News

DATE=8/11/1999 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=COLOMBIA - U-S (L-ONLY) NUMBER=2-252671 BYLINE=RHODA METCALFE DATELINE=BOGOTA CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: In Colombia, the visit by a high ranking U-S State Dept. official has added to growing speculation that Washington plans to increase its military support to Colombia and may become more directly involved in the country's guerrilla war. Rhoda Metcalfe reports from the Colombian capital. TEXT: Speaking to journalists in Bogota Tuesday night, Thomas Pickering, U-S Undersecretary of State, rejected the rumors that have been flying around Colombia, that Washington intends to send in troops to help the Colombian army fight left-wing guerrillas. //Begin Pickering act.// The canard floating around is that the U-S is preparing a military intervention, which is totally false, totally crazy. //End Pickering act.// The rumors were stoked last week by U-S congressional hearings. Congressmen like Dan Burton (Republican- Indiana) argued that the guerrillas are becoming an increasing menace because of Washington's shoddy support to the Colombian military. //Begin Burton act.// We've got junk helicopters down there. We've got four-thousand national police being killed. They're now negotiating from a position of weakness with the FARC guerrillas because we haven't done anything. //End Burton act.// Some U-S congressmen are calling for a doubling in next year's military aid to Colombia - to more than a half billion dollars. And on Tuesday, Mr. Pickering made it clear that Colombia-along with Nigeria, Indonesia and Ukraine-is now a priority country for the U-S. //Begin Pickering act.// It is one of the four countries that in our view, while in difficult situations, do have a real opportunity to make progress in building a more stable, democratic future for themselves. //End Pickering act.// Up until now, U-S military aid in Colombia has been strictly targeted for use against drug trafficking and not the guerrilla war. But as the rebel movement continues to expand and terrorize the country, there is growing pressure by U- S politicians to allow the military aid to be used directly against the guerrillas. (Signed) NEB/RM/PLM 11-Aug-1999 03:54 AM EDT (11-Aug-1999 0754 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .