Congress Passes Resolution in Support of Colombia

(Also proposes appointment of special U.S. coordinator on Colombia)
(940)

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a resolution in support
of Colombia and that country's efforts to "counter threats from
U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations."

House Resolution 358, passed March 6, says President Bush should send
legislation to Congress that would help Colombia "protect its
democracy from U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations and the
scourge of illicit narcotics."

In addition, the resolution proposes that the U.S. Secretary of State
designate a high-ranking official to coordinate all U.S. assistance to
Colombia "to ensure clarity of United States policy and the effective
delivery of United States support."

The resolution was introduced by Representative Henry Hyde (Republican
of Illinois), chairman of the House International Relations Committee,
and Representative Tom Lantos (Democrat of California), the
committee's ranking Democrat.

Following is the text of the resolution:

(begin text)

RESOLUTION

Expressing support for the democratically elected Government of
Colombia and its efforts to counter threats from United
States-designated foreign terrorist organizations.

Whereas the democratically elected Government of Colombia, led by
President Andres Pastrana, is the legitimate authority in the oldest
representative democracy in South America;

Whereas the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney
General and the Secretary of the Treasury, is required to designate as
foreign terrorist organizations those groups whose activities threaten
the security of United States nationals or the national security
interests of the United States pursuant to section 219 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act;

Whereas the Secretary of State has designated three Colombian
terrorist groups as foreign terrorist organizations, including the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the United Self-Defense
Forces of Colombia (AUC), and the National Liberation Army (ELN);

Whereas all three United States-designated foreign terrorist
organizations regularly engage in criminal acts, including murder,
kidnapping, and extortion perpetrated against Colombian civilians,
government officials, security forces, and against foreign nationals,
including United States citizens;

Whereas the FARC is holding five Colombian legislators, a presidential
candidate, and Colombian police and army officers and soldiers as
hostages and has recently escalated bombings against civilian targets,
including a foiled attempt to destroy the city of Bogota's principal
water reservoir;

Whereas, according to the Colombian Government, the FARC has received
training in terrorist techniques and technology from foreign
nationals;

Whereas, since 1992, United States-designated foreign terrorist
organizations in Colombia have committed serious crimes against United
States citizens, kidnapping more than 50 Americans and murdering at
least ten Americans;

Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration believes that members of
the FARC and the AUC directly engage in narcotics trafficking;

Whereas individual members of Colombia's security forces have
collaborated with illegal paramilitary organizations by, inter alia,
in some instances allowing such organizations to pass through
roadblocks, sharing tactical information with such organizations, and
providing such organizations with supplies and ammunition;

Whereas while the Colombian Government has made progress in its
efforts to combat and capture members of illegal paramilitary
organizations and taken positive steps to break links between
individual members of the security forces and such organizations,
further steps by the Colombian Government are warranted;

Whereas in 1998 Colombian President Andres Pastrana began exhaustive
efforts to negotiate a peace agreement with the FARC and implemented
extraordinary confidence-building measures to advance these
negotiations, including establishing a 16,000-square-mile safe haven
for the FARC;

Whereas the Government of Colombia has also undertaken substantial
efforts to negotiate a peace agreement with the ELN;

Whereas the United States has consistently supported the Government of
Colombia's protracted efforts to negotiate a peace agreement with the
FARC and supports the Government of Colombia in its continuing efforts
to reach a negotiated agreement with the ELN;

Whereas the United States would welcome a negotiated, political
solution to end the violence in Colombia;

Whereas, after the FARC hijacked a commercial airplane and took
Colombian Senator Jorge Eduardo Gechem Turbay as a hostage into the
government-created safe haven, President Pastrana ended his
government's sponsorship of the peace negotiations with the FARC and
ordered Colombia's security forces to re-establish legitimate
govern-mental control in the safe haven;

Whereas President Pastrana has received strong expressions of support
from foreign governments and international organizations for his
decision to end the peace talks and dissolve the FARC's safe haven;
and

Whereas the Government of Colombia's negotiations with the ELN are
continuing despite the end of the negotiations with the FARC: Now,
therefore, be it

Resolved, That-

(1) the House of Representatives-- 
(A) expresses its support for the democratically elected Government of
Colombia and the 4 Colombian people as they strive to protect their 5
democracy from terrorism and the scourge of illicit narcotics; and
(B) deplores the continuing criminal terrorist acts of murder,
abduction, and extortion carried out by all United States-designated
foreign terrorist organizations in Colombia against United States
citizens, the civilian population of Colombia, and Colombian
authorities; and
(2) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the
President, without undue delay, should transmit to Congress for its
consideration proposed legislation, consistent with United States law
regarding the protection of human rights, to assist the Government of
Colombia protect its democracy from United States-designated foreign
terrorist organizations and the scourge of illicit narcotics; and
(3) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary
of State should designate a high-ranking official to coordinate all
United States assistance to the Government of Colombia to ensure
clarity of United States policy and the effective delivery of United
States support.

(end text) 

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