Oiligarchy Rules, Oilé!
House Bill Expands U.S. Role in Colombia
March 2002
nebraskansforpeace.org
<<does Columbia have enough oil for him to bother?>>
"The White House asked Congress for military aid to protect a private company’s oil profits in Colombia last month. The Bush administration made a request for $250 million more in aid to the Colombian military, almost half of it ($98 million) to help protect a pipeline owned by a U.S. corporation, Occidental Petroleum. Congress had approved $1.3 billion in aid for "Plan Colombia" two years ago to fight drug trafficking. Under U.S. law, military aid to Colombia can only be used against narcotics operations, not counter-insurgency.
Between 1995 and 2000, Occidental Petroleum spent more than $9 million on lobbying and $1.5 million in donations to political campaigns. Much of the money was used to persuade the United States to pour military aid into Colombia. A fourth of all Colombian troops in the field is already assigned to protect the company’s assets. Occidental Petroleum built the Caño Limón pipeline in spite of Colombia’s ongoing civil war. Even as it was being built, it came under attack by guerilla forces opposed to oil drilling and to the presence of a foreign corporation in their region.
Secretary of State Colin Powell testified before Congress on the administration’s new position: "We thought a $98 million investment in Colombian brigades to help protect this pipeline is a wise one and a prudent one. What makes this pipeline unique is that it is such a major source of income." Anne Patterson, the U.S. ambassador to Colombia and apparent spokeswoman for the oil company, echoed Powell’s sentiments. "It is something we have to do," she said. " It is important for the future of the country, for our petroleum supplies and for the confidence of our investors."
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U.S. Special Forces Arrive in Colombian War Zone to Train Troops
abcnews.go.com
January 16, 2003
Message 18455016
Message 18455112
House Bill Expands U.S. Role in Colombia March 2002 nebraskansforpeace.org
Republicans drafted a resolution in the House last month that crossed the line for the first time from counter-narcotics to counter-insurgency. Up to now Congress has insisted that U.S. military aid to Colombia be used solely to fight drug trafficking. The Colombian military’s notorious record on human rights prohibited Congress from openly providing military aid to counter- insurgency.
Rep. Henry Hyde, chair of the House International Relations Committee, was a sponsor of the new bill. A version of the resolution reflecting the views of leading Democrats was approved. Democrats cited both the left-wing guerilla group known as FARC and the right-wing paramilitary group known as AUC for their "unprecedented campaigns of terror against the people and the democratically elected government of Colombia."
Colombians Know Which Way the Wind Blows
With their finger to the wind, Colombian military officials have been careful since September 11 to call the guerilla forces in their country "terrorists" instead of "narco-guerrillas." Though the guerillas are fighting the same war, the so-called war on drugs has lost its currency. Joining the "international war on terror" may prove to be more profitable, if not more justifiable. Right-wing paramilitary groups backed by the Colombian army have been responsible for most of the mass killings in recent years. |
