Pubdate: Thu, 04 Apr 2002 Source: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram (WI) Copyright: 2002 Eau Claire Press Contact: http://www.leadertelegram.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/236 WAR HELPS THE RICH The Bush administration wants to expand the "war on drugs" to the "war on terrorists" in Columbia. Without a doubt a main purpose of further U.S. involvement is to protect multinational corporate interests. In Columbia one benefactor would be Occidental Petroleum. If Congress agrees with the administration, the United States will continue and increase its terrible record of human rights abuses in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. The primary victims of all these wars are the marginalized, unarmed, rural poor. Despite U.S. aid, an increase in cocaine production and profits has been reported. Further aid will almost surely help the right-wing paramilitary drug organizations and have little effect on the rebel drug producers. I protest the expenditure of our tax dollars for a policy that cannot solve the basic problem of social injustice and will help the rich at a frightening cost to poor Colombians. FRANK KUHLMAN, Alma - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager