DATE=8/11/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=COLOMBIA - U-S (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-252671
BYLINE=RHODA METCALFE
DATELINE=BOGOTA
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO:  In Colombia, the visit by a high ranking U-S 
State Dept. official has added to growing speculation 
that Washington plans to increase its military support 
to Colombia and may become more directly involved in 
the country's guerrilla war.  Rhoda Metcalfe reports 
from the Colombian capital.

TEXT:  Speaking to journalists in Bogota Tuesday 
night, Thomas Pickering, U-S Undersecretary of State, 
rejected the rumors that have been flying around 
Colombia, that Washington intends to send in troops to 
help the Colombian army fight left-wing guerrillas.

                    //Begin Pickering act.//

The canard floating around is that the U-S is 
preparing a military intervention, which is totally 
false, totally crazy.

                    //End Pickering act.//

The rumors were stoked last week by U-S congressional 
hearings.  Congressmen like Dan Burton (Republican-
Indiana) argued that the guerrillas are becoming an 
increasing menace because of Washington's shoddy 
support to the Colombian military.

                   //Begin Burton act.//

We've got junk helicopters down there.  We've got 
four-thousand national police being killed.  They're 
now negotiating from a position of weakness with the 
FARC guerrillas because we haven't done anything.

                   //End Burton act.//

Some U-S congressmen are calling for a doubling in 
next year's military aid to Colombia - to more than a 
half billion dollars.

And on Tuesday, Mr. Pickering made it clear that 
Colombia-along with Nigeria, Indonesia and Ukraine-is 
now a priority country for the U-S.

                   //Begin Pickering act.//

It is one of the four countries that in our view, 
while in difficult situations, do have a real 
opportunity to make progress in building a more 
stable, democratic future for themselves.

                   //End Pickering act.//

Up until now, U-S military aid in Colombia has been 
strictly targeted for use against drug trafficking and 
not the guerrilla war.

But as the rebel movement continues to expand and 
terrorize the country, there is growing pressure by U-
S politicians to allow the military aid to be used 
directly against the guerrillas. (Signed)

NEB/RM/PLM


11-Aug-1999 03:54 AM EDT (11-Aug-1999 0754 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.