Questions for the Record submitted to
Ambassador-designate to Colombia
Curtis W. Kamman
at
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee
on the Western Hemisphere and Peace Corps Affairs
September 10, 1997
By Senatur Russ Feingold (D-WI)
1. Question: What steps will you take to implement the end use monitoring provisions referred to in the August 22, 1997 letter notifying the Senate about the Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of the united States and Colombia regarding counternarcotics expenditures under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and International Military Education and Training (IMET) programs?
How will you evaluate compliance with the United States human rights principles mentioned in this letter with respect æU(æto this agreement?
A: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on end use monitoring stipulates that the Colombian Ministry of Defense will issue to the US Embassy a certification from the competent Colombian authorities regarding any ongoing formal investigations or prosecutions, or any penalties applied, with respect to gross violations of human rights by any member of the units which are proposed to receive US counternarcotics assistance. The Ministry will update these certifications every six months. The human rights officer at the US Embassy will work closely with the Colombian government offices which prepare the certifications to ensure that the screening process is complete. No request for shipment of assistance for delivery to the Colombian armed forces will be made until the initial certification has been received and vetted. We currently have certifications for those Air Force and Navy units which have been proposed to receive assistance; we expect to receive the certification for the Army units shortly. Furthermore, the MOU clearly states that we reserve the right to deny assistance if we have credible evidence that a member of a unit has committed a gross human rights violation, unless we determine that the Colombian government is taking steps to bring that offender to justice.
In order to evaluate compliance with international human rights norms, the US Embassy will work closely with the Colombian government offices charged with receiving and investigating allegations of abuses, and with human rights organizations who may also be monitoring these cases. Additionally, the human rights officer will accompany MilGroup personnel on periodic end use monitoring field visits.
2. Question: What additional steps, if any, do you plan to take to curtail the flow of illegal narcotics from Colombia to the United States?
A. Our efforts to combat the flow of illegal narcotics from Colombia to the United States must address every element of the process, from the cultivation of coca and opium poppy to the ability of narcotics traffickers to launder their ill-gotten assets. We support a wide and balanced range of programs, from eradication to law enforcement training and assistance to judicial and legislative reform. If confirmed, I will review the spectrum of our activities and if there is a weak link in the chain, I will direct additional resources and attention to that area.
3. Question: How will you address the presence of paramilitary groups in Colombia and their alleged role in human rights abuses?
A: The Department of State's annual report on human rights practices in Colombia serves as an important tool in showing our concern and focusing the attention of the Government of Colombia on human rights problems in that country. Our 1996 report highlighted paramilitary abuses, helping bring the discussion on the problem to the forefront. Since the publication of that report, special commissions within the Colombian Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs have been established to monitor and report on human rights problems, especially relating to paramilitary organizations. If confirmed, I will continue to press the Government of Colombia to take action to combat paramilitary violence and to pursue and prosecute paramilitary leaders.
Additionally, we will stress the importance of action by the Colombian government to ensure that any links between paramilitary groups and members of the Colombian armed forces are severed, that responsible members of the military forces are investigated and prosecuted, and that the promised reforms of the military justice system bring an end to impunity. The Memorandum of Understanding on End Use Monitoring of US assistance to the Colombian military will be a valuable and effective tool in carrying our message of intolerance for human rights abuses by any Colombian security forces.
4. Question: What steps do you plan to take to improve the human rights situation in Colombia?
A: As outlined above, we will continue to make full use of our annual human rights report as a means of focusing the Government of Colombia's attention on areas for reform. Additionally, the US Embassy will maintain close contacts with human rights NGOs, the various GOC offices responsible for investigating complaints of abuses by the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, and international organizations present in Colombia to monitor and report on areas of concern, such as the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Office and the International Committee of the Red Cross. We will press the government to take appropriate action on cases as they come to our attention, and we will faithfully and forcefully implement the terms of our end use monitoring agreement to ensure that no US assistance is provided to known human rights abusers. We will continue our administration of justice programs to train investigators and prosecutors to more effectively and efficiently process cases through the judicial system, to reduce the tremendous level of impunity.
5. Question: As ambassador, would you make yourself available to meet with human rights groups, both in Colombia and during consultations in Washington, to address the human rights situation in Colombia?
A: I would be extremely pleased to meet with these groups, to hear their concerns, learn about the issues they have followed, and receive their suggestions for appropriate action that the Embassy can take. I and my Embassy will always be available to meet with interested groups or individuals on human rights, which are an integral part of U.S. foreign policy.