Pubdate: Sat, 27 Nov 2004 Source: Washington Post (DC) Copyright: 2004 The Washington Post Company Contact: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491 Page: B06 Author: Carleton B. Spotts Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04.n1660.a03.html DANGEROUS POLICY ON COLOMBIA President Bush has vowed to renew "Plan Colombia" -- a package that Congress was promised would end in 2005 -- for another five years ["Bush Stops in Colombia, Pledges Aid for Drug War," news story, Nov. 23]. That could mean $3 billion or more in taxpayer funds going to fund an inhumane counter-narcotics effort and to prop up an abusive military. Mr. Bush and President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia say that the plan has reduced drug cultivation -- but the point of Plan Colombia was to make drugs less available in the United States. Neither the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's 2003 report nor the U.S. drug czar's January report noted any increase in the price of a gram of cocaine on U.S. streets -- in fact, the price has been almost unchanged since 1995. The DEA report also found that availability and purity of cocaine in the United States remained stable. So why are we continuing to support a policy that doesn't work? Further, the Colombian military has a long history of human rights abuses, but rather than insisting on reforms, the United States has rewarded the military with more aid. This support is dangerous. In August, three Colombian union leaders -- Jorge Prieto, Leonel Goyeneche and Hector Alirio Martinez -- were found murdered by members of the U.S.-trained 18th brigade of the Colombian army. The brigade's commander said that the three were Marxist guerrillas and were killed during a shootout. Colombia's vice president, who originally supported the commander's story, has since acknowledged that there was no gun battle. The soldiers involved have been charged with homicide, but the Colombian government is not looking into the role of the brigade's commander or other superiors. Carleton B. Spotts Columbia, Mo. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin