BY NORM DIXON

The United States has escalated its intervention in the civil war in Colombia with its February 5 announcement that Washington will help Colombia “protect” a strategic oil pipeline that is a frequent target of guerilla attacks.

The plan, outlined by a US delegation to Bogota, will provide US$98 million to train and equip a Colombian army brigade to protect the 770-kilometre Cano-Limon pipeline, which transports oil to the Caribbean coast for US-based Occidental Petroleum corporation and other companies.

While defending US oil interests is important to Washington, the arming and training of Colombian soldiers has more to do with defeating the left-wing fighters of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

Rebel operations prevented the production of more than 24 million barrels of crude last year, according to Colombia's state oil company Ecopetrol. Colombia is the 10th biggest supplier of oil to the United States.

Until now, US military aid to Colombia has been supplied under the US$1.3 billion Plan Colombia package, passed by Congress in 2000. Now, Washington is confident that it can sell its support for the Colombian government in the name of the “war on terrorism”.

From Green Left Weekly, February 13, 2002.
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