramilitary gunmen.
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