Pubdate: Tue, 29 Aug 2000 Source: Financial Times (UK) Copyright: The Financial Times Limited 2000 Contact: 1 Southwark Bridge, London, SE1 9HL, UK Fax: +44 171 873 3922 Website: http://www.ft.com/ Author: Edward Alden, in Washington and James Wilson in Bogota CLINTON ATTACKED ON COLOMBIA AID International human rights groups on Monday condemned the US administration for its decision to release $1.3bn in aid for Colombia, charging that the Bogota government had failed to meet any of the human rights conditions mandated by the US Congress. In a report released ahead of President Bill Clinton's visit to Colombia on Wednesday, the groups say that little progress has been made in bringing to justice soldiers or paramilitary groups who have been involved in a series of civilian massacres. The Clinton administration last week issued a national security waiver allowing military and other assistance to Colombia, despite acknowledging that the Colombian government had failed to meet the conditions. The aid package released by the US includes $122m for judicial reform and support for human rights in Colombia, but most will be used to equip the Colombian military for its war against narcotics trafficking. Mr Clinton is hoping to encourage what it sees as a serious effort by the administration of Andres Pastrana, the Colombian president, to deal with drug smuggling and an escalating war with both leftwing guerrillas and rightwing paramilitary groups. Thomas Pickering, undersecretary of state for political affairs, said on Friday that Mr Pastrana was determined "to make respect for human rights a critical component of his plans for Colombia". He cited in particular the commitment made last week to try in civilian rather than military courts all soldiers credibly accused of gross human rights violations, one of the conditions set down by Congress. But Monday's report, authored by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Washington Office on Latin America, says even this first condition is far from being realised. Despite the presidential directive, the report says that Colombia's military continues to dispute jurisdiction in most cases involving soldiers. If those case go before military rather than civilian courts, the tribunals "have a virtually unbroken record of covering up crimes", it says. Colombia has also failed to make progress on any of the other conditions set down by Congress, the report charges. Many senior officers accused of human rights violations continue to serve in the Colombian army, the military continues to harass and threaten civilian human rights investigations, and most arrest warrants against paramilitary operatives are never executed. Despite an increase in arrest warrants, paramilitary commanders "who tolerate, order and cover up for human rights violations remain virtually untouched", the report says. Mr Pastrana's government insists it has made substantial progress in human rights, with a significant drop in complaints of abuses by the armed forces. Senior generals say human rights training has been improved throughout military ranks. A new military penal code has also been introduced that excludes crimes of genocide, torture and forced disappearance from military jurisdiction. Luis Fernando Ramirez, defence minister, acknowledged there were "isolated cases" of human rights violations within the armed forces, but said: "There is no impunity." - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart