US PROMISE TO CIVILIANS

Bogota - With the United States on the verge of sending helicopter gunships
into Colombia's war, a top US military commander expressed faith that
Colombian troops would not harm civilians with the lethal hardware.

Two US-trained army battalions are poised to launch large-scale operations
in Colombia's southern cocaine-producing region and US special forces
troops will soon begin training a third battalion here.

Marine General Peter Pace, chief of the US Southern Command, said General
Mario Montoya, who will command operations involving the US-supplied
helicopters and US-trained troops, was a "responsible commander" who would
prevent civilians from being killed with Washington's weaponry.

US-trained army battalions flying aboard the helicopters will try to seize
the coca fields and processing laboratories from leftist rebels and
right-wing paramilitary gunmen.