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| War Against Terrorism Could Finally Bring Peace |
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Posted by FoM on March 19, 2002 at 12:21:30 PT By Georgie Anne Geyer, Universal Press Syndicate Source: Salt Lake Tribune 
To say that things are looking up in Colombia is to voice a dangerous expectation. With its seemingly endless civil war, its long-powerful and vicious Marxist guerrillas and its bloody drug-running, Colombia does not lend itself to hopeful conjecture. And yet, after seven decades of so many kinds of conflict that the country has become a kind of perverse political science laboratory, it seems that the country has turned a corner. Indeed, the Bush administration's decision this week to remove restrictions on aid to Colombia may well be the turning point toward some eventual solution. One could not have foreseen last Sept. 11 that the terrorist attacks against the United States would within only six months send shock waves to shake up the long-stagnant Colombian conflict, but that is what has happened. As more and more officials, both in Washington and in Colombia itself, are now including the war against the guerrillas as another part of the president's "war against terrorism," an entirely new situation is arising in that Andean country. The first warning that something was really changing came just this winter. Andres Pastrana, the Colombian peacemaker/president, suddenly got fed up with the Marxist guerrillas of the FARC, whom he had awarded only four years ago a huge, Switzerland-size piece of land, supposing the grant would cause them to negotiate seriously for peace. Instead, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia cynically used the land gift to regroup, build up their forces, and kidnap and hold for ransom more and more innocent people. In February, the president ordered them out of what had come to be a revolutionary Brigadoon, commonly called "Farclandia." Then something amazing happened. Instead of fighting, the guerrillas, who have long been acting as the well-paid praetorian guard of the drug traffickers, just melted away into the jungles and impassable high mountain ridges from which they had originally come. Many escaped dressed as peasants. And President Pastrana, a cultured ex-journalist who had nevertheless been ridiculed over the past year for his "faith" in the guerrillas' intentions, became the hero of Colombia. "Pastrana's stubbornness has now gained him great respect," a highly placed Colombian politician told me. "History will treat him very well, because he put all his prestige behind the process, and now he has brought Colombia to the point where we can face the end of the problem. Now, no one can ever go back and give them what Pastrana did. That period is over. The FARC is no longer looked upon as a romantic group -- in fact, they are not even insurgents any more, but merely an illegal army." A number of propitious elements and events have come together to create a turn of mind in both Bogota and Washington. On the military side, even while President Pastrana was having hopeless peace talks with the FARC, the Colombian military was solidly built up. The country now has 150,000 men under arms, twice what it had four years ago. For the first time, too, because of disgust with the conflict and the new effectiveness of the army, volunteers are replacing conscripts and now constitute fully half the force. New rapid-response units have been formed, and $1 billion in U.S. aid has led to the dispatching of Black Hawk helicopters and, only recently, increased intelligence sharing. (American satellite data could greatly help the Colombians spot guerrilla concentrations in the future.) In addition, in the wake of 9/11, the United States' 1997 designation of the FARC as a "terrorist organization" has received new support from other countries, particularly those in Europe, who had hitherto resisted such designation. Only this week, the Bush administration took a dramatic step. It announced that it will ask Congress next week to remove all restrictions on U.S. military aid to Colombia, particularly those imposed under the Clinton administration, such as the one that restricted U.S. aid money for use only against the drug traffickers and not the guerrillas. Since this was an impossible division to be made, the monies were never as effective as they could have been. The administration's proposals will be included in legislation asking for additional funds to fight global terrorism. In the past two years in particular, events have been moving on in Colombia, a potentially rich country but one whose history has been defined by conflict and slaughter. In just the 20th century, Colombia has gone from "la violencia," which was an old-style fight between political parties, to a more classic liberation movement vs. government conflict, to a unique guerrilla/drug trafficker insurgency against the armed forces. And now there is this new stage, where the reformed and renewed government forces have the potential to seize the initiative -- and eventually instigate internal social reforms in the Colombia of the future. This could well be the defining moment so many have been waiting for, but still, one does well to remember that this moment is only beginning. Complete Title: War Against Terrorism Could Finally Bring Peace to Colombia Source: Salt Lake Tribune (UT) Related Articles & Web Site: Colombia Drug War News U.S. Looks To Loosen Aid Regs for Colombia U.S. Looks To Loosen Colombian Aid Limits Get Out of Colombia - Congressman Ron Paul, MD Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #12 posted by dddd on March 22, 2002 at 02:20:13 PT |
| ..I was hopin' that someone would want to try and explain that the terror war will have an "end"..... .....C'mon,,,someone,,,anyone...I challenge you to give me some reason,,or argument,,or scenario in which thje "War on Terror" comes to an end,,or is "won"!!!...Is it not a "war"????...if it is a "war",,,it implies that eventually there are "winners and losers"..........maybe they should have called it "The Conflict On Terror".. ....I kinda feel like a "loser", in this "war on terror"....everyone is a loser because there is nothing that prevents the terror hunters from saying that you were a terrorist,,,your mind was found to have terror connections....like some Invasion of The Body Snatchers ending,,with Donald Sutherland,,,,,,or perhaps the ending of Soylent Green,,,,,all of a sudden,,,people will start realizing that they have stood by waving the flag,,thinking that the war on terror is getting all those terrorists,,and then,,,much to their fuckin' world class chagrin,,they realize that the terror label could be easily applied to themselves!....the level of proof is about the same as the proof that was necessary to wear that yellow star ,,back before Jewish people had a bunch of guns,and a country......I've already said way too much....c'mon,,,there must be someone out there,who wants to give me one good reason why the "War on Terror",,will end,,or can be "won"????...We really need someone to come up with something here,,,because,,if it is true,,that there is no coherent argument that presents an end to this phony "war on Terror",,,,,then we are stupid ignorant sheeple who dont really deserve to be American!.. ...shocking?,,,but wake up and face the brutal truth!...we are mostly faked out,United we Stand" Americans!....I dont think that you will find many zealous,flag wavers when the ENRON syndrome happens to their nest egg,,that they thought was 'diversified',,,,,,,think about it,,,if money that people have invested can vaporize like the Enron sham,,,then what's to prevent other such things happening?,,blame the accountants,,who blame the executives,,,,a few more mysterios "suicides"....huge amounts of money somehow vanish???..really pissed off Sheeple try to sue the corporate criminal bastards to get their money back,,but the money trail somehow grows cold when it comes to the mega-wealthy....multitudes of disillusioned sheeple get fucked in a most disrespectful way by the new corporate cowboy criminals who abscond with fortunes before the investors get wise.....dddd [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #11 posted by dddd on March 22, 2002 at 00:32:16 PT |
| ......that it is hard to believe that the Sheeple have been successfully herded into the pasture..... the terror war seems normal......when,in actuality,,,if the real picture was shown;,,then more people would be alarmed,,and they will be ,,eventually,,,after it's way too late................this"war",,is the perfected version of the war on drugs. The war on drugs served as a model for the war on terror................ ...Is there anybody out there,,who would like to argue,that the war on terror,is a war that can be "won",,,,that it is a war that somehow will end in "victory"?????.....NO WAY!!..This is obvoiusly a war that will never end until you,,the reader is DEAD!,,,,then the war will kindof be over for you,,,but back in the real world,,it is silly and frivolous to try and imagine some anouncement,,that all the troops are comin' home,,,we have won the war on terror........the poor sheeple are kinda like the sad images of Paula Jones,,,ending up in the ring with Tanya Harding,,,turning her head and running away from the terrifying Tanya,,,,,I'll bet Tanya Harding could crack a walnut with her butt....... ...reporting from outer space......d..d..d..d [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #10 posted by dddd on March 21, 2002 at 05:14:47 PT |
| ....the title of this article is silly ,(in a grotesquely sick way)......can you imagine..?....a headline..."All Fighting Ends in Colombia"...AP/Ronco News Service reported today,that sources in Bogata say "Colombia is now at peace." The US led war on terror was said to be a dominate factor in the settlement.................. ...gimme a freakin break!....The war on terrorism "bringing peace"???...the only type of "peace" that the war on terror will bring,,,will be the naming of some new bomb;"The Peacemaker DaisyCutter InfernoFry DecimatorMaster"......."War Against Terrorism Could Finally Bring Peace.."....that's like a headline that says;.."War Against Drugs Could Finally Bring End To All Illegal Drug Use",,,,"Robert Downey Jr. appointed as new Drug Czar"...."Federal Government Apologizes To American People for Sleazy and Dishonest Behavior!..Promises to make up for it by allowing many more freedoms."......dddd [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #9 posted by dddd on March 21, 2002 at 02:30:46 PT |
| ....my favorite list;.. ....Terrorism,,as nebulously defined by the new Empire,is nothing more than a boogeyman fairy tale...It has been successfully portrayed to the Sheeple as a great threat..This list makes it very clear: THE LIST Chances of dying in US 1 in 126 of heart disease 1 in 169 of cancer 1 in 955 of an accident 1 in 2900 of suicide 1 in 4100 of Alzheimer's 1 in 4500 of AIDS 1 in 4700 of murder 1 in 14400 of a hernia 1 in 74300 of a terrorist attack [Center for Disease Control] .......dddd [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #8 posted by Jose Melendez on March 19, 2002 at 16:48:18 PT:
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| from: http://www.stepan.com/formulations/default.asp FormulationsStepan is pleased to provide prototype formulations
http://biz.yahoo.com/p/s/scl.html Stepan Company and its subsidiaries produce specialty and intermediate chemicals, which are sold to other manufacturers and then made into a variety of end products. The Company has three reportable segments: surfactants, polymers and specialty products. Principal markets for surfactants are manufacturers of detergents, shampoos, lotions, toothpastes and cosmetics. Surfactants are also sold to the producers of emulsifiers and lubricating products. In addition, the Company provides polymers used in construction, refrigeration, automotive, boating and other consumer product industries. Specialty products are used primarily by food and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The Company does not sell directly to the retail market, but sells to a wide range of manufacturers in many industries.From: http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/manufact/app/2001/fr07239.htm Federal Register Notices > Notices of Application - 2001 > Stepan Company Notices of Application - 2001[Federal Register: July 23, 2001 (Volume 66,
Number 141)] [[Page 38324]] DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Drug Enforcement Administration Manufacturer of Controlled Substances; Notice of Application Pursuant to section 1301.33(a) of title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), this is notice that on January 9, 2001, Stepan Company, Natural Products Department, 100 W. Hunter Avenue, Maywood, New Jersey 07607, made application by renewal to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for registration as a bulk manufacturer of the basic classes of controlled substances listed below:
The firm plans to manufacture bulk controlled substances for distribution to its customers. Any other such applicant and any person who is presently registered with DEA to manufacture such substances may file comments or objections to the issuance of the proposed registration. Any such comments or objections may be addressed, in quintuplicate, to the Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20537, Attention: DEA Federal Register Representative (CCR), and must be filed no later than September 21, 2001. Dated: July 13, 2001. Laura M. Nagel, [FR Doc. 01-18215 Filed 7-20-01; 8:45 am]
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| Comment #7 posted by confused on March 19, 2002 at 15:42:31 PT |
| The Stepan Company of 100 W. Hunter Avenue, Maywood, New Jersey 07607 has a DEA dispensation
to import coca leaves into the US. It decocainizes the leaves, sends this extract to Coca-Cola
and sends the purified cocaine to the pharmaceutical companes where they resell it as a
Schedule II drug. The DEA link is here http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/manufact/app/2001/fr07239.htm The Stepan Company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Its stock symbol is SCL. The corporate profile is located at http://biz.yahoo.com/p/s/scl.html In the business summary is the following sentence. "Specialty products are used primarily by food and pharmaceutical manufacturers" The company officers are F. Quinn Stepan, 63 Chairman, CEO F. Quinn Stepan, Jr., 40 Pres, COO, Director James Hartlage, 63 Sr. VP- Technology and Operations Walter Klein, 54 VP-Fin. -- -- Susan Korthase, 50 VP of HR These guys are the sole suppliers of "flavoring" for Coca-Cola. How many pounds of leaves do they import into the US each year? And where do the coca leaves come from? Columbia perhaps? I'd like someone in the government to explain how these guys differ from the Colombians who allegedly are flying planeloads of cocaine into the United States. Is it really a license from the DEA that separates "honest businessmen" from "narcotraffickers? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by Morgan on March 19, 2002 at 14:36:53 PT |
| Georgie Ann Geyer is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
[ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by SpaceCat on March 19, 2002 at 14:33:10 PT |
| As Dark Star commented, obvious and painfully clumsy propaganda. Pastrana respected? I guess that's why the congressional election results were such a repudiation of him and his party. How is it that we can have more knowledge about the Colombia situation just by reading articles on C-news than a so-called professional journalist exhibits on the subject? The answer is left as an exercise for the student. "Indeed, the Bush administration's decision this week to remove restrictions on aid to Colombia may well be the turning point toward some eventual solution." A "final" one, no doubt. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #4 posted by Kevin Hebert on March 19, 2002 at 13:38:18 PT:
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| End the war on drugs and you end the massive profits than go to the FARC, the paramilitaries, and the corrupt government officials. We know that drugs do not fund terrorism, but drug policies do. Still, this: http://www.modernhumorist.com/mh/0203/pot/ is worth a look at. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by Dark Star on March 19, 2002 at 13:07:11 PT |
| This may be the single most off-base, pie-in-the-sky article I have ever seen on the subject. Georgie needs to get, buy or procure a clue. In truth, the Colombian economy is in the toilet, the public has no confidence in the government, and the ruling party is holding its gonads. We'll see, but I suspect that this is propaganda, not news. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by Shishaldin on March 19, 2002 at 12:49:14 PT |
| "This could well be the defining moment so many have been waiting for, but still, one does well to remember that this moment is only beginning." ...of horrors we can only imagine for the Colombian people and, possibly, ourselves. When will they ever learn? peace and strength, Shishaldin [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by Shishaldin on March 19, 2002 at 12:33:51 PT |
| War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength Any Questions? [ Post Comment ] |
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