Pubdate: Sun, 13 Jan 2002
Source: Lima News (OH)
Copyright: 2002 Freedom Newspapers Inc.
Contact:  http://www.limanews.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/990

CLUELESS IN COLOMBIA

The demands of an all-out war on terrorism do not seem to have imposed a 
sense of priorities or proportion on U.S. policy-makers, who act as if they 
believe this country can conduct numerous vaguely defined wars on numerous 
fronts without losing focus. The latest evidence is an apparent 
intensification of U.S. involvement in the ongoing civil war and drug war 
in Colombia.

One of the last acts under the Clinton administration was to authorize $1.3 
billion in aid and equipment for the Colombian government, which is 
fighting a war against narcotraffickers that is inextricably linked to a 
civil war that has plagued the country for at least 40 years. Despite 
warnings from numerous Latin American experts that this would inevitably 
get the U.S. involved in Colombian domestic politics, the Clintonites 
pushed ahead. The Bush administration gave signals early on that it would 
reconsider this commitment, but it's not pulling back.

Last week, U.S. Ambassador to Colombia Anne Patterson turned over 14 
helicopters to the Colombian military. "We will continue working together 
to liberate Colombia, the region and the hemisphere from narcotics," 
Patterson bravely declared.

Sure. That will happen about the same time the war on terror eliminates 
evil from the world for all time. Unfortunately, U.S. taxpayers will 
continue to pay for this exercise in folly in Colombia.
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MAP posted-by: Jackl