CLINTON ATTACKED ON COLOMBIA AID

International human rights groups on Monday condemned the US administration
for its decision to release $1.3bn in aid for Colombia, charging that the
Bogota government had failed to meet any of the human rights conditions
mandated by the US Congress.

In a report released ahead of President Bill Clinton's visit to Colombia on
Wednesday, the groups say that little progress has been made in bringing to
justice soldiers or paramilitary groups who have been involved in a series
of civilian massacres.

The Clinton administration last week issued a national security waiver
allowing military and other assistance to Colombia, despite acknowledging
that the Colombian government had failed to meet the conditions.

The aid package released by the US includes $122m for judicial reform and
support for human rights in Colombia, but most will be used to equip the
Colombian military for its war against narcotics trafficking.

Mr Clinton is hoping to encourage what it sees as a serious effort by the
administration of Andres Pastrana, the Colombian president, to deal with
drug smuggling and an escalating war with both leftwing guerrillas and
rightwing paramilitary groups.

Thomas Pickering, undersecretary of state for political affairs, said on
Friday that Mr Pastrana was determined "to make respect for human rights a
critical component of his plans for Colombia". He cited in particular the
commitment made last week to try in civilian rather than military courts
all soldiers credibly accused of gross human rights violations, one of the
conditions set down by Congress.

But Monday's report, authored by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch
and the Washington Office on Latin America, says even this first condition
is far from being realised.

Despite the presidential directive, the report says that Colombia's
military continues to dispute jurisdiction in most cases involving
soldiers. If those case go before military rather than civilian courts, the
tribunals "have a virtually unbroken record of covering up crimes", it says.

Colombia has also failed to make progress on any of the other conditions
set down by Congress, the report charges. Many senior officers accused of
human rights violations continue to serve in the Colombian army, the
military continues to harass and threaten civilian human rights
investigations, and most arrest warrants against paramilitary operatives
are never executed.

Despite an increase in arrest warrants, paramilitary commanders "who
tolerate, order and cover up for human rights violations remain virtually
untouched", the report says.

Mr Pastrana's government insists it has made substantial progress in human
rights, with a significant drop in complaints of abuses by the armed
forces. Senior generals say human rights training has been improved
throughout military ranks.

A new military penal code has also been introduced that excludes crimes of
genocide, torture and forced disappearance from military jurisdiction.

Luis Fernando Ramirez, defence minister, acknowledged there were "isolated
cases" of human rights violations within the armed forces, but said: "There
is no impunity."