21 September 1999
Administration Sees Renewed Hope For Colombia
(Officials underscore U.S. support for "Plan Colombia") (820)
By Eric Green
USIA Staff Writer
Washington -- The situation in Colombia remains perilous, but the
Clinton Administration is optimistic that the strategy developed by
Colombian President Andres Pastrana called "Plan Colombia" will
address the Andean nation's economic, security, and drug-related
problems.
Testifying September 21 before a Senate panel, U.S. government
officials Rand Beers, Charles Wilhelm, and Brian Sheridan reiterated
that the United States has no intention of becoming involved in
Colombia's battle against its insurgency movement, but is ready to
work with the Colombian government on ways to support Plan Colombia.
Beers, the State Department's Assistant Secretary of State for
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, said the
administration is presently engaged in an internal discussion on how
it can use "existing authorities and funds" to support Colombian
counter-narcotics operations.
Of primary importance to the United States, Beers told the Senate
Caucus on International Narcotics Control, is settling the 40-year-old
Colombian civil war.
The United States "believes in and supports the peace process," Beers
said, "not just because it is the right thing to do, but because it
would be of great benefit to U.S. interests in Colombia."
Peace would stabilize Colombia and help Colombia's economy to recover
while allowing for further improvement in the protection of human
rights, Beers said.
"More importantly ... it would restore Colombian government authority"
over territory now controlled by narco-traffickers, he added.
Beers stressed, however, that the United States sees no hope for peace
as long as narco-traffickers are allowed to operate with impunity in
Colombia's southern Putumayo region.
The administration, Beers said, recognizes that given the extensive
links between Colombia's guerrilla groups and the narcotics trade,
Colombian counter-narcotics forces will come into contact with the
guerrillas, "and must be provided with the means to defend themselves
and carry out their mission."
Beers added that an active aerial drug interdiction program in
Colombia is "absolutely necessary." He pointed specifically to
successes in Peru and Bolivia, where forced and voluntary eradication
has resulted in significant reductions in coca cultivation and cocaine
production.
The United States, Beers said, is working with the Colombian
government to better monitor air traffic in the skies over rural
Colombia, as well as to improve their abitlity to share drug
trafficking-related intelligence.
Wilhelm, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Southern Command (Southcom),
said the problems plaguing Colombia affect each of its five closest
neighbors -- Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, and Panama.
In the absence of "coordinated action," Wilhelm said, "I believe the
external effects of Colombia's problems will continue to increase in
severity. We are aggressively working with all six countries to
encourage a collective approach against a threat they are individually
incapable of defeating."
Wilhelm said he remained "cautiously optimistic" that Colombia, with
increased U.S. support, can "advance the peace process" that Pastrana
initiated.
At the same time, the Southcom commander warned that while Colombia
remains Washington's "focus of effort" in destroying the cocaine and
heroin industry, this should not be done at the expense of other
nations in the region.
"While continuing our support to Colombia, we must sustain support for
Peru and Bolivia to ensure they maintain momentum in reducing coca
cultivation and drug trafficking. We cannot mortgage the successes we
have achieved in these countries or alienate" Brazil, Ecuador, Panama
and Venezuela with a "Colombia Only" policy.
Meanwhile, Brian Sheridan, the Pentagon's Coordinator for Drug
Enforcement, Policy and Support, said there is no "near-term" solution
for Colombia, but that efforts must continue to help that country
because the connection between Colombia, cocaine and the U.S. drug
problem "cannot be dismissed easily from our minds."
"The sad fact is that Americans spend $38,000 million each year on
cocaine," Sheridan said. "Yet, the threat posed by narco-traffickers
in Colombia extends not only to American lives, but also the national
security of the United States." Because of that, he said, the Pentagon
has actively pursued a strategy "that not only addresses the ongoing
drug threat, but in fact has taken steps to address the changing drug
trafficking patterns."
While the United States supports Plan Colombia, "it should be clearly
understood that Washington's assistance will maintain its sole focus
on counter-drug support, and that any new initiatives will retain that
focus."
U.S. military personnel, Sheridan said, will continue to serve, as
they have for many years, only as trainers in Colombia.
"Under no circumstances," Sheridan maintained, "will U.S. military
personnel participate or accompany Colombian forces engaged in
operations of any sort. This is very much a continuation of current
[U.S. policy] ... there are no changes here. Furthermore, U.S. support
will continue to be contingent upon the human rights vetting process
overseen by the State Department ... an area on which the Colombian
military has been placing greater emphasis and achieving significant
results."
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