War on Terror
The U.S. War of Terror in Colombia
In the aftermath of September 11th, a counterterror orientation developed within U.S. foreign policy that has led to a blending of the war on drugs with an alleged “war on terror.” U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft stated, “The State Department has called the FARC the most dangerous international terrorist group based in the Western Hemisphere,” and that Colombia’s leftist guerrillas have “engaged in a campaign of terror against Colombians and U.S. citizens.” The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Otto Reich, has argued that the “40 million people of Colombia deserve freedom from terror and an opportunity to participate fully in the new democratic community of American states. It is in our self-interest to see that they get it.” As a result, the Bush administration, which has committed $514 million to Colombia for the year 2002—with 71 percent of the grant in the form of military aid—is now set to commit some $700 million for 2003 for what it argues is an extension of its international “war on terror.” Read more»
The Spy Game
Simultaneous proposals by U.S. President George W. Bush and Colombian President-elect Alvaro Uribe to deploy civilian spies as a component of their domestic counterterrorism strategies clearly illustrates the authoritarian tendencies of both leaders. Bush’s soon-to-be-implemented Terrorism Information and Prevention System (Operation TIPS) and Uribe’s scheme to establish a civilian militia both call for at least one million civilians to inform on their fellow citizens. There are striking similarities between both plans and Cuba’s Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs), which are neighborhood watch groups used by Fidel Castro’s government to gather intelligence on the activities of the Cuban people. The fact that the CDRs have been repeatedly criticized in the U.S. State Department’s annual human rights reports has not diminished the enthusiasm of the Bush and Uribe administrations to implement their own versions of Cuba’s domestic spy program. Read more»
U.S. Shifts Gears: Launches PR Campaign Against Terrorism Instead of For It
One of the difficulties facing the White House in its war of words with presumed mass murderer Osama bin Laden is that it is on unsure footing. Unlike most American propaganda campaigns about terrorism, this one portrays the evil-doers as evil. We’ve had considerable success over the years in persuading international and domestic audiences to think well of one or another evil terrorist outfit, so this new campaign requires a complete reorientation for President George W. Bush’s veteran propaganda team. To use a baseball analogy for our baseball president, it’s like asking Derek Jeter to run the bases in a clockwise direction. It will be a while before official U.S. propagandists start to act instinctively, but once they do, watch out. These guys got game. Read more»
Targeting Colombia’s “Evil-doers”
The U.S. ambassador to Colombia, Anne Patterson, announced last week that the United States will provide Colombia with counterterrorism aid as part of Washington’s new war on terrorism. But many critics are concerned the new aid signifies an escalation of U.S. involvement in Colombia that might result in direct military intervention. Patterson’s announcement followed on the heels of a declaration by the State Department’s top counterterrorism official, Francis X. Taylor, that Washington’s strategy for fighting terrorism in the western hemisphere will include, “where appropriate, as we are doing in Afghanistan, the use of military power.” Taylor left little doubt about who would be the “appropriate” target when he stated that Colombia’s largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), “is the most dangerous international terrorist group based in this hemisphere.” Read more»
Colombia’s Right-Wing Terror Campaign Easy to Shut Down—If Only the U.S. Had the Will
The day before the U.S. suffered the worst terrorist attack in our history, Secretary of State Colin Powell designated the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” and imposed economic and political sanctions on the group. “This designation,” said Powell, “makes it illegal for persons in the United States or subject to U.S. jurisdiction to provide material support to the AUC; requires U.S. financial institutions to block assets held by the AUC; and enables us to deny visas to representatives of the group.” Read more»
Washington’s Anti-Terrorism Campaign in Colombia
As Washington shifts its foreign policy focus towards combating terrorism, many have speculated that military funding for the drug war in Colombia will diminish. However, just the opposite is likely to occur as Washington can now escalate its military involvement in Colombia under the guise of anti-terrorism. With all of Colombia’s illegal armed groups on the U.S. State Department’s terrorist list, Washington can use the groundswell of public support for a war against terrorism as justification for further arming and equipping the Colombian army in its war against leftist guerrillas. Read more»
Alienating the International Community
Many Americans are justifiably stunned, bewildered and angry following the recent terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington DC. But while we seek justice for these atrocious acts of violence, Americans should also reflect on why these fanatics harbor such hatred for the United States. It is not, as Washington so often claims, because they resent our “freedoms” or our “way of life”; it is because they resent a U.S. foreign policy that imposes Western cultural values on their way of life. And while the actions of this fanatical minority are inexcusable, they are indicative of a political viewpoint held by ever-increasing numbers of people around the world. Consequently, many in the international community see the United States as a rogue nation unilaterally imposing its political and economic will on the world at large. Read more»