Pubdate: Mon, 22 Nov 2004
Source: Times, The (UK)
Copyright: 2004 Times Newspapers Ltd
Contact:  http://www.the-times.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/454
Author: Tom Hennigan
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

COLOMBIA TO SEEK MORE AID AUTHOR

PRESIDENT BUSH will meet the one Latin American leader as eager as he is to 
talk about the War on Terror when he stops on his way home today in the old 
Spanish Main city of Cartagena for lunch with President Uribe of Colombia.

The US recognises Senor Uribe as a key ally in the war even though, in 
Colombia, Marxist guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and drug gangs are 
the enemy instead of Islamic extremists. Colombia is the third biggest 
recipient of US military aid after Israel and Egypt, with the US hoping the 
five-year "Plan Colombia" will defeat a powerful Marxist insurgency and 
stopping the flow of cocaine to US cities.

Plan Colombia is to end next year and Senor Uribe is expected to press 
today for continued assistance. He can point to the swaths of territory his 
army have taken from the guerrillas in the two years since he came to power 
and the drop in kidnappings and jump in cocaine seizures.

But Mr Bush might want to discuss the comments earlier this year by his 
drug czar that despite Plan Colombia the flow of cocaine into the US has 
remained steady.

The two men are also expected to swap notes on Venezuela. Colombia accuses 
it of tacit support for the Farc guerrillas, the biggest of the country's 
Marxist rebel groups and is concerned by Venezuela's plans to upgrade its 
airforce.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager