U.S. TO BOOST AID TO COLOMBIA DRUG BATTLE

Republicans say administration has resisted helping nation in past

WASHINGTON - Clinton administration officials said they will significantly
boost aid to Colombia's drug fight, including asking Congress for at least
40 percent more in funding.

"We cannot cede any ground to the narco-traffickers," said Randy Beers,
acting head of the State Department's counternarcotics section. "We need to
increase our operational tempo in Colombia."

Appearing before the House International Relations Committee,
administration officials said they were responding to the growing strength
of Colombia's traffickers, who increasingly ally themselves with
revolutionary guerrilla groups. The insurgents have become more brazen in
recent months, ambushing an elite corps of Colombia's military and
attacking civilians - including the kidnapping last month of several more
Americans.

Colombia's government now ranks as the most threatened in Latin America,
said Gen. Charles Wilhelm, commander of U.S. troops in the region.

"The current tactical situation is bleak," he told the panel.

The officials didn't detail their plans but said the added money will help
expand air and surface interdiction efforts, increase the destruction of
coca and poppy fields and strengthen law-enforcement and judicial reforms.

But congressional Republicans accused the administration of responding too
slowly to Colombia's problems. The House committee has tried in vain for
nearly two years to force the State Department to transfer helicopters and
guns to Colombia's national police, said Committee Chairman Benjamin
Gilman, R-N.Y.

"We couldn't fathom what the resistance was," he said.

Part of the resistance stemmed from the opposition of human rights groups.
They fear that the equipment will be used by Colombian military units that
are notorious for human rights violations.

The administration also remains suspicious of the anti-drug commitment of
Colombia's central government. U.S. officials have criticized Colombian
President Ernesto Samper for alleged connections to drug traffickers.

That led President Clinton to rate Colombia a noncooperative ally in the
drug fight, which cut some forms of aid for two years. The decision wasn't
supposed to affect counterdrug aid but complicated the transfer of some
assets, officials said.

Mr. Clinton again rated Colombia an uncooperative partner this year but
waived the restrictions on aid because of concerns about its growing
insurgency.

Mr. Gilman and other Republicans welcomed what they said was an apparent
change in administration attitude. They questioned, however, whether the
White House would follow through.

"Your program sounds ambitious," Mr. Gilman told the administration
officials. "I hope you'll back that up with significant resources."

Mr. Beers said the White House soon would ask Congress for at least another
$21 million in aid for Colombia for the coming year. That would join $30
million already requested by the State Department for programs in Colombia.

The department also provides about $30 million from other funds, including
$25 million for air operations in Colombia and $5 million in training.

Spending more might require taking money from other countries in the
region, particularly Bolivia and Peru, the administration officials said.

The budget request for Bolivia already was cut significantly next year
because Congress has demanded that the White House buy three advanced
Blackhawk helicopters for Colombia's police, administration officials say.

Mr. Beers told the House panel that the administration continued to
question the deployment of the Blackhawk helicopters, which are faster and
have greater range than the Vietnam-era Huey helicopters already provided
Colombia.

A leader of Colombia's police told the panel, however, that his force needs
the advanced helicopters to reach ever-expanding coca fields.

"The narco-guerrillas know what the range of a Huey is," he said.