Source: Dallas Morning News (TX) Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Pubdate: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 PANAMA AND COLOMBIA, U.S. SHOULD ENCOURAGE REGIONAL COOPERATION Colombia's well-known suffering at the hands of guerrillas and narcotraffickers continues. As their evil alliance crosses the Panamanian border to wreak havoc on Panama's fabled Darien province, the leaders of Colombia and Panama will have to work together as never before. Unfortunately, Colombian rebel forces recently have delivered stinging defeats to the Colombian army. That undermines Bogota's ability to take care of its domestic responsibilities, much less to help its neighbor. But given that Panama has no military forces to combat incursions onto its territory, Panama City has no choice but to work with Bogota as well as it can. Recent electoral developments in both countries could help matters. Three months ago, Andres Pastrana defeated a candidate from the Liberal Party of former Colombian President Carlos Samper, whom many observers believe accepted $6 million in drug money for his successful presidential campaign in 1994. The repudiation of Mr. Samper's party was encouraging, as is Mr. Pastrana's commitment to peace talks with the rebel groups. Meanwhile, the Panamanian people overwhelmingly voted against changing their constitution to allow a president to run for re-election. The defeat of President Ernesto Perez Balladares' initiative is bracing. It came after he reportedly packed the Panama Canal Commission with relatives and cronies, in anticipation of huge increases in public spending on canal infrastructure. The electorate must have felt vindicated recently when it learned that members of Mr. Perez Balladares' party were being given favored treatment in acquiring residences that once were used to house U.S. military officers. Events on the Colombia-Panama border can only heighten U.S. concerns. Instability and drug trafficking anywhere in the Western Hemisphere are inimical to U.S. interests. The projected pullout of U.S. troops by Dec. 31, 1999, raises the stakes considerably. Criminals and extremists may feel even more emboldened to do as they please. Still, after decades of employing the Panama Canal Zone as a springboard for military missions in South America, the United States should tread carefully. It should urge Panama and Colombia to cooperate in their common fight, offer good-faith facilitation of peace talks between Bogota and rebel groups, while continuing to offer training, aid and intelligence if the situation deteriorates. - --- Checked-by: Rich O'Grady