News (Media Awareness Project) - US: Clinton Clears Way for Aid to Colombia |
| Title: | US: Clinton Clears Way for Aid to Colombia |
| Published On: | 2000-08-23 |
| Source: | New York Times (NY) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-03 11:39:58 |
CLINTON CLEARS WAY FOR AID TO COLOMBIA
WASHINGTON -- President Clinton has signed a waiver allowing distribution of $1.3 billion in aid to Colombia to help that nation fight drug trafficking even though the Colombian government has not met a variety of requirements for improvement in its rights record, administration officials said Tuesday.
The president's action had been expected and comes a week ahead of his planned trip to Colombia, where he will offer his support to the beleaguered government of President Andres Pastrana.
Human rights groups had urged the administration to scrap the aid plan, arguing that it would embolden the Colombian military to step up rights abuses. In legislation authorizing the aid, Congress set conditions including an overhaul of Colombia's military justice system.
But administration officials said President Clinton believed that the situation in Colombia was so desperate that he needed to waive some conditions to get aid to the government there as quickly as possible.
WASHINGTON -- President Clinton has signed a waiver allowing distribution of $1.3 billion in aid to Colombia to help that nation fight drug trafficking even though the Colombian government has not met a variety of requirements for improvement in its rights record, administration officials said Tuesday.
The president's action had been expected and comes a week ahead of his planned trip to Colombia, where he will offer his support to the beleaguered government of President Andres Pastrana.
Human rights groups had urged the administration to scrap the aid plan, arguing that it would embolden the Colombian military to step up rights abuses. In legislation authorizing the aid, Congress set conditions including an overhaul of Colombia's military justice system.
But administration officials said President Clinton believed that the situation in Colombia was so desperate that he needed to waive some conditions to get aid to the government there as quickly as possible.
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