HOUSE SUPPORT IS URGED FOR COLOMBIAN ANTIDRUG AID

WASHINGTON - U.S. officials assured a congressional panel yesterday that the
United States would not get dragged into Colombia's civil war, as they
sought approval of a $1.6 billion aid package to help Colombia crack down on
cocaine production.

The bulk of the aid would be used to buy helicopters and pay for three
battalions trained by the United States to take on leftist guerrillas who
control the main drug-producing areas in southern Colombia.

"We won't allow the U.S. presence to get out of control," Gen. Charles
Wilhelm, U.S. Southern Command chief, told a House Government Reform
subcommittee on drug policy.

Some Democrats in Congress fear that deepening U.S. military involvement in
Colombia would be a mistake and that additional military aid would worsen
the rebel conflict in which 35,000 people have died in the last 10 years.

But Republicans lambasted the administration for not moving before now to
help Colombia wage war on guerrillas who control drug-producing areas.

Noting that "surplus material" promised the Colombian military "back to 1997
hasn't been delivered," the subcommittee chairman, John L. Mica (R., Fla.),
wanted to know how the administration could guarantee that new equipment and
training would arrive as promised.

New estimates by the CIA released Monday show that U.S. authorities had
underestimated Colombian cocaine output. According to the new CIA figures,
Colombia's potential to produce cocaine rose to 520 metric tons last year
from 435 tons in 1998. The CIA had previously estimated 1998 output at 165
tons.