[Peace-discuss] US kisses Colombia's a** and spank's Venezuela's.

[Phil Stinard]

Sorry for the coarse language in the title of this article.  I "bleeped" it, 
but it's still obvious.

--Phil

PS -- I guess I'm back.  I couldn't stay away for long.

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US kisses Colombia's a** and spank's Venezuela's.

By Philip Stinard


In it's typical show of affinity for failed democracies, the US State 
Department today praised Colombia's efforts to fight terrorism and critized 
Venezuela.  Considering that Venezuela has a successful popular democracy 
(despite US efforts to the contrary) and that Colombia is facing a civil war 
and serious human rights abuses at the hands of its US-financed paramilitary 
death squads, it might be wiser (not to mention more truthful) to hold up 
Venezuela as a model of success in fighting international terrorism and 
Colombia as an abject failure.   Portions of the US State Department Office 
of Counterrorism "Patterns of Global Terrorism 2003" Annual Report follow:



Excerpts from US State Department Office of Counterrorism "Patterns of 
Global Terrorism 2003" Annual Report [link to 
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/pgtrpt/2003/c12108.htm]:

Venezuela

Venezuelan cooperation in the international campaign against terrorism was 
inconsistent in 2003. Public recriminations against US counterterrorism 
policies by President Chavez and his close supporters continued to 
overshadow and detract from the limited cooperation that exists between 
specialists and technicians of the two nations.

President Chavez’s stated ideological affinity with the Revolutionary Armed 
Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian National Liberation Army (ELN) 
limits Venezuelan cooperation with Colombia in combating terrorism. 
Venezuela is unwilling or unable to systematically police the 
Venezuela-Colombia 1,400-mile border. The FARC and the ELN often use the 
area for cross-border incursions and regard Venezuelan territory near the 
border as a safehaven. In addition, weapons and ammunition—some from 
official Venezuelan stocks and facilities—continued fl owing from Venezuelan 
suppliers into the hands of Colombian terrorist organizations. It is unclear 
to what extent the Government of Venezuela approves of or condones material 
support to Colombian terrorists and at what level. Efforts by Venezuelan 
security forces to control their sides of the border and to interdict arms 
flows to these groups are ineffective.

Current Venezuelan law does not specifically mention crimes of terrorism, 
although the UN Convention on Terrorist Bombings of 1997 and the UN 
Convention on Terrorism Financing of 1999 became law in Venezuela on 8 July 
2003. An organized crime bill pending in the National Assembly would define 
terrorist activities, establish punishments, and facilitate the prosecution 
and asset forfeiture of terrorism financiers. Venezuela signed the OAS 
Inter- American Convention Against Terrorism in June 2002 and ratified it in 
January 2004.

Terrorist tactics were employed throughout 2003 by unidentified domestic 
groups attempting to influence the tenuous political situation, particularly 
in Caracas. A series of small bombs and threats throughout the year were 
variously blamed on supporters of President Chavez or the Government’s 
political opponents.

Venezuela extradited one member of the terrorist organization Basque 
Fatherland and Liberty to Spain and arrested another. Unconfirmed press 
accounts continued to allege the presence of radical Islamic operatives in 
Venezuela -- especially on Margarita Island. In February 2003, a Venezuelan 
national managed to fly from Venezuela to London with a hand grenade in his 
checked luggage, but his intent remains unclear.

Venezuela is a party to six of the 12 international conventions and 
protocols relating to terrorism.


-------------------

Colombia

Colombia fully comprehends the devastation caused by terrorism as it has 
faced large-scale domestic terrorism for several decades. From the day the 
Uribe Administration assumed office in August 2002, it has demonstrated a 
firm resolve to combat terrorists of all stripes. The Government of Colombia 
is supportive of US Government efforts to combat terrorist acts, target 
terrorist finances, and cooperate with extradition requests. Colombia 
continued to speak out forcefully and often against terrorist organizations 
throughout the year.

Colombia continued its struggle against the country’s three main terrorist 
groups -- the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the National 
Liberation Army (ELN), and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC 
-- all of which were redesignated by the United States as Foreign Terrorist 
Organizations in 2003. In June, the United States also designated the FARC 
and the AUC as significant foreign narcotics traffickers under the Kingpin 
Act.

Colombia suffered many large and small domestic terrorist attacks throughout 
2003. Car bombs, kidnapping, political murders, the indiscriminant use of 
landmines, and economic sabotage were common occurrences. Some of the more 
noteworthy examples included the FARC’s car bombing in February of Bogota’s 
El Nogal Club killing 34 and wounding more than 160; the FARC hostage taking 
of three US contractors and killing of another American and a Colombian when 
their plane crashed near Florencia, Caqueta Department (the three Americans 
remain hostages) in February; a “house bomb” in February in Neiva that 
killed 16 and wounded more than 40; an ELN kidnapping in September of eight 
foreign tourists visiting archaeological ruins (one escaped, two were 
released in November, and five were freed in December); a grenade attack in 
November by the FARC that wounded Americans in Bogota’s restaurant district; 
and attacks in November and December utilizing antitank rockets. Both FARC 
and the ELN continued attacks against the country’s infrastructure and oil 
pipelines in 2003, albeit at reduced levels. Many more attacks were thwarted 
nationwide through excellent intelligence and security work.

In 2003, President Uribe increased military pressure on illegal armed groups 
and implemented an ambitious national security strategy including securing 
passage of antiterrorism legislation, promoting the desertion and 
reintegration of former illegal armed militants, and engaging the AUC in 
demobilization negotiations. President Uribe submitted to Congress two 
important draft laws with significant public security implications -- the 
Antiterrorism Bill and a Conditional Parole Bill. The Anti-Terrorism Bill 
was approved by Congress on 10 December and allows the Government to conduct 
wiretaps, search residences, and detain suspects more easily. The 
conditional parole legislation is connected to the broader peace process and 
would provide the Government the means to waive prison sentences in exchange 
for demobilization. Through legislation and with possible US assistance, the 
Government of Colombia expected the voluntary surrender of more than 4,000 
illegal armed militants in 2003 (an increase of 84 percent over 2002) and 
the demobilization in December of some 1,000 paramilitaries with more 
planned for 2004.

Overall, Colombia’s ambitious security strategy produced substantial 
achievements in 2003. Murders decreased by 16 percent, assassinations of 
trade unionists were down 68 percent, and kidnappings were 30 percent lower 
in 2003. The military completed the early phases of its national defense 
plan with significant successes, including the killing of at least five 
midlevel FARC commanders in Cundinamarca Department near Bogota. In January 
2004, the most senior FARC official ever to be captured was detained by 
Ecuadorian National Police in Quito and deported to Colombia. Another major 
accomplishment was the restoration of a Government presence in every one of 
the country’s 1,098 municipalities (county seats) by the end of 2003.

Colombia cooperated fully in blocking terrorist assets. A Colombian 
Financial Information and Analysis Unit, created in 2001 following the model 
of the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Unit (FinCEN), collaborated closely 
with the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. US Anti-Terrorist 
Assistance in August inaugurated a school for Colombian military and police 
who specialize in anti-kidnapping. Kidnappings are sources of revenue for 
the FARC and the ELN and a means to influence the political process. The 
Government also took steps at self-improvement by expanding an antiterrorism 
unit in the Prosecutor General’s Office. Lessons learned in the 
counternarcotics fight have led to better prosecutions of those who attack 
the nation’s infrastructure, particularly in oil-producing areas.

Colombia made significant strides in combating narcotrafficking, a primary 
source of revenue for terrorist organizations. The UN Office on Drugs and 
Crime estimated that coca cultivation could be reduced by aerial eradication 
as much as 50 percent in 2003. Eradication programs targeting coca and opium 
poppies continued throughout the year. In August, the United States resumed 
the Air Bridge Denial Program that assists Colombia in intercepting aircraft 
trafficking in narcotics and illegal weapons.

Colombia was particularly cooperative in cases and investigations involving 
Americans, such as the hostage taking of Defense Department civilian 
contractors in February and the grenade attack in Bogota in December . The 
US-Colombia extradition relationship continues to be one of the most 
successful in the world; Colombia extradited 67 persons to the United States 
in 2003. In May 2003, Colombia extradited Nelson Vargas Rueda, the first 
FARC member to be extradited to the United States. Vargas is accused of the 
kidnapping and murder of three American NGO activists working with Colombian 
indigenous groups in northern Colombia in 1999. Colombia also extradited 
Gerardo Herrera Iles, accused of kidnapping foreign and US oil workers, to 
the United States in 2003.

Colombia has signed eight of the international conventions and protocols 
relating to terrorism and is a party to six.

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