IN COLOMBIA'S COURT

Paramilitary Leader Accused of Smuggling

With the federal indictment of former paramilitary leader Carlos
Castano and two of his cohorts, the Bush administration sent a
strong signal to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and the world that
the United States is serious about cracking down on paramilitary
groups involved in drug trafficking and human-rights abuses.

President Uribe, in Washington this week lobbying for more aid, has
vowed to go after right-wing militias with as much vigor as he is
against communist guerrillas. President Bush has indicated that he is
prepared to fully back Colombia in its war on illegal armies, three of
which are on the U.S. terrorism list. But Colombia must help itself by
increasing its defense spending and by taking serious measures to
improve security and pursue drug dealers.

On the Right Track

Uribe appears to be on the right track. Elected in a landslide by
Colombians fed up with a 30-year-old conflict that has claimed over
30,000 lives, he has promised to take the offensive against the
leftist insurgents, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
and National Liberation Army (ELN). He is also clamping down on the
newer right-wing paramilitary group, United Self-Defense Forces of
Colombia (AUC) -- and on drug trafficking conducted by both. The AUC
is partly a product of FARC's never-ending war of terror and the
government's inability to provide security.

Mr. Uribe faces a daunting task. The country is possibly in its worst
state ever. A severely depressed and damaged economy, capital flight,
dramatic crime rates and a broken and intimidated justice system are
but a few of Colombia's ills. Most of Colombia's troubles, though, are
related to the lack of security. The mortar attack on the presidential
palace by the FARC during Uribe's inauguration -- despite an
unprecedented security operation -- shows just how desperate the
security situation is.

In the six weeks since he took office, Mr. Uribe has raised taxes on
the wealthy, sending every extra peso he can squeeze from the budget
into the military. He also has established a national civilian
informant network, is training and arming peasants for self-defense in
vulnerable areas of the country and has given the security forces
sweeping powers. Moreover, the police and military reportedly have
arrested more AUC members in the past six weeks than in four years of
the previous administration.

Positive Changes

These are all positive changes. Mr. Uribe's campaign against terror is
a good cause. The leftist guerrillas are rebels without a cause. In
most polls, the FARC gets far less than 5 percent of public support.
Mr. Uribe's words and deeds against the AUC should also help allay
concerns of human-rights groups.

Now that President Bush has put the paramilitary ball in Uribe's
court, it is up to him to take it and run. Mr. Uribe should follow-up
with concrete efforts to bring these persons to justice; and Congress
should heed his request for support in the war against terror in our
hemisphere.