Bush Regime Then Lobbies for More Funding for Columbia
By Kenneth J. Theisen, 3/28/07
On March 16, 2007 I wrote an
article about the Bush regime’s hypocrisy toward terrorism in a case involving
Chiquita, the company that imports bananas into the U.S. (See Banana Company Cuts Deal
on Terror Case). A recent CIA leak further highlights the regime’s hypocrisy
when the terrorist supporters are firm U.S. allies. The Los Angeles Times
reports that the CIA is circulating intelligence that Columbian Army Chief Gen.
Mario Montoya has been involved with a right-wing paramilitary group, United
Self Defense Forces of Colombia, (this is the same group funded by Chiquita)
that the U.S. has listed as a terrorist group. According to the Times, the
intelligence “includes information from another Western intelligence service
and indicates that U.S.
officials have received similar reports from other reliable sources.”
General Montoya is a close
political associate of Columbian President Alvaro Uribe. Earlier this month on a trip to Columbia, President Bush
described Uribe as a “personal friend.”
In addition to Montoya, other top officials in Columbia have also been linked to the
right-wing terrorist militias. They
include Columbia’s foreign minister, a state
governor, various legislators and Columbia’s
Secret Police Chief. The foreign
minister has been forced to resign.
Eight members of Congress and Jorge Noguera, the country’s former secret
police chief, have been arrested in the scandal that has tied the government to
the right-wing groups.
Montoya has not only
collaborated with Uribe for many years, he also has been allied closely with
the Pentagon. He has been a leader in the so-called Plan Columbia, which is a
counterinsurgency program funded by the U.S. Not only does the U.S. financially underwrite this “plan,” but U.S. “advisers”
are involved in its direction. Columbia receives
at least $700 million in U.S.
aid annually. The vast majority of this aid goes to the military and police.
In the past, Montoya has
been an instructor at the School of the Americas (aka know as the school of
the assassins). This U.S. sponsored
training center has been responsible for training coup leaders, assassins,
terrorists, death squad leaders and other scum for decades on behalf of U.S.
imperialism. Montoya was praised by the
current chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine General Peter Pace when
Pace was the head of the military command for Latin
America.
In the recently leaked
report, Montoya is accused of planning and conducting a joint operation with
the terrorist group in 2002 against left-wing guerillas. At least 14 were confirmed killed in this
operation and many more “disappeared” afterward.
Since the 1960s, Columbia has been
involved in a low-level civil war against leftists. The Columbian government has been supported
in this war by the U.S.
which has provided financial and military assistance. In the 1980s, right-wing militia groups with
over 30,000 armed men began to assist the Columbian government. These militias have operated death squads and
financed their operations by going into the drug business. They have also been
involved in massive land seizures on behalf of landlords who control much of Columbia’s arable land. In
addition to these lucrative activities they run a protection racket which
extorts money from legitimate businesses.
But do not expect the Bush
regime to cut off ties to the Columbian government or invade the country like
it has done in Afghanistan or Iraq because of the Columbian government’s
alleged terrorist ties. In fact, the Bush regime is now actively engaged in
trying to get Congress to approve further aid to Columbia.
According to President Bush,
“You’re either with us or against us in the fight against terror.” But in
the case of Chiquita and in the case of the Columbian government this statement
does not apply? Go figure!