CLINTON TAKES HEAT FOR NOD ON COLOMBIA DRUG-WAR AID

WASHINGTON - Human-rights groups and two Senate Democrats yesterday
assailed President Clinton's decision to release $1.3 billion to
Colombia to fight its drug trade, and drop several conditions that the
nation improve its human-rights record.

Clinton said withholding the aid package would not give the drug
program and other goals of Colombian President Andres Pastrana a
chance to succeed. Clinton also said Pastrana is committed to
protecting human rights.

"He has submitted legislation to the Colombian parliament, for
example, for civil trials for allegations of military abuses of human
rights. And we also have a system in place for specific case-by-case
investigation of serious allegations," he said.

If Clinton had not signed the waiver, Colombia would have been denied
$50 million in human-rights assistance, which is part of the overall
package. And it would have been awkward for him to go empty-handed on
his trip to Colombia next week.

But some Senate Democrats sharply criticized the waiver. Sen. Patrick
Leahy of Vermont said the human-rights conditions imposed by Congress
do not require perfection, but at least "we need to see consistent
compliance with the conditions, and they are not even close to that.
There is no need or justification for waiving the conditions," Leahy
said.

Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., said, "Waiving the human-rights
conditions is a profound mistake. It sends a dangerous message to the
Colombian army and Colombia's civilian leadership that U.S. commitment
to human rights does not go beyond mere rhetoric."

Human-rights groups in Colombia expressed disapproval of Clinton's
decision.

"It is a grave error," said Jorge Rojas, director of the Agency for
Human Rights and the Displaced. He said Clinton's message was that
fighting drugs was more important than stopping the murders, torture
and disappearances of noncombatants by the military and its right-wing
paramilitary allies.

"How can Washington say that the problem of human rights is still
grave and then send more money that will worsen the situation?" Rojas
asked.