"He fights terrorism -- he fights well-organized, well-funded groups that are out to destroy democracy in Colombia," Bush said after his Oval Office meeting with Pastrana. "He has been strong in his support for democracy not only in his own country, but in the region."

The president has asked Congress to remove restrictions that prevent Colombia from using helicopters and other U.S. anti-drug aid to fight leftist guerrillas. Congress imposed the limits to avoid having the United States become entangled in a larger war.

Bush also is seeking $133 million to help Colombia stop guerrilla attacks on an oil pipeline, reduce kidnappings and rebuild bombed police stations, $439 million in longer-term aid, and $35 million in emergency anti-terrorism support.

Congressional leaders, who met with Pastrana on Wednesday, generally backed the Bush proposal, a departure from previous U.S. policy.

"My predisposition is to be very supportive," Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said. "President Pastrana especially has done an outstanding job in leading his country through some very difficult times."

House Speaker Dennis Hastert said he would push to let U.S. military equipment be used against Colombian rebels as well as drug traffickers. He and Pastrana described Colombia as another battlefield in the global war on terrorism.

"Terrorism is terrorism, whether it's narco-terrorism or terrorism against a government," said Hastert, R-Ill.

"We have a common enemy that is narco-terrorism," Pastrana said Wednesday.

"In the last weeks, the last months, that is what we have had in our country and that is why we are asking the support of the United States to fight narco-terrorism, the support of the world to fight this common enemy, with its violence financed by drugs."

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden said he was "inclined to support" Bush's proposal on the military equipment.

And it might not even require new legislation, he said, since the State Department has designated the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, a terrorist organization.

Peace talks with FARC collapsed in February. Recently, bombings blamed on FARC have hit major cities and targeted Pastrana's likely successor in the May 26 elections, Alvaro Uribe, who has pledged to crack down on terror.

On Capitol Hill, a skeptical Rep. Sonny Callahan, R-Ala., asked Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage on Thursday why the administration wants $35 million for emergency anti-terror aid for Colombia, and what Colombia has to do with the war on terrorism.

"We do believe this is part of the war on global terrorism," Armitage told the House Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations. "We know ... FARC is targeting Americans, and not just targeting officials and infrastructure in Colombia."

Rep. Steven Rothman, D-N.J., questioned whether $104 million proposed to protect a Colombian oil pipeline was really for that purpose or to build up its anti-insurgency forces.

Possibly both, Armitage said.

"They are in a real tussle ... for survival," he said. "We want to train another battalion that will effect that type of security. Could those forces be used in counterinsurgency? Absolutely. Could they also be used to protect the pipeline from insurgents? Absolutely."

In his talks with Bush, Pastrana said he was asking Venezuela on Thursday whether the FARC is using the country as a staging ground against Colombia. "We need that information," Pastrana said.

Bush expressed concern that FARC is acting against Venezuelan farmers who are not protected by that nation's government, which was nearly deposed in a coup last week. The U.S. president said FARC is clearly a terrorist group.

Daschle expressed concern about the future impact of changing current policy, given that Pastrana is leaving office this year.

"What will be the commitment of the new government?" he said. "What will be the intention of the Colombian government with regard to using their own forces? Why have we not been able to apprehend some of the FARC leaders yet?"

The United States has given Colombia $1.7 billion in the past two years to further Pastrana's $7.5 billion, six-year, anti-drug Plan Colombia.

Complete Title: Bush Praises Colombian President for 'Standing Tall' Against Terrorists, Drug Traffickers

Source: Associated Press
Author: Carolyn Skorneck, Associated Press Writer
Published: Thursday, April 18, 2002
Copyright: 2002 Associated Press

Related Articles & Web Sites:

Colombia Mobilization
http://www.colombiamobilization.org/

Colombia Drug War News
http://freedomtoexhale.com/colombia.htm

Congress Supports Bush Colombia Plan
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12564.shtml

Organizers of IMF Protest Object To Route
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12563.shtml

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scary indeed.

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VAAI

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