COLOMBIA OFFICIALS BLAST DRUG WAR

BOGOTA, Colombia -- Four governors from southern Colombian states urged
an immediate halt to U.S.-backed drug crop fumigations, which they say
are wrecking the environment and causing families to go hungry.

The governors are to travel to the United States on Sunday for a
six-day visit to Washington, in hopes of persuading lawmakers there to
allow farmers to eradicate the drug crops manually.

U.S. and Colombian officials estimate that fumigations in southern
Colombia have destroyed some 72,000 acres of coca, the raw ingredient
of cocaine.

But Putamayo Gov. Ivan Guerrero said Saturday about half of the
fumigated crops were legal food crops. The governors said the
fumigations are also causing unemployment and damaging the
environment.

"We don't need more helicopters," said Tolima Gov. Guillermo
Jaramillo. "What we need is an immense social investment."

The aerial spraying is part of a $1.3 billion U.S. aid package that
also includes the training of Colombian troops for a counternarcotics
offensive in areas where right-wing paramilitary groups and leftist
guerrillas profit from the cocaine trade.

The U.S. aid package has been criticized for focusing too much on
military assistance. Washington says it will help weaken the country's
largest rebel army, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or
FARC.

Colombia's 37-year conflict claims at least 3,000 lives annually,
mostly civilians caught in the cross-fire between guerrillas, the
military and right-wing paramilitary groups.

Fighting Saturday in the western town of Dagua killed at least six
soldiers and injured nine others, when hundreds of FARC rebels
attacked a privately owned telecommunications base the soldiers were
defending, said Navy Admiral David Moreno. One civilian was also killed.

Separately, FARC rebels attacked the southern town of San Pablo
Saturday, killing six police officers and destroying the police
barracks and a nearby bank. Two other officers were wounded in the
attack, about 330 miles south of Bogota, officials said.

Also Saturday, there were unconfirmed news reports that the nation's
second-largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army, or ELN,
was pulling out of negotiations with the government.

Bogota's El Tiempo newspaper reported that the ELN had informed
President Andres Pastrana's government that it was suspending contacts
aimed at opening formal peace talks. A local television station had
the same report on Friday.

Neither the ELN or the government has confirmed or denied the report.