THE MORE INTELLIGENT U.S. POLICY FOR COLOMBIA: RESTRAINT

Although one sees relatively little news about Colombia these days, the
Bush administration is preparing for a broadly expanded U.S. role in that
country's civil conflicts. Until now, U.S. involvement has been limited to
300 military advisers assisting Colombia to fight drug traffickers. But a
request is before Congress for a half-billion- dollar appropriation to
support a "unified campaign against narcotics trafficking, terrorist
activities and other threats to the national security of Colombia."

Before the United States plunges more deeply into the extremely complicated
morass in Colombia, the administration ought to be more candid about its
objectives. There are now at least two dimensions to the Colombian
conflicts: the admittedly unsuccessful war against drug trafficking that
has involved the United States for 20 years, and a 40-year civil war that
has killed perhaps a quarter-million people. The civil war is being waged
with two well-trained, well-equipped and well-financed rebel groups: the
4,000-member National Liberation Army (ELN), and the 18,000-member
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Both of these left-wing, terrorist organizations make millions of dollars
from drug trafficking and kidnapping, and both have committed numerous
atrocities.

Then, there are the 15,000-member, terrorist United Self-Defense Forces of
Colombia, the AUC, that commit most of the barbaric slaughters of
civilians. While satisfying their obsession to kill suspected rebel
sympathizers, right-wing AUC forces enjoy such close relations with
Colombian military units that international human- rights organizations
call them the Army's "Sixth Division." Thus, they have actually become a
tool for carrying out much of the military's "dirty war." Finally, there
are the 150,000-member, corruption-ridden military and police forces that
are notorious for committing atrocious human-rights violations.

It is this situation into which the Bush administration wants to project
its anti-terrorism war. But it will likely become an unwinnable set of
conflicts like those in which the nation was involved in Central America
for two decades.

Instead, the United States should press for a renewal of the peace talks
ended by President Andres Pastrana in February, and provide much more
assistance to build schools, health clinics and the many other social
services Colombia so desperately needs.

The United States should learn from its tragic mistakes in Vietnam and
Central America and restrain itself before it is too late.

Frank J. Kendrick, Kent