PASTRANA, IN WASHINGTON, SEEKS REVIVAL OF AID PACKAGE

WASHINGTON (AP) Colombian President Andres Pastrana is on a two-day
visit here, hoping to persuade Senate leaders to resuscitate President
Clinton's $1.6 billion emergency assistance proposal for his country.

The administration's proposal, focused largely on combating narcotics
flows, sailed through the House last month but faces a delay in the
Senate.

Pastrana will meet with Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., on
Wednesday after meetings today with Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright, White House drug control chief Barry McCaffrey and House
leaders.

Lott decided last week to indefinitely postpone votes scheduled by the
Senate Appropriations Committee on the spending package that includes
the Colombia aid money.

Lott supports the spending but doesn't see a need to consider the
legislation on an "emergency" basis, as the House did. He believes the
regular appropriations process can be used.

Pastrana considers his meeting with Lott to be the most important of
his two days here. He also will meet with Senate Minority Leader Tom
Daschle, D-S.D., and other Senate leaders.

In a letter hand delivered to Lott and other Senate leaders on
Saturday, McCaffrey wrote: "A long delay in our support for Colombia
and the Andean region will considerably diminish the value of our assistance.

"A delay could have a chilling affect on other donors," McCaffrey
said. "At the same time, President Pastrana's hand would be severely
weakened, reducing his ability to combat drug traffickers, pursue
economic reform and negotiate peace. Several months' delay will send
the message that the U.S. lacks the will to provide significant
resources against drug production."

Daschle said Lott's decision was "a mistake. The House passed (the
package) quickly for a reason."

The House bill would provide $9 billion for the Pentagon, including $2
billion for costs of Kosovo peacekeeping. It also would provide
disaster relief.

Marine Gen. Charles Wilhelm, commander in chief of the U.S. Southern
Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee last week that the
administration's proposal "is crucial to ... plans that, if executed,
will strike at the heart of the illicit drug trade."

The package would "contribute to the overall security and stability of
a region of rapidly growing strategic importance to the United
States," Wilhelm said. He noted that Colombia is now the world's
largest producer of cocaine and fourth among heroin producers.