FACT-FINDERS: U.S. MUST END COLOMBIAN WAR

Kenneth Leuer and Ralph Puckett were one block away when a 330-pound bomb
blew apart an elite club of Bogota's rich and famous, killing more than 30
people and wounded more than 160.

For the two Columbus men, on a fact-finding mission at the request of the
U.S. government, the Feb. 7 blast punctuated their beliefs that a strong,
U.S.-supported military effort must be mounted to end Colombia's four
decades of civil war -- and very soon.

"Right now the U.S. government must decide unequivocally what to do,"
Puckett said. "The government must determine whether, 'yes, it's worth it,'
or 'no, it's not.'

"We must avoid the attitude that, 'after 41 years of combat another year
won't matter,' " Leuer said. "The pieces are in place. There should be a
real commitment to get things done."

Leuer, a retired U.S. Army major general who is generally regarded as the
father of the modern-day Rangers, and retired Army Col. Puckett, a highly
decorated combat veteran who helped establish Colombia's Ranger-like
Lanceros in 1955, traveled to Colombia at the request of U.S. Ambassador
Ann Patterson to look at how the U.S.-funded, $1.3 billion "Plan Colombia"
program is being implemented. They also consulted the Colombian military on
commando tactics and philosophy.

Late last year, the United States sent special forces troops there to train
the Colombian army in anti-narcotics operations and to guard a U.S.
corporation-owned pipeline frequently targeted by rebels.

Leuer and Puckett said the Colombian conflict -- once ideological -- has
become more economic based. It is difficult to determine rebel forces, they
said. Rebels don't wear uniforms and often conduct kidnappings, sabotage
and blackmail to fund their efforts.

Both said the Colombian government wants to reach a compromise with the
rebels to end the violence, but that it must first get rid of the rebel
leadership -- a sort of "regime change" policy.

"The motivation of the guerrillas comes from money and fear," Puckett said.
"Only the leaders get the money from the drug trade and from the extortion
of families held hostage."

Leuer said the Colombian army is feeling the effects of human rights
training at the Fort Benning-based Western Hemisphere Institute for
Security Cooperation, "possibly even to a fault," because the troops are
sometimes apprehensive about engaging rebel targets -- fearing violation of
those principles -- and place themselves in danger.

"Human rights are practiced there almost to the point of putting troops in
harm's way," Leuer said. "What we're doing at WHINSEC is very evident. The
country is paying attention to human rights."