U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

INDEX
WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1999
Briefer: James P. Rubin

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

DPB # 94

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1999 12:40 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

.................

QUESTION: Jamie, can you confirm press reports that quote Ambassador Romero saying that the US will train or help Colombia train several more thousand troops for the drug trafficking --

MR. RUBIN: Yes, there are often erroneous press reports in this area; I don't know why that it is. It's a repetitive process. My understanding is that the Colombian Defense Minister presented some ideas in very much a hypothetical way. What we promised was to study them when they were provided in a more concrete way.

So what my guess is that in the course of those discussions, somehow someone interpreted that as some decision of some kind, which it has not been. We've agreed and welcomed the opportunity to study some specific plans as they're made, but made no commitments.

QUESTION: Are you denying this quote by Ambassador Romero -- and I quote The Miami Herald -- him as saying, "We're talking about training several thousand more troops in Colombia."

MR. RUBIN: Right. I haven't seen that particular quote or that particular story. I'm saying that what my understanding of the situation is, is that we received a set of ideas that we asked them to make more concrete, after which we would be in a position to make formal commitments.

I haven't seen the context of that story or the particular quote, and I would want to check with Ambassador Romero whether he said it and the facts before I made any grand judgment on that.

QUESTION: Thank you.

(The briefing concluded at 1:10 P.M.)

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