AUDREY'S MISSILES A weekly newsletter dedicated to the peaceful reform of the United States government. HIDDEN MOTIVES During her current tour of South American nations Secretary of State Madeleine Albright failed to gain the support of Brazil for the Clinton $1.3 billion appropriation for the war against Colombian drug traffickers and rebels. Now we know that the drug traffic is a menace, and most observers would wonder why a neighboring nation would not be supportive of efforts to stop it. What is it that Brazil does not like about the proposed escalation of the drug war in Colombia, and why are the Europeans divided on this same issue? Brazil shares a long Amazon jungle border with Colombia and is concerned that a massive military assault could drag it into the country's civil war and could send droves of refugees into Brazil. They also afraid that drug traffickers would seek out new markets in this vast country of 165 million people. A very interesting analysis is that of exiled journalist Alfredo Molano, interviewed at his home in Barcelona, Spain, by a European newspaper. A native of Colombia, Senior Molano and his family fled that county. They had received death threats from US-backed military and paramilitary forces because he criticized them in his Sunday newspaper column in the daily El Espectador of Bogotá. Senior Molano does not think the aid package will slow the drug traffic at all. This is what he believes it will do:(1)…spread the cocaine crop to Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and to Northern Colombia (2) …increase the narco-power of violent paramilitary squads and their impunity to commit human rights atrocities [because he believes that it will move the crops from the South to the north, giving the paramilitaries control over them] (3) displace Colombian peasants with the motive of constructing a new Atlantic-Pacific canal within Colombia (4)...cause grave environmental harm to the Amazon jungle. The mention of plans for an Atlantic-Pacific Canal is perhaps the most interesting among Molano's arguments. He thinks that one of the motives of this war is to get rid of the native peoples of Northern Colombia so that "development" can take place. It is true that the native people of Northern Colombia are under siege. The oil companies, the canal builders, the railroad builders, and others find that things would be much better for them if they could "kick out" the peasants. We learned about the troubles of the native Uma Indians with Occidental Petroleum when three U.S. citizens who were trying to help the Indians were murdered down there not too long ago. Another group of Indians, the Embera Katío, also traditional indigenous peoples, are having survival problems also. One thing that has happened to them is that a hydroelectric dam has been built near their ancestral reserve, and their lands are now being flooded. This has destroyed their two dietary staples, fish and plantains, and disease is rampant. This is one way to get rid of people who stand in the way of "progress"! Alfredo Molano may be right. Americans have known for some time that the situation in Colombia was a complicated one and that the motives of the Clinton Administration are not always what they appear to be. http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000816/wl/albright_brazil_dc_2.html Red the full text of the Molano interview at http://www.narconews.com/exiled.html http://www.globalexchange.org/colombia/action020900.html READ THIS NEWSLETTER AND THEN GIVE IT TO A FRIEND. No copyright on the content of AUDREY'S MISSILES is claimed since it is our hope that the information in this newsletter will be copied and distributed widely. Topics covered are those which are not adequately treated on TV or in the press. If you live in the 209 calling area end a request to 209 847-7588 for a free fax subscription. E-mail is free anywhere. Paid subscriptions are not accepted. Comments may be sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] 8/25/00 (Colombia) ========================================================================== [EMAIL PROTECTED] is an moderated maillist about government reform. To join or leave send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] TO: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: -------------------------------------- (un)subscribe audreys-missiles Visit http://www.uwsa.com Support UWSA.COM at http://www.uwsa.com/UWSACOMintro.html
