BRYANT GUMBEL, co-host:
The Clinton administration has proposed sending $ 1 1/4 billion in
emergency aid to Colombia in order to help officials there fight the drug
war. General Barry McCaffrey is the administration's drug czar. He's in
Lausanne, Switzerland, this morning.
General, good morning.
General BARRY McCAFFREY (Retired, White House Office of Drug Control
Policy)
Good morning, Bryant.
Gumbel
These funds, are they primarily aimed at helping officials there
fight the drug war, or are they also aimed at propping up a reeling
Colombian government?
McCaffrey
Well, of course, the focus, Bryant, is to try and stay
long term and coherent in support of not only Colombia, but also Peru and
Bolivia. Both those nations have made dramatic reductions in cocaine
production. The money for Colombia, we hope, will first help the peace
process. It'll secondly help the eco--the economy, alternative economic
development. It'll help their judicial system, and finally it'll help the
police and the armed forces. We're gonna have to stand behind a country
where 80 percent of the drugs that come into our nation either originate
in Colombia or pass through it.
Gumbel
I understand that, but le--let me focus on Colombia for a second.
I mean, given the fact that there is very little that separates Colombia's
drug constituency from its rebel efforts, is it realistic to think we can
fund one without playing a role in the other?
McCaffrey
Well, half the country of Colombia is under the control of
25,000 FARC, ELN and paramilitary forces, heavily armed, fueled by money
out of cocaine and heroin. It is quite correct that the southern two
provinces of Colombia have four FARC guerrilla fronts in them that are
essentially part of this drug production empire. So when the Colombian
police and the Colombian armed forces try and reinstitute law and order
and democratic control in that part of the country, they will conduct
operations against the FARC and the ELN.
Gumbel
But--but, I mean, those of us with bad memories of US involvement
in Nicaragua and El Salvador have some concerns here. I mean, how do you
propose to assure the American public that US assistance is being used
only in those areas where we're talking anti-drug efforts and not
anti-rebel efforts?
McCaffrey
Yeah. Well, there's no question that the--the entire focus
of this program is to support President Pastrana's planned Colombia, which
is to confront this illegal drug empire, which benefits the FARC, the ELN,
the paramilitary forces.
Now I also gotta remind all of us, look, we're doing this for US national
interests. Drugs kill 52,000 Americans a year, and cocaine production in
Colombia has skyrocketed. It's doubled in the last three years. They're
now producing six metric tons of heroin a year. So when we focus on--on
Colombia, they're an ally, an important political partner, but we're also
trying to protect our own children and our own communities.
Gumbel
General, we understand that, but you've gotta--you do understand,
I'm sure, that red flags go up whenever we talk about US assistance in--in
another country's domestic problems. As I understand it, and correct me if
I'm wrong please, this plan would call for regional drug interdiction
efforts into other countries. Is that correct?
McCaffrey
Well, the only US involvement--the--the--the only people
are gonna operate in Colombia are Colombian police, armed forces,
prosecutors and judges.
Gumbel
But I understan--I understand that, General, but how do you not
involve the US when it's US funds that are making those interdiction
efforts possible?
McCaffrey
Yeah. Well, of course, we will be very heavily involved in
air interdiction, intelligence collection, training and equipment
deriv--delivery. We're gonna help train their judges, their police
officers, their navy, their coast guard. There will be US involvement, but
the actual operational employment of force inside these sovereign nations
is up to these nations' own forces.
Gumbel
The proposal calls for, I understand, $ 400 million in Blackhawk
helicopters. Would we have to provide support personnel, training
personnel, military personnel, any kind of personnel that could be
involved in combat?
McCaffrey
Well, the--the quick answer is no. There's--on a
day-to-day basis there's probably a couple hundred military people in
Colombia right now. There are trainers, intelligence operatives we are
supporting with DEA, Customs, Coast Guard, US armed forces intelligence
collection. But, again, the job of confronting these criminal empires is
the--solely the prerogative of Colombian authorities. The mobility of 30
Blackhawks and 33 advance model Huey helicopters will give Colombian
police the chance to reintervene and establish law and order in their own
nation.
Gumbel
OK. General Barry McCaffrey, I thank you very much. I'm sure this
isn't the last you and I will talk about this. I appreciate your taking
the time to be with us.
McCaffrey
Indeed, Bryant.