a long one from RAN(take two)

[Guest guest]

IN THIS POST:

 

1. U’wa Communiqué February 14, 2002

2. The Bush Oil-igarchy's Pipeline Protection Package by Arianna

Huffington

3. SF Chronicle Editorial: Fighting for Colombian oil

4. El Tiempo: Interview with Anne Patterson, US Ambassador to Colombia

5. GX ACTION : Contact Colin Powell! Don't let U.S. Weapons Kill in

Colombia!

6. AP Colombian Gov't Launches Airstrikes Feb 21

 

For background info on the U'wa struggle see : www.ran.org

www.amazonwatch.org and www.uwacolombia.org

 

Last week Colombia's escalating cycle of violence finally exploded with

a return to full hostilities between the Colombian military and the

FARC. The Bush administration has now made it clearer that US

involvement in Colombia is no longer just about the War on Drugs but is

overtly about protecting US oil companies and meeting US fossil fuel

addiction. But who will pay the price to keep Colombia's oil pipelines

running? As a sign left behind in the formerly de-militarized zone

reads " The gringos give the arms. Colombia provides the dead. " For

more details on the Colombia military's invasion of the rebel zone and

actions you can take for peace in Colombia

see #5 and #6 below.

 

The comunique below is the U'wa response to Bush's proposed $98 million

in military aid to protect Occidental's Cano Limon pipeline. As the

U'wa point out this further militarization of the region will pave the

way for more oil exploitation. Already in the Capcachos drillsite in

the southern corner of U'wa ancestral territory the Spanish oil company

Repsol-YPF has struck oil and plans to develop the site. As the series

of op-eds and the translated interview with US ambassador to Colombia

Anne Patterson make clear US oil interests are driving US policy in

Colombia. How many more ecosystems, cultures and innocent civilians

must get caught in the cross fire before we recognize that the cost of

oil addiction is too high!?

 

Peace groups around Colombia have been preparing emergency mobilizations

to demand a political negotiated solution to the civil war. In Arauca,

the province that contains much of the U'wa ancestral territory and is

home to the 18th Brigade the Bush plan would fund, 30,000 people engaged

in a mass sit-in. The protests was drawing attention to links between

the 18th Brigade and paramilitaries who have escalated their killings

in the region.

Members of the brigade stand accused of the recent murder of a key

witness to the 1998 Santo Domingo Massacre which has become an

internationally recognized example of the Colombian military's endemic

human rights violations. As Witness for Peace reports - on February

19th social organizations and people from Arauca protested in front of

the US Embassy in Colombia. One woman let her voice rise above the crowd

saying, “The oil in Arauca has been a curse for us. The only thing that

it has brought us, and continues to bring us, is death and destruction.”

 

Speak out against Bush's oil war in Colombia! Take action! (#5 below)

Contact Secretary of State Colin Powell and ask him to push for a

re-start to peace negotiations and to insure that U.S. weapons aren't

being used as part of the offensive. Educate your community and

organize to break the fossil fuel chain of destruction. For resources

on fighting fossil fuel addiction by targeting Citigroup the world's

largest funder of fossil fuels see :

http://www.ran.org/ran_campaigns/citigroup/20h_globalwarming.html

 

GLOBAL ECOLOGY! GLOBAL DEMOCRACY! NOW!

 

* * * * *

#1.

U’wa Traditional Authorities

Cubará, February 14, 2002

 

COMMUNIQUÉ TO THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC OPINION

 

The U’wa Community represented by the U’wa Grand Council and the U’wa

Traditional Authority, addresses the difficulties faced by our Sarare

region that is partly Our Ancestral Territory established by our Highest

Colonial Letters.

 

We express our voice of protest and rejection before the national and

international community against the actions of Armed Actors that

destabilize the normal development of rural and indigenous communities

and that in some way affect our way of life and integrity. The

aforesaid permits our support of the mobilization, in a healthy manner,

taking place in the Tame municipality of Aruaca, to make the demands

made by the mobilized communities understood, since the Colombian people

make most of the sacrifices in every sense of the word, and also demand

the Colombian State that it must listen to the outcry of the Sarare and

Arauca communities which is also the feeling of the Colombian People,

our non-U’wa brothers from the

outside world (Riowa).

 

The United States is also financing Plan Colombia, the struggle against

drug trafficking, which signifies the increase of violence in the

department of Arauca, Boyacá and North of Santander and Our Ancestral

Territory, assigning US $98 million to protect the Caño Limón Pipeline

in Coveña, solely for having found oil in the Capachos 1 well without

seeing that what Colombia needs is more investment in social, health,

education and employment programs, so that we can live in Peace.

 

For the U’wa People it is fundamental that the Ancestral and Traditional

Territories are respected and conserved with a socio-cultural vision,

since these give us our daily sustenance and maintenance of all living

beings.

 

The U’wa People and the inhabitants of the Sarare region wish to live in

harmony with nature and within a tranquil space. The territories of

Indigenous Peoples are territories of Peace. The government and

petroleum multinationals are the first responsible for the social and

environmental problem in the Arauca and base of the mountain region, and

in second place are the actors of the armed conflict, for the dynamiting

actions against the Oil pipeline that cause the contamination of water,

pastoral areas and watershed basins of the Arauca River. These actions

are affecting climatic changes and the basic sustenance of our

communities. We have the right to freedom of expression and thought.

 

But it is the actors of the conflict that drive the country into wars

that have no reason to exist. At each step they leave havoc, misery,

and the gravest thing is that they attack LIFE. These actions are on

occasion unjustified and bring destruction to individuals who are the

least implicated; which hurt the communities which have suffered and are

the most needed in the Country.

 

In addition, and taking advantage of this space, we want to reiterate

one more time for public opinion, to Ecopetrol, the Colombian

Government, Multinationals, and especially to Occidental of Colombia,

that we will never step back from the process of territorial defense,

and neither will we change our cultural principles as it is clear that

cultures with principles have no price, which means that we will not

permit oil exploration or development in our sacred territory, this is a

position and thought that surges from our ancestral millenary law and

our cultural principles. And if oil was found in the Capacho sector and

they plan to export it, they are violating the rights of our ancestors

and our mother earth, which belongs to

all who live in This beautiful Blue planet.

 

IN DEFENSE OF OUR CULTURAL RIGHTS, OUR MOTHER EARTH AND THE SOVEREIGNTY

OF OUR ANCESTRAL TERRITORY.

 

U’WA PEOPLE PRESENTE!

 

 

* * * * *

 

#2. The Bush Oil-igarchy's Pipeline Protection Package

 

By Arianna Huffington

 

With the stench of Enron growing more acrid each day, you'd think the

last thing President Bush would want is to be seen toadying to another

deep-pocketed energy giant.

 

Well, you'd be wrong.

 

In a shameless handout to a poor-little-me corporate mendicant, the

president wants to spend close to $100 million to help Occidental

Petroleum protect an oil pipeline unwisely built in war-torn Colombia.

 

For years, in a seedy little deal worthy of a Graham Greene novel, the

oil company has been paying the Colombian army to protect its interests,

forking over $1 for every barrel of oil produced. In fact, one out of

every four Colombian soldiers in the field is assigned to looking after

Occidental's assets. The trouble is, they aren't doing a very good job.

 

Colombia's guerrilla forces, which don't look too kindly on foreign

multinationals in their midst, have made a habit of blowing up the

pipeline. Last year alone, it was bombed 170 times and was out of

commission for 266 days, putting a definite downward drag on

Occidental's profits.

 

So here comes President Bush riding to Oxy's rescue with Super Huey

helicopters and U.S. Special Forces to train a Colombian Army brigade to

protect the pipeline. When it comes to Social Security, Bush can't wait

to privatize, but when it comes to corporate security, he can't wait to

" publicatize. "

 

After years of insisting that our military involvement in Colombia will

be limited to fighting the drug trade, why has the administration

suddenly decided to thrust America deeper into a 38-year civil war -- a

war that took an explosive turn on Wednesday when President Andres

Pastrana broke off peace talks and ordered the armed forces to retake

control of the demilitarized area held by the rebels?

 

Could it be the over $9 million that Occidental has spent on lobbying

since 1996 -- much of it used to push for more and more U.S. military

aid to Colombia -- and the $1.5 million the company donated to federal

campaigns between 1995-2000?

 

" It is something we have to do, " said Anne Patterson, America's

ambassador to Colombia. " It is important for the future of the country,

for our petroleum supplies and for the confidence of our investors. " Our

investors? Since when is U.S. foreign policy a publicly traded

commodity?

 

Maybe I missed the memo, but I thought the Bush administration was all

about promoting the " genius of capitalism " and foursquare against the

government bailing out capitalists who make bad business decisions.

(Team Bush is in danger of injuring itself if it doesn't stop patting

itself on the back for " doing nothing " when a desperate Ken Lay played

Dialing for Deliverance with Don Evans and Paul O'Neill). And let's face

it, Occidental's decision to build an oil pipeline in a country in the

midst of a bloody civil war isn't

exactly the kind of boardroom brainstorm that gets taught at Wharton.

Indeed, even as the pipeline was being built, it was under attack. So

Oxy chairman Armand Hammer cut a deal with the rebels, paying them

millions to keep the oil flowing.

 

And now the oil-igarchy in the White House has chosen to reward this

shining example of the idiocy of capitalism with a no-strings-attached

corporate welfare check. Testifying before Congress last week, Secretary

of State Colin Powell summed up the administration's 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. " Income for whom?

It's the new, improved Powell Doctrine: " U.S. military might should

never be used -- unless it

helps Corporate America turn a profit. "

 

The question is: where do we draw the bottom line in the sand? According

to Ambassador Patterson, there are more than 300 additional sites with

infrastructure of strategic importance to the United States in Colombia.

Are we going to pay to protect all of these, too? And what about the

other pipelines around the world that are " a major source of income? "

Will " investing " our military to keep them up and running prove " wise

and prudent " or a foreign policy nightmare?

 

The reckless decision to elevate corporate interests above the public

good in Colombia risks dragging American troops into a military

quagmire. Imagine a mother getting the following notice from the Defense

Department: " We regret to inform you that your son was killed in the

line of duty while in Colombia. Secretary Rumsfield and Occidental

Petroleum wish to extend their deepest sympathies. Please accept our

condolences and a coupon for a free tank of gas. "

 

Sound far-fetched? It is, because, on second thought, Oxy will never

give taxpayers free gas in exchange for our pipeline protection subsidy.

Instead, we'll pay for it three times over: on tax day, at the gas pump,

and, finally, when the flag-draped coffins start being shipped home.

 

* * * * *

 

#3. SF CHRONICLE LEAD EDITORIAL

 

Fighting for Colombian oil

Wednesday, February 13, 2002

 

PUSHING DEEPER into the Colombian quagmire, President Bush is proposing

a major escalation of U.S. involvement in that country's civil war.

 

What's worse, the main reason appears to be to protect an American oil

company.

 

The administration's foreign operations budget request for 2003,

presented to Congress last week, includes $538 million in aid for

Colombia, $374 million of which is for the military and police. Most of

this aid, as in recent years, is limited to counter-narcotics activities

-- a thin fig leaf over a growing involvement in the Colombian

government's war against leftist guerrillas.

 

Now, however, the administration wants to dispose of the fig leaf

altogether and get directly involved in fighting guerrillas. The budget

request includes $98 million to create, train and equip a Colombian army

brigade (about 2,000 soldiers) to protect a 483-mile pipeline from the

Cano Limon oil fields, operated by Occidental Petroleum Corp. of Los

Angeles, to the Caribbean port of Covenas.

 

Colombia's two guerrilla armies, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of

Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN), oppose foreign

involvement in the nation's oil industry, and frequently bomb the

pipeline. This fight over oil, like all other aspects of Colombia's

39-year civil war, is morally complicated and full of bloody abuses by

all sides.

 

To get directly involved in helping the Colombian government fight the

rebels would be to repeat previous U.S. mistakes in civil wars from El

Salvador to Vietnam.

 

But for many administration hawks, who yearn to re-enact the Cold War,

Colombia is a new front in the fight against communism. Much of the

blame for the new policy switch goes to Otto Reich, the State

Department's director of Latin America policy, whom Bush appointed

during a congressional recess in December to avoid lawmakers' strong

opposition.

 

Reich and other hard-liners are working quietly to undermine the only

feasible way to end the war -- the struggling, U.N.-moderated peace

negotiations.

 

The new U.S. policy reeks of corporate welfare. Cano Limon produces

about 35 million barrels annually -- which, at a cost of $98 million,

adds up to about $3 per barrel in subsidy to Occidental.

 

Let Occidental pay for its own security. And let the Bush administration

reposition itself as a force for peace, not war, in Colombia.

 

 

* * * * *

#4. The United States Will Protect its Interests in Colombia

El Tiempo

Interview with U.S. Ambassador to Colombia, Anne Patterson

February 10, 2002

 

Question: As part of the United States budget for 2003, the Bush

administration proposed spending US$98 million to protect the Caño

Limón-Coveñas oil pipeline. Why is the United States now concerned

about economic interests in Colombia?

 

Ambassador Patterson: All of this began eight months ago, in

discussions with General Fernando Tapias (Commander of the Colombian

Military Forces)and members of the Colombian government. We explored

different types of cooperation, and we came to the conclusion that

protecting the Caño Limón-Coveñas pipeline was a crucial project.

 

Q : Specifically, why the Caño Limón - Coveñas?

 

Colombia lost almost US$445 million due to attacks against the pipeline

last year. Furthermore, to speak frankly, after September 11, the issue

of oil security has become a priority for the United States.

 

Q : Does this mean that after September 11th, the political landscape

changed and Colombia has become a more important source of oil for the

United States?

 

Yes, after Mexico and Venezuela, Colombia is the most important oil

country in the region. After what happened on September 11th, the

traditional oil sources for the United States (the Middle East) are less

secure.

 

Q : And what role does Latin America begin to play in this scenario?

 

Latin America could not cover a shortage, it could not supply (us) in a

crisis, but it allows a small margin to work with and avoid price

speculation.

 

Q : In the United States it is said that by investing US$98 million for

Caño Limón - Coveñas, only the interests of Occidental (Petroleum

Company) are being protected.

 

Oxy is only one of the partners in the pipeline-- it has only 15%.

Eighty-five percent of the resources, the earnings and the royalties

that are generated are shared by (the Department of) Arauca, the

municipality and the (national government).

 

Q : Why only Caño Limón - Coveñas and not Ocensa, for example?

 

Ocensa does not have the problems that Caño Limón - Coveñas has, where

last year there were 170 guerrilla attacks.

 

Q : Why not protect another type of infrastructure?

 

Because we do not have the resources. Protecting a pipeline is

relatively easy. It is more difficult to protect (electricity

infrastructure) and water systems, which are more disperse.

 

Q : What other types of initiatives might there be from the United

States?

 

We have offered our support to the passing of the ATPA (Andean Trade

Preferences Agreement) in Congress. Furthermore, we are looking at

alternatives to offer relief to cut flower producers, for example, until

(ATPA) is passed.

 

Q : Coming back to the US$98 million, will it be possible to extend the

aid to anything other than oil?

 

There are more than 300 infrastructure points that are of strategic

interest for the United States in Colombia.

 

Q : Concrete places?

 

Yes.

 

Q : What types of places?

 

I cannot speak of details.

 

Q : Does this mean that what you are doing in Caño Limón - Coveñas could

be extended to other types of projects, oil or infrastructure?

 

Yes, but we are going to wait to see how things go with this project for

Caño Limón - Coveñas.

 

Q : Some Congresspeople say that this means opening the door for the

United States to participate in the counterinsurgency fight. Is this

true?

 

It’s true that this is not an anti-narcotics issue, but it is something

that we must do. It’s important for the future of the country, for our

oil sources and for the confidence of our investors.

 

Q : The fact that you are moving away from the principal goal of Plan

Colombia, which is anti-narcotics, causes concern…

 

I want to be very clear here, this is different than Plan Colombia, but

Plan Colombia continues. We are going to continue with its goals. We

have requested more money, more than US$400 million, to sustain Plan

Colombia projects.

 

Q : The FARC demanded that Plan Colombia be discontinued. What do you

say?

 

I don’t think so, but I do not respond to stupidities spoken by

terrorist groups.

 

Q : They also requested the removal of foreign (military) advisors (from

Colombia). Is this possible?

 

No.

 

Q : This is not negotiable?

 

No.

 

Q : Why provide all of the US$98 million to the 18th Brigade in Arauca,

instead of creating a new (brigade)?

 

Frankly, we have discussed this issue a great deal and we have come to

the conclusion, with General Tapias and his advisors, which it is easier

to strengthen a battalion that is already working in an area. We are

trying to duplicate our experience with the Counter-Narcotics Brigade in

Larandia (Caquetá).

 

In the United States Congress, some Congresspeople say that this aid

would be used to protect oil companies and not Colombian democracy…

 

The pipeline represents an important percentage of the Gross National

Product (GNP), and a country cannot lose a percentage of its production

for a long time without it affecting its democracy.

 

Q : Nevertheless, it continues to be military aid…

 

If a country has an income source like Caño Limón, which loses almost

US$500 million in one year, it cannot pay teachers, it cannot build

health centers, nor can it pay “public forces” (Armed Forces and

police), so the resources are fundamental, and furthermore, oil exports

are very important for the country.

 

Q : There is also the aid for an Anti-kidnapping Plan. How would this

work?

 

We are offering training for the GAULA (Unified Action Groups for

Personal Security-joint operations between Armed Forces and the Police)

and the military experts in anti-kidnapping (operations). We want to

continue with the training at all levels, improve intelligence and help

to establish analysis centers for the anti-kidnapping program.

 

Q : Would you then need to request more money from Congress?

 

There is no money, so we would need to find it. But this is not a very

expensive program, between an additional US$25 and 30 million, so

perhaps we could find it in other budgets without needing to go to

Congress.

 

Q : Back to the US$98 million…what kind of aid will this translate into?

 

To begin, (it will be for) training of the 18th Brigade, which has

control over this area. And then approximately US$60 million for the

purchase of helicopters, communications equipment and intelligence.

 

Q : How will the pipeline be protected?

 

With intelligence, community action programs, and strengthening of

police stations.

 

Q : Are there a set number of stations?

 

I believe there are between three and five, but we have not come to this

depth of detail yet.

 

Q : Will there be an increase in the number of people in the Brigade?

 

We are working on this with General Tapias, but I think so.

 

Q : Will this investment in Caño Limón be sufficient to give confidence

to the oil companies?

 

Ecopetrol (the Colombian State Oil Company) tells us that there is a lot

of potential oil near the Caño Limón pipeline, so that if there is more

security, it is possible that there could be production and it could be

exported through the pipeline.

 

Q : Specifically with Oxy, do they appear calm enough to continue in the

oil field of Samoré, for example, with this initiative?

 

I don’t know, but Oxy has spent a lot of money in this country in

exploration.

 

Q : Have any other oil companies mentioned that with this initiative

they would come to Colombia?

 

What I know comes from Ecopetrol. I can tell you that we have not had

much interest from United States’ companies to invest in Colombia, in

spite of the possibilities, because of the security issue.

 

Q : With these initiatives, would the interest increase?

 

Yes, but this is my opinion.

 

Q : What would happen if Congress resists passing this US$98 million?

 

They simply resist, but I believe that in spite of the big debate it

will create, at the end of the day we will see it pass.

 

Q : Where is the initiative now?

 

We have put forth the proposal and we entered the debate. Generally we

receive the final budget at the end of the year, in November.

 

Q : So the US$98 million would be for next year?

 

Yes.

 

Q : What will be the strongest argument for the government to defend

this proposal in the U.S. Congress?

 

Colombia has great potential for exporting more oil to the United

States, and now more than ever it is important for us to diversify our

oil sources.

 

* * * * *

# 5. Global Exchange Colombia Update Feb 22 2002

 

http://www.globalexchange.org/colombia/

 

Dear Friends:

 

The Colombian conflict took a frightening turn yesterday when the

3-year-old peace talks between the Colombian armed forces and the

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) broke down. According to

news reports, Colombian aircraft launched an offensive against the

Switzerland-sized rebel zone of control with more than 200 air sorties

attacking some 85 sites inside the zone. The offensive threatens the

resumption of an all-out war in Colombia. (See #6 below)

 

Colombia's civil war has already taken far too many lives. US military

aid to this country has only made matters worse. The collapse of the

peace talks and the government offensive into areas ceded to the rebels

will almost certainly deepen the already-unacceptable bloodshed.

 

Please help us promote peace in Colombia. Send a letter to Secretary of

State Colin Powell today asking him to urge the Colombian government

back to the bargaining table and requesting that he investigate whether

US weapons supplied under Plan Colombia were used in the offensive. You

can send a fax directly to the State Department from the Global Exchange

website:

http://www.globalexchange.org/colombia/faxAction022102.html

 

In modern wars, most casualties are civilians. With the breakdown of the

peace talks, civilians are now in great jeopardy. The ordinary citizens

of Colombia will not gain anything from an all-out war. The only winners

will be the most extremist elements within the Colombian military and

the guerrilla forces.

 

The almost-certain consequence of a sudden FARC departure from the zone

will be the arrival of right-wing paramilitary forces, death squads with

documented ties to the Colombian military. These forces, which have

killed thousands of people in recent years, including campesinos, human

rights defenders, trade unionists, academics and community leaders, will

likely seek to exact reprisals on civilians for suspected support of the

rebels. The Colombian government must do everything it can to guarantee

that this does not happen.

 

It is important to note that recent US actions have added fuel to the

fire. Increases in US military aid have certainly emboldened the most

hawkish elements within the Colombian military. The abrupt shift in

rhetoric by Bush Administration officials from support for

counter-narcotic operations to discussing counter-insurgency efforts and

urging protection of the Colombia assets of US oil companies has, in

effect, given the Colombian military the green light to attack the rebel

zone.

 

We are especially concerned that weapons provided through Plan Colombia

may have been used in the recent offensive and/or will be used in this

deepening conflict. If this is true, it would violate US law. The Bush

Administration and members of Congress should immediately undertake an

investigation to ensure that no US military assistance provided through

Plan Colombia are being used in this offensive, nor will they be used in

any future actions.

 

Please send a fax to Sec. Powell today, and keep visiting the GX website

for news updates.

 

En Paz,

 

Colombia Program, Global Exchange

colombia

415.255.7296 ext.228 or 800.497.1994

 

* * * * *

#6

 

The Associated Press

Colombian Gov't Launches Airstrikes

Thu Feb 21, 5:43 PM ET

By ANDREW SELSKY, Associated Press Writer

 

SAN VICENTE DEL CAGUAN, Colombia (AP) - Military jets flew hundreds of

sorties against a major rebel stronghold Thursday, bringing Colombia's

38-year civil war into a potentially bloodier phase after the peace

process was abruptly halted.

 

Bombs were falling on rebel territory just hours after President Andres

Pastrana, angered by a rebel hijacking of a civilian airliner, broke off

peace talks and condemned the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of

Colombia, or FARC. The government ordered 13,000 troops to advance on

the rebel stronghold, and three planeloads of counterinsurgency troops

landed at an airport in Florencia, a three-hour drive to the west.

 

Army officials said 85 targets were hit in the first wave of attacks on

the rebel safe haven, a Switzerland-sized area that was the site of the

peace negotiations. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

 

Targets included clandestine airstrips and rebel training camps in the

zone, which Pastrana ceded the area to the FARC in November 1998 in an

effort to bring the 16,000-strong rebel army to the negotiating table.

The rebel haven in southern Colombia is sparsely populated, with about

100,000 people.

 

A top army commander predicted a bloody fight, but there were no signs

that military troops had yet entered the zone. " It's dicey, and we will

surely suffer casualties, but we have a moral obligation to win this

war, " Gen. Euclides Sanchez told Caracol Radio.

 

Residents in the rebel area's largest town, San Vicente del Caguan,

posted white flags at their homes in hopes of bringing protection. " The

white flags symbolize peace. We don't want anything to happen, " said

homemaker Amelia de Ficaro, 68.

 

Citizens stripped six vehicles abandoned by the rebels along a road

outside town. Also left behind was a sign that referred to U.S.

anti-drug aid to Colombia. " The gringos give the arms. Colombia provides

the dead, " it said. Some 3,500 people are killed annually in the

38-year war.

 

A rebel in camouflage uniform and brandishing an AK-47 rifle manned a

checkpoint outside San Vicente del Caguan. " We'll keep patrolling

because this is Colombia and we're all over Colombia, " he said. He waved

through some journalists, wishing them " feliz viaje " - happy trip.

 

The FARC did not comment on the offensive. Phone lines to rebel

headquarters were cut shortly after Pastrana condemned a rebel hijacking

of a civilian airliner on Wednesday. Guerrillas kidnapped a senator and

released 29 crew and passengers. The hijacking and weeks of rebel

bombings belied FARC pledges to seek a cease-fire by April.

Many Colombians rallied around Pastrana, whose peace policy had been

highly unpopular.

 

" Colombia was generous with the guerrillas, but now there is no way to

continue this process, " said Sabas Pretelt de la Vega, a top business

leader.

 

" We should have done this a long time ago, " said Army Cpl. Carlos

Vanegas, standing guard on a highway leading to the rebel zone.

 

" Everybody is tired, " said Samuel Dominguez, a cheese vendor in Bogota,

the capital. " Now we have to accept that we are at war and confront it.

Hopefully, we will win. "

 

The United States reiterated its support for Pastrana's government.

 

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan offered his " good offices " to find a

political solution and called on all forces to spare civilians. Amnesty

International and Human Rights Watch urged the government to prevent

right-wing paramilitaries from entering the zone and killing civilians

suspected of collaborating with the rebels.

 

U.N. peace envoy James LeMoyne, who got the two sides to agree to

cease-fire talks last month, expressed concern for the safety of

residents in the zone. He, too, feared paramilitaries could take

advantage of the offensive to hunt down citizens.

 

The escalation comes as Washington is considering expanding training and

equipment deliveries to the Colombian military. At any given time, there

are about 250 U.S. military personnel, 50 civilian employees and 100

civilian military contractors in Colombia.

 

Sanchez said none were participating in Thursday's offensive.

 

The U.S. government has limited its military aid to counter narcotics

operations but has also labeled the FARC a terrorist organization -

leaving open the possibility it could provide aid to fight the group.

The George W. Bush administration has asked Congress to authorize $98

million to train and arm a Colombian army brigade to protect an oil

pipeline.

 

Colombia's war pits the FARC and a smaller rebel group, the National

Liberation Army, against government troops and an outlawed aramilitary

militia.

 

Pastrana, who had staked his presidency on bringing an end to Colombia's

war, insisted that the three-year effort toward making peace with the

FARC had not been wasted. He said the military was stronger than it had

ever been. And he said the process was proof that the FARC could not

negotiate in good faith.