DATE=2/24/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=SENATE-COLOMBIA (L)
NUMBER=2-259531
BYLINE=DAVID SWAN
DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: President Clinton's request for a major package
of anti-drug aid to Colombia is meeting a skeptical
early reception on Capitol Hill. Among other things,
the issue has been complicated by charges of ties
between the Colombian military and right-wing death
squads. V-O-A's David Swan reports.
TEXT: The White House is trying to convince Congress
to approve a two-year, one-point-six billion dollar
effort to help Colombia stem the flow of narcotics.
At a Senate hearing (Thursday) Deputy Secretary of
State Thomas Pickering said the government in Bogota
has the will to fight the traffickers. He also tried
to assure senators the (U-S) administration is
concerned about human rights.
/// PICKERING ACT ///
Complicity by elements of Colombia's security
forces with the right-wing militia groups called
paramilitaries remains a serious problem.
/// END ACT ///
That issue was raised by the group "Human Rights
Watch." The organization reports three Colombian army
brigades have close links to paramilitary forces
accused of atrocities against civilians. Colombia's
ambassador to Washington, Luis Moreno, testified his
government is confronting the problem.
/// MORENO ACT ///
We're investigating these allegations of links
between military personnel and illegal armed
groups. And we will continue to take strong
legal action against any individuals found to
have such links.
/// END ACT ///
But many senators remain unconvinced. Democrat
Patrick Leahy denounced what he calls a sordid human
rights record by the (Colombian) army.
/// LEAHY ACT ///
So I can not support this military aid without
strict conditions to ensure that military
personnel who violate human rights or who aid or
abet the paramilitaries are prosecuted in
civilian courts. The Colombian military courts
have shown time and again that they're unwilling
to punish their own (soldiers).
/// END ACT ///
Other lawmakers asked if the Clinton administration's
anti-drug effort is simply election-year politics --
or if the United States will be pulled deeper into
Colombia's bloody drug wars. There was one especially
heated exchange between Republican Senator Ted Stevens
and General Charles Wilhelm, the U-S military
commander in the region.
/// STEVENS - WILHELM ACT ///
(Stevens) Who's going to go in if this blows up?
We've got 800 (Americans) people on the ground
(in Colombia). Tell me this is not a Vietnam
again. (Wilhelm) Sir, it is not a Vietnam
again. I spent 1965, 66, 69 and 70 in Vietnam
and I think I'll know it when I see it happening
again. When I go Colombia I do not feel a
quagmire sucking at my boots.
/// END ACT ///
General Wilhelm also said he sees no institutional
ties between the Colombian army and the death squads
but he can not rule out what he calls "local
collusion." (Signed)
NEB/DS/ENE/gm/latam
24-Feb-2000 15:10 PM EDT (24-Feb-2000 2010 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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