COLOMBIA BRACES ITSELF FOR A TOUGH NEW REGIME

True To His Word, The President Will Tackle Guerrillas, Drug Lords.

When Colombia's new president, Alvaro Uribe, declared a "state of unrest"
in his troubled nation and assumed sweeping new powers, it came as a shock
to no one. During his campaign, he pledged to take just such steps.

He will impose a 1.2 percent tax on individuals and businesses with assets
of $60,000 or more - a levy that is projected to bring in $800 million. Ten
thousand new police officers will be recruited, as will 6,000 soldiers. And
the government reserves the power to impose certain restrictions on civil
liberties.

Why would a nation embrace such a program? Over the last decade, the fabric
of Colombia's civil society has unraveled. Colombians are being brutalized
by left-wing guerrillas, drug traffickers, right-wing paramilitaries and
even, in some cases, by their own military.

Uribe won the presidential election outright with 53 percent of the vote. A
poll taken Monday by Caracol TV indicated that more than 72 percent of
Colombians support Uribe's plans.

The nation has seen one peace initiative after another founder. Uribe's
prescription is bluntly direct. Forget the olive branch: His weapon of
choice is the hammer, and he has the public's support to wield it - for now.

Past experience in Latin America with such strategies gives little cause
for optimism. But it's the Colombians' choice. May Uribe proceed with
restraint - and may he always count the cost.