COLOMBIA: CONGRESS SHOULD SUPPORT CLINTON'S EMERGENCY PACKAGE

Congress should support President Clinton's request for a $1.6 billion aid
package for Colombia, to be used in fighting the drug lords and also in
taming the rebel forces there.

Colombia is the world's largest producer of cocaine, and most of that
cocaine ends up in the United States, destroying our young people and
corrupting our institutions.

Colombia is also a nation torn apart by narco-terrorism, communist
guerrillas and right-wing death squads.

But Colombian President Andres Pastrana has good reason to believe that the
communist guerrillas have grown tired of the long war they have been
fighting in the mountains and now may be willing to lay down their arms and
become part of Colombia's democracy as a political party.

President Pastrana so far has avoided any taint of corruption and has earned
the confidence of President Clinton.

Another bit of good news is that, through U.S. training and assistance,
Colombia's anti-drug forces have become more effective in combating the
narco-traffickers, although there is much room for improvement.

Still, Colombia's production of cocaine and heroin increases.

The aid package of $1.6 billion over two years should be enough to increase
the Colombian military's ability to fight the drug producers and
traffickers.

Nevertheless, in approving the emergency aid, Congress should make it clear
that U.S. forces must avoid getting dragged into a civil war in Colombia.

It also should be remembered that as long as there are people in this
country willing to do almost anything for their fix of cocaine or heroin,
somebody, some place will be eager to supply such poisons, and if not from
Colombia, then elsewhere.