COLOMBIA DRUG WAR IMPRESSES SECRETARY

CARTAGENA, Colombia-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright got a firsthand
look Saturday at Colombian efforts to intercept cocaine shipments at this
steamy Caribbean port. She came away impressed with government sleuths'
high-tech tools - and the methods drug lords use to circumvent them.

"That's fantastic," Albright said when shown an Internet hookup that allows
Colombia to connect with 286 ports in 80 countries as part of an integrated
counterdrug campaign.

She also was shown manifests purporting to document legal exports that were
an attempt by drug traders to conceal cocaine or heroin shipments. "They
certainly are ingenious," Albright said.

President Andres Pastrana, appearing with Albright at a news conference on
the grounds of the seaside guest house where she stayed Friday night, cited
the near-dismantling of cartels in Medellin and Cali as an indication of
Colombia's progress in the drug war.

"We can and will do more," he said as three Coast Guard speedboats armed
with M-60 rifles deployed in waters just yards away. He said European donors
will meet in June or July to make pledges to assist Colombia in fighting the
drug trade.

Albright said the two countries are sharing a "very important moment" and
are "fully in harmony" on high-priority objectives.

While Albright was in northern Colombia, 50 people were killed Saturday in
clashes between leftist rebels and security forces hundreds of miles away,
near Bogota, the capital.

The Colombian government and the rebels also held peace talks Saturday in a
southern jungle. It was not clear if the attack was meant as a show of force
to coincide with the peace talks or Albright's visit.