BILL TO VISIT COLOMBIA AMID AID DEBATE

WASHINGTON-There's no rest for President Clinton this week as he makes a
high-stakes visit to Colombia after a hastily scheduled visit to Cairo
tonight and tomorrow to discuss Israeli-Palestinian peace prospects.

Clinton is visiting Colombia on Wednesday after deciding to fork over $1.3
billion in U.S. aid to help battle the country's notorious cocaine cartels.

The U.S. infusion of taxpayer cash has been compared with the early days of
Vietnam, putting the administration on the defensive over costs, manpower
and political dangers of battling drugs in the Colombian jungles.

"It will not become, turn into or look like a Vietnam," said Thomas
Pickering, undersecretary of state for political affairs, ahead of Clinton's
visit.

There were scattered weekend protests, including U.S. flag-burnings,
according to news reports.

"The Vietnamization of South America is the story of the day in Latin
America," said Bronx-born Al Giordano, publisher of the Latin America-based
NarcoNews.com, which covers drug policy.

Clinton's "Plan Colombia" — with backing from Republican House Speaker
Dennis Hastert — has a $7.5 billion price tag. Colombian President Andres
Pastrana's government is to fund the balance.

The plan includes deploying U.S. military advisers to train Colombian forces
and delivering 18 Black Hawk helicopters and 42 Huey 2 helicopters.

To free up the $1.3 billion already approved by Congress, Clinton had to
waive Colombia's record of human rights violations, which angered some
Democrats.

"The administration has put us in a Catch-22 position," said Sen. Pat Leahy
(D-Vt.). "They ... promised real reforms to protect human rights in order to
get more than a billion dollars in taxpayer funds. Then when they get the
money, they say they cannot meet the conditions."

Four decades of civil war between the Colombian government and rebel forces,
believed to number 20,000, has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both
sides, as well as innocent men, women and children.