(13 Aug 1998) English/Nat
U-S Drug Enforcement Administrator Thomas Constantine has expressed confidence in Colombia's fight against drug trafficking.
Constantine was in Colombia on a hastily organised one day visit.
The visit was prompted after guerrillas wiped out a major anti-narcotics base used by U-S-contracted pilots to fumigate coca plants, the raw material for cocaine.
He met Colombian President Andres Pastrana and high ranking police and military officials.
Thomas Constantine arrived in Colombia on Wednesday for a brief visit just a week after guerrillas attacked a major anti-narcotics base.
A massive offensive by rebels last week destroyed the police compound at Miraflores, about 275 miles (440 kilometres) south of Bogota.
Three police officers were killed, eight others were wounded and 54 became rebel prisoners in the assault on an anti-narcotic base.
The base was used for aerial fumigation by U-S -contracted pilots of coca plants, the raw material for cocaine.
On Thursday Constantine attended a mass in honour of the victims before meeting President Andres Pastrana and National Police Director, General Rosso Jose Serrano.
Despite last week's attack, Constantine expressed confidence in Colombia's fight against drug trafficking.
He acknowledged though, that Colombia faced an extremely difficult task now that drug cartels have forged links with groups operating outside the law.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"And especially for us in D-E-A, as it impacts the United States, it has been focused primarily on those major criminal organisations that operate in all of these countries, in what we call a seamless continuum. We are aware of the fact that in Colombia the relationship at various places and at various times between narcotic traffickers and either paramilitaries or guerillas has occurred and is a very dangerous and difficult situation for the police. But that is for the most part a domestic problem for the nation of Colombia. We provide assistance and resources as it focuses primarily on the narcotics trafficking organisations."
SUPER CAPTION: Thomas Constantine, U-S Drug Enforcement Administrator
Constantine offered sympathy for the deaths and paid a visit to wounded officers in hospital in Bogota, before returning Thursday to Washington.
Despite the spraying, coca and opium poppy crops are growing faster than authorities can destroy them.
The country's largest guerrilla group, the 15-thousand-member Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, take in huge sums from so called war taxes on coca production and transport.
Anti-narcotics police and army units often clash with the rebels in coca-growing regions.
Without giving details, Constantine said he hoped for an increase in U-S anti-narcotics aid to Colombia, whose army and police received about 100 (m) million U-S dollars in assistance during fiscal year 1997.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I am going to answer the last part of your question first. The D-E-A is not reducing its staff commitment to Colombia by one agent and in fact we are looking to enhance more resources and equipment because we feel that there has been a tremendous commitment made by the government of Colombia. So if there's information that somehow we would be reducing our staff, or reducing our commitment, that's absolutely not true."
SUPER CAPTION: Thomas Constantine, U-S Drug Enforcement Administrator
Colombian National Police Director Rosso Jose Serrano said on Thursday the police and army expect to receive 208 (m) million U-S dollars in U-S anti-narcotics aid next year.
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