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Reuters. 2 May 2002. Rights group angered by Colombian aid. WASHINGTON -- Three human rights groups on Thursday disputed the U.S. State Department's decision to clear $62 million in aid to the Colombian military, saying the armed forces had not met U.S. requirements for an improved rights record. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told Congress this week that the Colombian military had met the three conditions set by Congress on human rights abuses by soldiers and on military cooperation with right-wing paramilitary organizations. The State Department said Colombia had made "real progress" on human rights but still needs to make improvements. But Human Rights Watch, the Washington Office on Latin America and Amnesty International said: "The human rights situation in Colombia continues to deteriorate as all illegal armed groups continue to target primarily civilians." "The Colombian government has not made progress toward meeting the conditions, such as the suspension of high-ranking military officers implicated in serious abuses or the arrest of known human rights violators. "In short, the Colombian government has rebuffed benchmarks provided by the U.S. government to demonstrate meaningful human rights progress," they added in a statement. The Bush administration is offering the $62 million to help the Colombian military fight the drug trade and has asked Congress to let the Colombians use the money to fight leftist guerrillas and the right-wing paramilitaries. The three conditions set by Congress were that the Colombian military suspend personnel credibly suspected of human rights violations or abetting the right-wing United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), transfer military personnel to civilian jurisdiction when requested and sever links between military units and the paramilitary AUC. A State Department official on Wednesday gave a detailed account of the steps the Colombians have taken, including the names of officers suspended or prosecuted. But the three groups said: "The certification provides no evidence of arrests or actions against key paramilitary leaders or high-ranking members of the armed forces credibly alleged to have collaborated with paramilitary groups." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
