Pubdate: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 Source: Miami Herald (FL) Copyright: 2000 The Miami Herald Contact: One Herald Plaza, Miami FL 33132-1693 Fax: (305) 376-8950 Website: http://www.herald.com/ Forum: http://krwebx.infi.net/webxmulti/cgi-bin/WebX?mherald Author: Carol Rosenberg SOUTHCOM CHIEF MEETS DADE LEADERS The Pentagon's new commander-in-chief for U.S. military operations in Latin America said Tuesday that his priorities will include implementing Plan Colombia and insuring that Southern Command headquarters remain in Miami. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, 54, made his remarks in a luncheon meeting with business leaders hosted by The Herald, four days after he replaced Gen. Charles Wilhelm, a fellow Marine. Southcom, which supervises most U.S. military activities in Latin America and the Caribbean, moved to Miami from Panama three years ago. Wilhelm has asked Congress through the Army, which administers Pentagon property, to buy the now-temporary headquarters near Miami International Airport for $40 million. Pace said he is supporting that request. On Plan Colombia, the general was careful to stress that the U.S. military has only a limited role in President Andres Pastrana's overarching $7.5 billion plan aimed at undermining the insurgency, linked to narco-trafficking, that has corrupted his country. In all, the United States has contributed $1.3 billion. STATE DEPARTMENT Much of the program is being supervised by the State Department, including the provision of helicopters for counternarcotics operations and programs to bolster Bogota's democratic institutions. Pace, who served as a rifleman in Vietnam, said he was satisfied that U.S. involvement in the Colombian conflict would not be similar to the Vietnam war, in part because U.S. forces in Colombia could not accompany Colombian anti-drug battalions on their missions. Instead, the trainers -- who number about 100 -- remain behind in huge Colombian military bases while local forces go on drug-eradication operations. Pace also said he has yet to meet Pastrana but would travel to Colombia in coming days, his first swing through Latin America as commander in chief. The trip will also make stops in Argentina, Brazil and Chile. TO JUDGE SUCCESS Former supervisor of Marines in the Southern Command region, Pace also said he would judge whether Plan Colombia is successful based on the performance of U.S. troops in providing helicopter and anti-drug training to the Colombians. By a larger measure, he said, the program should be judged on a range of assistance provided by the United States -- including to Colombian schools, health clinics and monetary reform. Luncheon guests at The Herald included: University of Miami President Edward "Tad" Foote; St. Thomas University President the Rev. Msgr. Franklyn M. Casale; Totalbank Chairman Adrienne Arsht; and County Manager Merrett Stierheim. - --- MAP posted-by: John Chase