The US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) plans to provide Colombia with new levels of intelligence to assist its operations against insurgent groups and to instruct their armed forces in applying that information to operations, the director of operations for USSOUTHCOM Brig Gen Galen Jackman has disclosed to Jane's Defence Weekly. As part of an expansion of its involvement in the region, the US government no longer limits its aid to counter-narcotics efforts in Colombia. It now permits the helicopters, intelligence and training provided to Bogota under that programme to be used to fight terrorism. [continues 570 words]