U.S. Creates Security Advisor Position to Assist Colombian Police

the State Dept. this week gave weapons manufacturers one week to submit bids for the planned purchase of up to 500 “gas-operated, air-cooled, belt or magazine-fed automatic weapons” capable of firing up to 850 rounds per minute. The solicitation also calls for the planned purchase of up to 100 semi-automatic .223 caliber rifle with bipods, and 100 10 x 40 mm scopes with mounts. State posted the request June 22 and wants contractors to respond by June 29. The weapons are to be delivered to a State Dept. shipping vendor in Miami, where the items will then be exported to an undisclosed location.

Seven hundred automatic, semi-automatic, and sniper-style guns for a purpose and a place the government keeps secret.  The cause cannot be honorable, the result cannot be good; the groups the government publicly arms are disturbing enough.

From the well-known anti-government radio news source Voice of America (that's sarcasm, folks, the VOA is run by the government) comes this ugly glimpse of the House of Representatives passing legislation.  All this was approved 393 to 32, Dan Robinson wrote June 29:

Egypt would get $1.3 billion for military assistance, and $535 million in economic aid. However, Republicans as well as Democrats have tried unsuccessfully to reduce military aid to Egypt in favor of economic assistance, arguing this would help push Egypt toward democratic, human rights, and other reforms.

The House rejected an amendment, by Pennsylvania Republican Joseph Pitts, that would have diverted $750 million from military aid for Egypt to child survival and health programs.

"Reducing Egypt's military subsidy by $750 million will serve to send a strong message," said Congressman Pitts. "Money sent to a nation, even a strong ally like Egypt, that refuses to make the necessary political, democratic and human rights reforms should be re-directed to a place that better represents our values."

President Bush's request for aid to Israel of $2.3 billion is fully met by the legislation, including $240 million in economic aid and an increase of $60 million in the amount for military aid.

Other controversial provisions involved U.S. counter-narcotics assistance to Colombia, and the question of U.S. funding for foreign military financing and training.

Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern, who wanted to eliminate $100 million from the Andean Counter-Drug Initiative, had this exchange with Republican Tom Davis:

McGovern: "This policy has failed as an anti-drug policy, it has failed as a human rights policy, and it has failed to have any impact whatsoever on reducing the availability, price or purity of drugs on the streets of America."

Davis: "I think this is a time to reaffirm, not dismantle, our commitment to this program, to the people of Colombia, and to the American people who want illegal drugs off their streets."

On international military training, Democratic lawmakers expressed concern the legislation does not place conditions on such aid, mentioning in particular Indonesia and Guatemala.

"For the first time since Indonesian military-backed militias laid waste to East Timor in the wake of its August 1999 independence referendum, we will provide FMF [Foreign Military Financing] to Indonesia free of any conditions," said Congresswoman Nita Lowey. "And despite the Guatemalan government's non-compliance with military reforms stipulated in the peace accords, we have removed IMET restrictions on that country as well."

And in Colombia, what has roughly three billion dollars in four-and-a-half years helped bring about?  Hugh Bronstein for Reuters wrote:

Illegal paramilitary militias, formed in the 1980s by landowners trying to protect their property from Marxist rebels, have discovered how easy it is to earn 20 percent on one-month loans to the growing number of displaced people desperate to get back on their feet.

... Others in and around Barranquilla say they've seen the consequences of default. Killings are not uncommon. ...

While President Alvaro Uribe focuses on defeating the rebels, paramilitaries are tightening their grip on areas they control, setting curfews and banning things they disapprove of such as long hair on men and mini-skirts on women, human rights groups said.

The state department put the secret-location weapons bid out for just five days; it must be considered routine and easy to fill, they're trying to keep eagle-eyed reporters like Peacock from spotting it, or they already had a contractor in mind.  (Stephen, is there a way to find out if these requests are filled?)

Secret weapons sales like this and massive military funding for repressive governments could be stopped by a sufficiently informed U.S. public.  And maybe this time, the U.S. government won't find a new drug to fund its war on the people of Latin America.