[Imc-newsroom] Headline for newshour

[peterm at shout.net]

Here's something I dug out of the news-gazette.  Please let me know if
anyone receives this.  If I don't hear from anyone, I may just print it
out and take it to WEFT.

Thanks,
Peter

War on Terrorism Expands in Colombia

Last week, the US House of Representatives approved HR 4775, a massive 29
billion dollar bill to expand the US war on terrorism.  The bill includes
both military and civilian components.  The government will spend sixteen
billion dollars on the military, plus another thirteen billion for aid to
New York City, new technology to detect explosives, increased funding to
the FBI, grants for college students, and increased aid to Israel and a
much smaller amount of aid to Palestinians.  Both US representative Tim
Johnson and Rep. David Phelps voted in favor of the spending bill that
drew sharp partisan barbs, with Democrats accusing Republicans of
increasing the national debt.  The house approved the bill by a vote of
280-138.  Aside from increased money, the bill also expands the US role in
Colombia's civil war.  James McGovern, a democrat from Massachusetts
attempted to remove language that permits the government to use US
soldiers in Colombia to fight the "war on terror" in addition to the "war
on drugs."  McGovern argued that expanding the role of the US military
will plunge the US "head first into a grinding and deepening civil war
that has plagued Colombia for nearly four decades."  Both US congressmen
Tim Johnson and David Phelps voted to use US soldiers in Colombia to fight
the "war on terror."  The senate must also approve the bill.

http://thomas.loc.gov/