The same toughtalking U.S. official who recently called
Colombia's Ernesto Samper a "truly corrupt president" has
paid the embattled leader a backhanded compliment of sorts.

Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Robert Gelbard, who
has attacked Samper in public repeatedly, is seen as the
driving force behind Washington's hard line on Colombia and
Friday's decision to keep it on a U.S. blacklist of
countries considered unworthy allies in the war on
drugs. In recent testimony on Capitol Hill, referring to
allegations that Samper financed his 1994 campaign with
drug money, he called him "a truly corrupt president who
has had a clear history of cooperating with drug dealers."

But in an interview with Colombia's top news magazine
Semana, which hit newsstands on Monday, Gelbard had kinder
words when asked about his personal opinion of Samper.

"He's a great politician," Gelbard said.

He did not elaborate, but the comment was seen as a
tribute to Samper's uncanny knack for survival despite
repeated calls that he resign.