COLOMBIAN TERRORISM UNREPORTED

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - In a terrorist attack last Tuesday, one congressman and
one civilian were killed and several local councilmen and radio journalists
were injured in a bombing in an upscale cafe. If this story does not sound
familiar, it is because it was barely covered at all in the news media.
Considering how "terrorist aware" the news has become, why did this story
not merit coverage? It is because this terrorist bombing took place, not in
the Middle East, but in Colombia.

I found this story while on the CNN Web site. I watch the news regularly, so
I was surprised that a terrorist attack killing a government official was
not reported. The story on the Web site was only four short paragraphs,
giving virtually no information as to why such an act would be committed or
who is responsible.

A similar story happening in the Middle East would have been repeated at the
top of every hour. So why are terrorists in Colombia less important than
terrorists in the Middle East? I realize the United States has not been
directly impacted on home soil by Colombian terrorists to the same degree
the United States has been impacted by Middle Eastern terrorists. However,
the United States still suffers the effects of such attacks as Colombia is
the third highest receiver of U.S. aid, behind only Israel and Egypt.

The longer unrest and internal war rages in countries such as Colombia, the
longer and heftier U.S. aid will be necessary for these countries to stay
afloat. Terrorist attacks in Colombia are on a similar scale in casualties
and damages as those in Israel. U.S. money is easier to see lost than U.S.
lives, but it does not change the fact that people are still dying, even if
they are not American.

There may be another reason why Colombian terrorist attacks are not covered
in American news media to the same degree as Middle Eastern terrorist
attacks: to save face in the war against drugs. Many of the Colombian groups
that serve as the prime suspects in these attacks are profiting heavily from
the drug cartels. There are three main guerilla groups in Colombia, the
Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, a left-wing group; Ejercito de
Liberacion Nacional, also a left-wing group, and the Paramilitares, a
right-wing group. All three of the major guerrilla groups profit from drug
trade from Colombia to other countries, with the United States being one of
the biggest buyers.

Therefore, perhaps American news media shies away from reporting on South
American terrorist action because it gives rise to questions as to where
those terrorists get their funding.

The answer is in large part the United States. The war on drugs is not going
well considering the FARC alone is rumored to reap $200 million annually
from the drug trade in Colombia. But many Middle Eastern terrorist groups
also get their funding from drug trade, so it is possible that the real
reason for a media blackout on South American terrorism may lie in another
cause.

Perhaps American news media would find more interest in South America if
they were only to discover large oil deposits there.

Alicia Crall is a student at West Virginia University. Her column first ran
in The Daily Athenaeum.