Colombian rebels threatenVietnam-type conflict

By Toby Westerman

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A Colombian guerrilla army, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, has condemned the arrival this Wednesday of U.S. President Bill Clinton to that South American nation and warns that Clinton “is on the verge of converting Colombia into another Vietnam.”

The rebel army, known as FARC, is the largest rebel army in Latin America. It stated that Clinton “is not coming in peace and is not supporting a political solution,” according to official Cuban sources.

Clinton is coming to Colombia to announce a $1.3 billion aid package that is intended to assist the Colombian military in fighting the manufacture and sale of illegal drugs in that nation. The Marxist FARC claims the U.S. money will be used to support “Colombia’s oligarchy,” which is “willing to surrender the country’s sovereignty to imperialism’s insatiable greed.”

The statements were carried by Radio Habana Cuba, the official broadcasting service of the Cuban government.

Clinton will travel to Cartagena, Colombia, for a six-hour visit and meet with Colombian President Andres Pastrana. The two presidents are to be joined by an entourage of 700 other Colombians for a symbolic walk down the main street of Cartagena.

The FARC and the smaller Liberation Army of Colombia have long been accused of having an alliance with Colombia’s powerful drug cartels and using the proceeds of drug sales to finance their rebellion.

The communist guerrillas have been locked in a four-decade-long war with the Colombian government and right-wing paramilitary groups, with no sign of a final military victory in sight for either side.

In March, the Liberation Army of Colombia succeeded for the first time in plunging Bogota, Colombia’s capital, into total darkness following an attack on part of the nation’s power grid. Much of the northern region of Colombia was also darkened.

In April, the Colombian government agreed to a “demilitarized zone” in the north of the country, giving the Liberation Army of Colombia de facto control of the area. A similar arrangement was reached with the FARC last year, giving that rebel group a large section of territory in the south of the country.

According to Radio Habana, the Marxist guerrilla groups have already increased weapons purchases in anticipation of the U.S. aid package. Reports indicate that Colombia’s neighbors are concerned that the conflict may spill over into their territory.

Ecuador is planning to commit troops to defend its nearly 400-mile border with Colombia, and Brazil may send troops to the town of Tabatinga on the Brazilian-Colombian border.

There are also persistent reports that Venezuela, Colombia’s neighbor to the east, is actively supporting the communist guerrilla movements. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jose Rangel has denied that his military was involved in providing the Colombian rebels with weapons. Rangel did concede, however, that the 1,300-mile border between the two states is nearly impossible to guard.

A former ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made similar allegations regarding Venezuelan assistance to the Colombian revolutionaries. During the recent elections in Venezuela, Jesus Urdaneta, a former police chief and opponent of Chavez, stated that Venezuela was secretly providing arms to the Colombian rebels.

Chavez has denied the allegations. An admirer of Cuban President Fidel Castro, Chavez won an overwhelming victory in the July 30 election.

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Toby Westerman

I.J. Toby Westerman, is a contributing reporter for WorldNetDaily and editor/publisher of International News Analysis Today. Read more of Toby Westerman's articles here.