COLOMBIA REBEL BOSS WARNS U.S.

Americans Could Be Drawn Into 'Big Vietnam'

SAN VICENTE DEL CAGUAN, Colombia (Reuters) -- The United States maintains a
larger military presence in Colombia than it publicly acknowledges and could
find itself drawn into a conflict with Marxist rebels similar to the Vietnam
War, a senior guerrilla leader says.

"The spiral of intervention that the North Americans have unleashed is very
dangerous," Ivan Rios, a commander of the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces
(FARC), said this weekend, referring to the Americans.

"It's possible that this isn't going to be like some little Vietnam but that
it will turn out to be a big Vietnam," said Rios, a member of the FARC's
policymaking joint chiefs of staff.

Rios, 37, spoke in his headquarters overlooking the main square of this
cattle town in the centre of a Switzerland-sized area of savanna and jungle
the government ceded to rebel control in November, as an inducement to enter
talks to end Colombia's 35-year-old conflict.

American officials estimate that on average no more than 150 to 250 U.S.
military personnel are in Colombia, the third-largest recipient of U.S.
security assistance this year.

But Rios said the American presence was much larger, claiming the U.S. was
deeply involved in efforts to bolster the army and police to put them on a
more equal footing with the 17,900-strong FARC.

"We calculate that there are approximately 2,000 North American military
personnel."

The U.S. embassy declined comment.