Pubdate: Fri, 23 Feb 2007 Source: Kansas City Star (MO) Copyright: 2007 The Kansas City Star Contact: http://www.kcstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/221 Author: Peter Brooks PRO-CON: MORE AID FOR THE DRUG WAR IN COLUMBIA? YES In largely unheralded good news, the Bush administration has made great strides helping Colombia fight the double-barreled threat of a deadly insurgency and ultra-powerful drug lords. The bad news is that if we're not careful, these hard-fought gains could slip right through our fingers. With progress in fighting drugs uneven in much of Latin America, Colombia has been a singular success story. With $4 billion in training and aid from the United States since 2000, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is successfully prosecuting a 20-year-old war on drugs, while also defeating a 40-year guerrilla insurgency. Without sustained U.S. aid, Colombia won't be able to increase its security forces. It's not just about helping a friendly, democratically elected government fight drugs and an insurgency. It's about security in this hemisphere. Peter Brookes Heritage Foundation - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman