>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2000 14:15:37 -0500 <leninist-international.lists.wwpublish.com> >U.S. Antiwar forces should keep their eyes on what Washington is up to >in Colombia. This was the message delivered at a public meeting in >Highland, NY, Nov. 5. Here is a report prepared by the Mid-Hudson >National People�s Campaign. >-------------------- > Is the U.S. government about to create �another Vietnam� in Colombia, >the Latin American country of 40 million inhabitants where a people�s >war has been raging for decades? > This was the topic addressed at the Nov. 5 public meeting in Highland, >N.Y., by journalist, CUNY professor, and International Action Center >activist Andy McInerney. His answer, in essence: it certainly seems >headed in that direction, despite disclaimers from Washington. > �In 1960, there were less than 1,000 U.S. military �advisors� in >Vietnam,� he began, noting that the multi-millions Washington was >spending to support the corrupt South Vietnamese government at the time >was small change compared to the multi-billions budgeted in later >years. And of course, the Pentagon was saying that the �advisors� were >to be kept out of combat. Within five years the U.S. was sinking into >the quagmire of a widespread protracted war. > �The American people didn�t know anything about Vietnam in 1960, even >though there were warning signs,� McInerney added. These same warning >signs are showing up once again 40 years later in Colombia.� > �U.S. military aid skyrocketed to $90 million in 1998. A year later it >increased to $300 million. This year Congress approved $1.3 billion. >Colombia is now the Pentagon�s third largest recipient of free military >aid.� > The 200 U.S. military �advisors� in counter-insurgency war already sent >to Colombia will be bolstered by 200-300 more, according to the latest >Clinton administration plans. The latest allocation will include >sending 60 combat helicopters to Colombia. > �Washington claims that all of this is part of a war on drugs,� >McInerney scoffed. �This is just a sham--a cover for a >counter-insurgency war, as in Vietnam.� > McInerney explained that the U.S. is getting deeply involved now in >the decades-long guerrilla struggle waged by the Revolutionary Armed >Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the smaller National Liberation Army (ELN) >because �the success of the people�s struggle has reached the point >where there is a serious contest for state power.� The territory of >Colombia is larger than the combined area of France, the United >Kingston, the Netherlands and Belgium--and the rebel forces occupy >almost half of it. As in Vietnam, if the U.S. �loses� Colombia it fears >a domino effect might result in �losing� other countries it presently >dominates in Latin America. > To this end, the U.S. and the Colombian government of President Andres >Pastrana have recently cooked up a major counter-insurgency scheme >(backed by a projected $7.5 billion budget) called "Plan Colombia," the >purpose of which is the eventual defeat of the guerrilla forces although >it is supposedly aimed at Colombia�s export of drugs. > Speaking of the drug war, McInerney noted that the U.S. is the largest >importer of drugs in the world and that �if Washington really wanted to >end the drug problem in America it would take these billions and invest >them at home in drug rehabilitation programs, in job training and job >creation, and in vast improvements in educational services. Investing >this money in the brutal Colombian army to fight the FARC and ELN won�t >have any impact on America�s dependence on Colombian drugs.� > McInerney characterized as propaganda the notion that there is a >�three-sided war going on in Colombia� composed of (1) the government >and its armed forces, (2) the right-wing paramilitary armies and (3) the >revolutionary forces. He said the paramilitaries--which he termed >�death squads� responsible for the bulk of killings in Colombia--worked >in collaboration with the armed forces, often doing its dirty work. >There are only two sides in the conflict, McInerney said, �the >government, which is backed by the wealthy ruling class and the death >squads, and the people�s forces� composed of military and civilian >components struggling to create a democratic Colombia free from control >by the oligarchy, the drug lords, the military elite, global >corporations and imperialism. > The speaker also disputed the �blame-both-sides� argument that the >struggle is being waged between the government and the rebel forces with >the masses of people squeezed between them. �Colombia is a nation of >heroes, not of innocent people caught in the middle,� he said, noting >the activism of the country�s strong labor movement and other insurgent >forces fighting against International Monetary Fund demands for >belt-tightening by the poor and privatization of national resources. > McInerney ended his nearly two-hour talk and Q&A with an appeal to >progressive forces in the United States �to become active in the >struggle against expanding U.S. intervention in Colombia.� He urged >antiwar forces participating in the demonstration against the School of >the Americas in Ft. Benning, Ga., this month to raise the question of >Colombia �because it�s probably had more officers trained at the SOA >than any other Latin country.� He also noted that the International >Action Center has just formed a U.S. Out of Colombia Committee that >planned to organize a nationwide movement to oppose U. S. intervention >plans. > >(end) > > > >_______________________________________________ >Leninist-International mailing list >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To change your options or unsubscribe go to: >http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. 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