Pubdate: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 Source: Washington Times (DC) Copyright: 2000 News World Communications, Inc. Contact: http://www.washtimes.com/ Author: Peter Muello, Associated Press COLOMBIA'S NEIGHBORS BRISTLE AT REBUKE BY U.S. MANAUS, Brazil - The United States has rebuked South America for failing to support Colombia's planned military offensive against drug producers, amid fears that the conflict will spill over the border. In a private meeting Wednesday with defense ministers from the region, U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense James Bodner said the U.S.-backed Plan Colombia would go ahead with or without their support. "He complained about the lack of solidarity by South America, and he laid it on heavy," said Rep. Joao Herrmann Neto of Brazil's House Foreign Relations Committee, who attended the meeting. Mr. Herrmann said some delegates bridled at the U.S. position and tone, which he described as "typical American superiority." Defense ministers from Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, Venezuela and Brazil were attending the gathering in this Amazon jungle city. A Pentagon official present, who asked not to be named, said: "Our position is: We're going to take a stand. If you're with us, fine." The blunt talk was a response to a rising chorus of complaints about the "spillover" effects from the offensive against Colombia's leftist rebels foreseen under the $7.5 billion plan. Under the plan, U.S.-trained troops using U.S-made combat helicopters will try to wrest away rebel-held areas producing cocaine and heroin. Planes then would spray the crops with herbicide. That means an upswing in fighting on the ground that has Colombia's neighbors worried. Ecuadorean Defense Minister Adm. Hugo Unda Aguirre said Colombian refugees already are moving into his country. He estimated that at least 1,000 Colombians have crossed the border, and thousands more are expected. Ecuador is worried guerrillas and drug traffickers might follow, especially in the wild border region of Sucumbios. "There's no government presence on the Colombian side - just guerrillas," Adm. Aguirre said. Ecuador was surprised last week by the kidnappings of 10 persons, including five Americans, from its jungle oil fields, presumably by Colombian guerrillas. "The situation is not good," Mr. Aguirre said. "The internal problem is growing in Colombia, and it extends to other countries." Venezuela, another neighbor, was even more outspoken. "We're worried about the military plan. The way that it's done could generate more violence," said Venezuelan Defense Minister. Gen. Ismael Hurtado Soucre. Although the U.S. government says its $1.3 billion in aid to the plan doesn't include troops, the military presence there concerns Colombia's neighbors. - --- MAP posted-by: Eric Ernst