BUSH HAILS COLOMBIAN LEADER, VISION FOR PEACE

He says U.S. strongly supports Uribe's fight against drugs, rebels

WASHINGTON - President Bush lauded Colombia's newly elected president
Wednesday, calling him a "man of freedom" and reiterating U.S. support for
the South American country in its decades-old civil war.

In his first meeting with President Alvaro Uribe, Mr. Bush said he was
"incredibly impressed" by Mr. Uribe's vision for peace in Colombia.

"The Colombian people believe him, and so do I," Mr. Bush said. "And today
I want to affirm our country's strong desire to help the Colombian
government and the Colombian people prosper and to live in freedom."

The gathering in the Oval Office, followed by a two-hour working lunch with
Mr. Bush and Cabinet officials, capped Mr. Uribe's 48-hour visit, which
included meetings at the Pentagon, Capitol Hill and the State and Treasury
departments, and with policy analysts.

Colombian government aides said the meetings were aimed at spotlighting the
country's new aggressive strategy to combat drug and armed outlaw groups as
it endures enormous economic sacrifice.

Financial Help Sought

During the meeting with Mr. Bush and members of his Cabinet, Mr. Uribe
said, he asked for help in meeting Colombia's financial commitments with
international institutions, while creating jobs and still fighting its drug
war. Afterward, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said the administration
supports "current discussions between Colombia and the international
financial institutions to mobilize financing to advance reform and to meet
the needs of the challenging period ahead."

U.S. and Colombian officials have estimated that Colombia supplies more
than 90 percent of the cocaine and more than half the heroin to the United
States.

"Illicit drugs are the most powerful chemical weapon in the world," Mr.
Uribe said. "If we want to restore law and order in Colombia, if we want to
stop the spread of drugs into other neighboring countries, we have to
defeat drugs and we have to defeat terrorists in my country."

Upon taking office in August, Mr. Uribe launched a new military offensive
against leftist rebels and right-wing paramilitary organizations. On
Tuesday, Attorney General John Ashcroft unsealed an indictment against the
leader of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, Carlos Castano, and
two other members of the paramilitary group.

Drug Role Denied

In a radio interview broadcast Wednesday in Colombia, Mr. Castano denied
involvement in the drug trade. He said his primary condition for surrender
is that his children be taken to the United States for their safety. The
United States has previously indicted the largest rebel organization, the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, on drug trafficking charges.

The indictments, analysts said, were aimed at helping Mr. Uribe press his
case to human-rights organizations and U.S. lawmakers who have been
critical of widespread abuses by paramilitary groups. Mr. Uribe, who has
denied allegations of ties to the groups, said he is serious about pursuing
criminals evenly.

The United States has spent more than $2 billion in Colombia since 2000 to
combat drug traffickers, with about $450 million in new assistance
requested by the Bush administration for next fiscal year.

"I want President Uribe to succeed, and I told him that. We all do," said
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Appropriations
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations. "But I also want to be sure that when
the United States gives aid, we do not compromise our principles or our
commitment to human rights and the rule of law."

During his visit, Mr. Uribe's underlying message was the sacrifice
Colombians are making to support a new strategy that he said has already
led to the arrests of more members of the United Self-Defense Forces of
Colombia than in the four years of the previous administration.

Mr. Uribe has said he plans to enlist 1 million civilians to serve as
informers and create a supplemental army of part-time peasant soldiers. He
is also instituting a 1.2 percent "war surtax" on upper-middle class and
wealthy Colombians during tough economic times.

Colombia's unemployment rate is 18 percent and climbing, with fears of
future economic troubles akin to those facing Brazil and Argentina,
officials said. Already, tens of thousands of Colombians have fled for the
United States, Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Some policy analysts viewed Mr. Uribe's trip a success but cautioned that
in spite of the continued flow of U.S. aid to Colombia, the issue in
Washington has been relegated to second-tier news, replaced by events in
Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East.

"He's preparing the road for the kind of support he will need over his
years in office," said Michael Shifter, a Colombian expert at the
InterAmerican Dialogue. "I think he left a good impression."