US SUCKED INTO COLOMBIAN WAR

The United States' senior diplomat, James Pickering, has spent two days in
Colombia this week trying to cement relations with Bogota, a clear
indication that Colombia is now Washington's main preoccupation in Latin
America.

Since President Andres Pastrana took office a year ago there has been little
progress in the country's floundering peace process, or in the fight against
drug production.

Talks with leftwing rebels remain deadlocked, and production of coca - the
raw material for cocaine - has risen by 50% in the last two years.

Critics say the president has made too many concessions to the guerrillas,
whom US and Colombian officials claim earn up to $600m (pounds 375m) a year
from the drugs trade.

Last November the government withdrew thousands of troops from a huge swath
of territory to enable peace talks to take place with the largest rebel
group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc).

But the negotiations have yet to begin.

Mr Pickering, the US under secretary of state, said: "The Colombians...
believe that there's life in the process. The question is, has there been
sufficient action to make the process worthwhile? I think we're on the
borderline there."

Mr Pickering's visit came two weeks after another senior US official warned
that Colombia's drug-fuelled violence was spilling over its borders and
threatening regional stability.

"The US has paid inadequate attention to a growing emergency in the region,"
said the White House anti-narcotics chief, Barry McCaffrey, who has called
for $1bn additional military aid to the region.

The two visits, coupled with the creation of a US-funded anti-narcotics army
battalion and a new policy of intelligence-sharing with the Colombian army,
have provoked speculation in Colombia that the US is planning closer
involvement in the country's 38-year war - or even direct military intervention.

"That is totally false, totally crazy, totally irrelevant. There is no
intention on the US's part to intervene, [and] no request from Colombia to
do so," Mr Pickering said.

But many Colombians believe that the recent crash of a US spy plane during
an anti-narcotics mission over rebel-held territory proves that Washington
is already deeply implicated in the civil conflict.

Colombia is the third largest recipient of US military aid, after Israel and
Egypt. This year it will receive $300m of helicopters, training and ammunition.

The US insists that the aid can only be used to combat the drugs trade, and
is restricted to army units with a clean record on human rights. But human
rights groups fear that Washington is becoming too close to the Colombian
military, which tolerates and sometimes cooperates with rightwing death squads.

"The US seems to be moving precipitously towards greater military
involvement and sharply increasing military aid to Colombia," said Carlos
Salinas of Amnesty International.