Military

DATE=10/21/2000

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-268162

TITLE=BRAZIL-COLOMBIA (S-ONLY)

BYLINE=BILL RODGERS

DATELINE=RIO DE JANEIRO

CONTENT= ///RE-ISSUING WITH CORRECT TEXT NUMBER///

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Brazil's Defense Minister has dismissed the conclusions of a secret military report that warns of incursions into Brazilian territory by Colombian drug traffickers with ties to leftist rebels. The Brazilian official says the report published Friday is outdated - as we hear from VOA's Bill Rodgers reports in Rio de Janeiro.

TEXT: Defense Minister Geraldo Quintao says the military report was written last year and does not reflect the reality along Brazil's border with Colombia.

He said Brazil has taken steps to prevent possible incursions into its territory by leftist Colombian rebels and dismissed the notion that Colombian drug traffickers have begun cultivating coca in Brazil's Amazon jungle.

His comments came one day after a leading Brazilian newspaper, Jornal do Brasil, published a confidential report written by the Brazilian Air Force.

The report warns that drug traffickers linked to the Colombian guerrilla group FARC are able to operate freely in Brazilian territory bordering Colombia, because of a lack of security. It also warns of possible FARC attacks on Brazilian border outposts.

But Defense Minister Quintao dismissed these warnings as "fantasy" and said the security problems cited by the report have been resolved. (Signed)

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