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12 October 2004

U.S. Military Authorized to Increase Level of Personnel in Colombia

U.S. Congress approves bill to increase troop level to 800

By Eric Green
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- The U.S. Congress has approved legislation that authorizes the doubling of U.S. military personnel in Colombia to 800, and provides for increasing the number of American citizens working for private contractors in that Andean country from 400 to 600.

The legislation, included in the October 9 passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2005, also includes a provision that would extend for two more years authority for the U.S. secretary of defense to use counter-drug funding to assist Colombia's government in conducting a "unified campaign" in Colombia against both narcotics trafficking and activities by organizations designated as terrorist organizations -- the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN), and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (ELN).

The bill says that no U.S. forces or civilian contractors employed by the United States can participate in any combat operation in Colombia, except for acting in self-defense or in rescuing U.S. citizens in the South American nation.

The bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 359-14, and approved by unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate. The bill authorizes funding for the U.S. Department of Defense and the national security programs of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Both the Bush administration and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe had urged the U.S. Congress to boost the level of U.S. military personnel support for the Colombian government's fight against outlawed military groups in that nation. But opponents of the increased troop levels have warned that it could lead to an escalation in Colombia's civil war, which has continued for more than 40 years.

Meanwhile, Colombia's Uribe has thanked U.S. congressional members for stressing the importance of viewing the current free-trade negotiations between the United States and Colombia as part of a broader war against illegal drugs and national security in his country. He also thanked the members for requesting support for Colombian agricultural projects related to sanitary and phytosanitary issues.

In his October 6 letter to Representative Henry Hyde (Republican of Illinois), chairman of the House International Relations Committee, Uribe said that a "broader perspective on national security leads to good economic policy, good agricultural policy and good trade policy."

"I greatly welcome the significant and critical initiative you and other senior congressional members have taken to help create legal jobs and more opportunity for many Colombians, including the demobilized and those affected by the illicit narcotics industry in rural areas," wrote Uribe.

The Colombian president added that "both our countries must ensure, as we deepen our trade and investment relationship, that we do not undermine the significant gains in security and rural employment achieved by Colombia in the past few years with the invaluable support and investment of the United States."

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)