Military

DATE= 04/18/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=BUSH COLOMBIA (L)

NUMBER=2-288878

BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS

DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: President Bush wants to let Colombia's military use U-S equipment to fight leftist rebels. VOA's Scott Stearns reports, Mr. Bush met with Colombia's president at the White House Thursday where the two leaders called for the passage of a regional trade act to discourage narcotics production.

TEXT: President Bush says Colombia deserves more U-S help because its president, Andres Pastrana, is "standing tall" against drug smugglers and terrorists.

/// BUSH ACT ///

He has led a valiant effort at eradicating coca fields, standing strong against the narco-traffickers. And as well, he fights terrorism in his country. He fights well-organized, well-funded groups that are out to destroy democracy in Colombia.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Bush is asking Congress for 133-million dollars to help President Pastrana stop attacks by leftist guerillas from the so-called Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC.

He also wants legislators to lift restrictions on U-S military assistance to allow Colombia to use U-S equipment to fight those rebels. That assistance is currently restricted to anti-narcotics efforts.

President Pastrana cancelled three years of peace talks with the FARC in February, after rebels hijacked a civilian jetliner and kidnapped a presidential candidate. The U-S State Department has since added the FARC to its list of terrorist groups.

Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress say they support expanding the scope of U-S military assistance to Colombia.

Washington has given Colombia one-point-seven billion dollars over the last two years to help fund President Pastrana's Plan Colombia, which includes efforts to persuade coca growers to switch to legitimate crops.

Those incentives are also part of an expanded Andean Trade Preference Act, awaiting action before Congress. That plan is designed to help Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru increase regional trade as an alternative to cocaine production

President Pastrana says it is crucial to the fight against illegal drugs.

/// PASTRANA ACT ///

The Andean Preference Act is fundamental for us. It is commerce. As we said, we don't want aid. We want commerce. And that is what we need in Colombia also, one of the big components of the social side of Plan Colombia that is social investment. And social investment is jobs, better jobs, and well-paying jobs.

/// END ACT ///

President Bush says expanding trade is not only important for commercial reasons but because it counters narco-trafficking, by providing more legitimate business opportunity.

The Andean Trade Preference Act passed the Republican-led House last year and is awaiting action in the Democratically-controlled Senate. (SIGNED)

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