stephanie
04-19-2007, 07:17 PM
Financial Times
By Anastasia Moloney in Bogotá
Updated: 4:13 p.m. AKT April 19, 2007
The US Senate has frozen the transfer of millions of dollars in funds to the Colombian military pending investigations into concerns over human rights abuses and alleged ties between the country's armed forces and paramilitary groups.
The decision to suspend 25 per cent of US military aid, worth $55.2m (€40.6m, £27.5m), was adopted by Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate appropriations committee's subcommittee on state and foreign operations, who is an outspoken critic of the level of military aid being sent to Colombia.
David Carle, spokesman for Mr Leahy, alluded that the widening "para-politics" scandal in Colombia was a factor in the senator's decision.
The scandal has exposed connections between rightwing paramilitary groups and politicians and members of the armed forces.
An unvetted report for the CIA leaked to US media last month claimed that General Mario Montoya, the head of Colombia's armed forces, had collaborated with paramilitary groups linked to drug traffickers.
Mr Carle said the accusations against Gen Montoya were a "concern".
"Congress does not yet know the validity of these reports, if any, but time is needed to discuss them with the Bush administration, since among the conditions is a requirement that the Colombian military is severing ties with paramilitaries," he said.
He also added that Mr Leahy would be meeting human rights groups and, until those discussions were held, "he will continue his hold on the release of these funds".
Colombia is the largest recipient of US aid in the western hemisphere and US aid to the Colombian military totals some $220m for 2006, the majority earmarked for counter-insurgency and narcotics operations.
Part of US aid sent to Colombia is subject to human rights certification. Earlier this month Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, certified that human rights conditions had been met by the Colombian armed forces, paving the way for the release of funds.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18205461/
By Anastasia Moloney in Bogotá
Updated: 4:13 p.m. AKT April 19, 2007
The US Senate has frozen the transfer of millions of dollars in funds to the Colombian military pending investigations into concerns over human rights abuses and alleged ties between the country's armed forces and paramilitary groups.
The decision to suspend 25 per cent of US military aid, worth $55.2m (€40.6m, £27.5m), was adopted by Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate appropriations committee's subcommittee on state and foreign operations, who is an outspoken critic of the level of military aid being sent to Colombia.
David Carle, spokesman for Mr Leahy, alluded that the widening "para-politics" scandal in Colombia was a factor in the senator's decision.
The scandal has exposed connections between rightwing paramilitary groups and politicians and members of the armed forces.
An unvetted report for the CIA leaked to US media last month claimed that General Mario Montoya, the head of Colombia's armed forces, had collaborated with paramilitary groups linked to drug traffickers.
Mr Carle said the accusations against Gen Montoya were a "concern".
"Congress does not yet know the validity of these reports, if any, but time is needed to discuss them with the Bush administration, since among the conditions is a requirement that the Colombian military is severing ties with paramilitaries," he said.
He also added that Mr Leahy would be meeting human rights groups and, until those discussions were held, "he will continue his hold on the release of these funds".
Colombia is the largest recipient of US aid in the western hemisphere and US aid to the Colombian military totals some $220m for 2006, the majority earmarked for counter-insurgency and narcotics operations.
Part of US aid sent to Colombia is subject to human rights certification. Earlier this month Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, certified that human rights conditions had been met by the Colombian armed forces, paving the way for the release of funds.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18205461/