OUR ROLE IN COLOMBIA

To the Editor:

After touring Colombia and Ecuador and visiting troops there last
month, I am confident that your Jan. 15 editorial "Containing
Colombia's Troubles" is right on the mark.

The symptoms plaguing Colombia - instability, unpredictability and an
indifference to the rule of law - are proliferating into countries
now playing a minor role in cocoa production as Colombia's drug trade
spills over their borders. Our financial and military assistance will
help Colombia's government lead the country and, eventually, end
cocoa production and stabilize the region.

Coupled with a better plan for addressing the demand side of the drug
problem, a regional response will reduce drug traffic and the
devastation it causes. Furthermore, our plan is bolstered by the
conviction of many in Congress that we are doing what is right for
America.

ELLEN TAUSCHER

Member of Congress, 10th Dist., Calif.

Walnut Creek, Calif., Jan. 16, 2001