Blue-Ribbon Task Force Issues Report on Colombia's Problems

Council on Foreign Relations
Inter-American Dialogue

Press Release

October 12, 2000

Blue-ribbon Group Highlights Colombia's Massive Problems, Urges
Different U.S. Approach

Graham-Scowcroft group emphasizes need for U.S. policy to go beyond
drug question to reverse Colombia's deterioration, focus on
lawlessness, insecurity, and corruption

Washington, D.C., October 12, 2000 -- An independent task force, led
by Senator Bob Graham (D-Fla.) and former national security adviser
General Brent Scowcroft today urged the United States to undertake a
major, long-range commitment to Colombia. The task force said that
assistance should be directed toward building state authority and the
rule of law and, most urgently, toward dealing with Colombia's
security crisis. The group warned that if the U.S. role in the Andean
country is to be effective it has to go beyond the current, narrow
focus on fighting drugs.

The task force, sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations and the
Inter-American Dialogue, calls for reframing U.S. policy. The report
sets out an alternative strategy that responds to Colombia's
lawlessness, insecurity, and corruption and that points to ways of
achieving greater peace and security. It stresses efforts to
professionalize the country's military and police forces, protecting
Colombians against all lawless actors. The strategy should also seek
to curtail widespread human rights abuses, strengthen political,
judicial, and social reform measures, and restore the economy. While
the responsibility for finding a solution to the crises depends on the
Colombians, the task force maintains, the United States and the
international community can and must help the troubled country on all
fronts, and put Colombia even higher on the policy agenda.

"Toward Greater Peace and Security in Colombia: Forging a Constructive
U.S. Policy" follows President Clinton's visit to Cartegena, Colombia
and his signing of a $1.3 billion aid package to support the
government of President Andr6s Pastrana. "The challenge now," said
Senator Graham, "is to build on our current policy and devise a
strategy that better responds to Colombia's condition of lawlessness,
and that advances U.S. interests and values. This will call for
continued high-level political attention in Washington, and a stronger
commitment to significant reforms and progress in Bogota. It will also
call for solid support and joint action with our partners both in the
hemisphere and in Europe."

Some of the policy recommendations of the report include:

-- U.S. aid should be directed to apolitical solution to Colombia's
internal conflict.

-- Colombian armed forces must be professionalized to improve both
their effectiveness and commitment to human rights standards.

-- Greater efforts must be devoted to the drug problem on all fronts,
including curbing demand in the United States.

-- The U.S. should support efforts at institutional reform in the
social, political, and justice areas to contribute to Colombia's
long-term prospects.

-- The U.S. should take steps to give Colombian products greater
access to markets.

-- The U.S. should play a leading role in mobilizing essential
international support for Colombia.

Senator Bob Graham, former governor from Florida, is now in his third
term as senator from that state. General Brent Scowcroft, president of
the Forum for International Policy, served as national security
adviser under President Bush. Michael Shifter of the Inter-American
Dialogue is the project director. A distinguished and diverse group of
task force members and Colombian advisers participated in this effort.
Senator Graham and General Scowcroft are planning a visit to

Colombia over the coming months to discuss the task force's work.

Task Force Members include:

-- Elliott Abrams, President, Ethics and Public Policy Center

-- Stanley S. Arkin, Senior Partner, Arkin Schaffer & Kaplan LLP

-- Cynthia Arnson, Assistant Director, Latin American Program, Woodrow
Wilson International Center for Scholars

-- Bernard Aronson, Chairman and Partner, Acon Investments LLC

-- Joyce Chang, Managing Director, International Fixed Income, Chase
Securities

-- Robert Charles, President Direct Impact LLC

-- Mike DeWine, Senator (R-OH), United States Senate

-- Jorge I. Dominguez, Clarence Dillon Professor of International
Relations and Director, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs,
Harvard University

-- Mathea Falco, President, Drug Strategies

-- J. Samuel Fitch, Professor of Political Science, University of
Colorado at Boulder

-- Sergio J. Galvis, Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell

-- Michael Gavin, Director, Economic and Financial Research, Warburg
Dillon Read LLP

-- Charles A. Gillespie, Jr., Resident Senior Fellow, Forum for
International Policy

-- Richard N. Haass, Director, Foreign Policy Studies Program,
Brookings Institution

-- Henry Allen Holmes, Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University

-- James R. Jones, Senior Counsel, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips

-- George Joulwan, Former CINC, U.S. Southern Command

-- Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Lieutenant Governor, State of Maryland

-- Anthony Lake, Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy,
Georgetown University

-- Abraham F. Lowenthal, President, Pacific Council on International
Policy

-- Thomas F. McLarty, Vice Chairman, Kissinger McLarty Associates

-- Thomas McNamara, President, Americas Society

-- Ambler Moss, Jr., Director, Dante B. Fascell North-South Center,
and Professor of International Studies, University of Miami

-- Lilia, L. Ramirez, Director, Congressional Relations, Raytheon
Corporation

-- Ervin J. Rokke, President, Moravian College

-- David J. Rothkopf, President, Newmarket Company

-- Viron P. Vaky, Senior Fellow, Inter-American Dialogue

Alexander F. Watson, Vice President and Executive Director, Latin
American and Caribbean Division, The Nature Conservancy

The report is available on the web sites of the Council on Foreign
Relations (www.cfr.org) and the Inter-American Dialogue
(www.thedialogue.org). A Spanish version will also be available on the
Dialogue's web site.