Pubdate: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 Source: Arizona Daily Star (AZ) Copyright: 2002 Pulitzer Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.azstarnet.com/star/today/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/23 Author: Associated Press Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?203 (Terrorism) EXPANDED U.S. ROLE SEEN IN COLOMBIA DEA Chief Tells of Need to Fight Terror BOGOTA, Colombia - The United States should soon be able to help Colombia defend itself against insurgent groups and not just drug traffickers, the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration predicted Tuesday. During a visit to the world's main cocaine-producing nation, DEA chief Asa Hutchinson said he expects Congress will approve a Bush administration request for authority "in fighting both the terrorists and the drug traffickers" here. U.S. and Colombian officials are increasingly using the term "terrorists" to refer to leftist guerrillas and an illegal right-wing paramilitary group fighting in Colombia's 38-year war. Both have terrorized civilians and are believed to rely on profits from the drug trade. But until now, U.S. military aid to Colombia has been restricted largely to anti-narcotics purposes. Although no direct U.S. combat role is envisioned, the Bush administration - - under a request made last week - is reportedly considering more direct counterinsurgency aid and training. Some critics worry that that could draw Washington too deeply into Colombia's conflict. With rebels moving ever deeper into the drug trade - and in some instances becoming "one and the same" as traffickers - Hutchinson said broader military aid is justified. "President Bush remains committed to continuing the U.S. support of Colombia in its fight against terror, terror which the world now knows is funded to a large extent by drugs," he said in a speech at police headquarters in Bogota. The DEA chief referred to a Colombian guerrilla leader indicted in the United States this month for drug trafficking. Hutchinson declined to comment on whether an operation was afoot to capture the rebel, Tomas Medina, of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. - --- MAP posted-by: Alex