COLOMBIA QUAGMIRE IS JUST WAITING FOR US

LOOKING for trouble? Keep your eye on Colombian President AndrE9s
Pastrana's hand in Washington's pocket.

His government is in its worst economic crisis since the Depression and
mired in a civil war with drug-growing guerrillas. The currency is falling
and unemployment has risen to almost 20 percent. Pastrana's desperately
seeking $3.5 billion in international assistance.

On the opposite page, Republican Congressman Benjamin Gilman makes the case
for forking over helicopters, weapons, and military training. Given that the
lucrative U.S. market for cocaine and heroin drives the Colombian
sub-economy, it may not be a bad idea for this country to provide some
economic assistance to deal with the troubles Americans help cause. Still,
our hunch is that military aid could deepen the chaos.

Colombia has plenty of bad guys, but it's not clear that Pastrana's
government or anyone else is in control. Leftist guerrillas are fighting the
government, right-wing paramilitary forces are chasing the guerrillas, and
civilians are caught in the crossfire.

Gilman argues that 100 helicopters could make all the difference. Want to bet?