IS WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED TO BE A SHORT-COMING. COLOMBIA IS A
           LARGE COUNTRY. ONE OF THEIR DEPARTMENTS IS AS LARGE AS THE
           NATION OF EL SALVADOR. IN FIGHTING INSURGENCY, THE STATE HAS TO
           DEFEND MANY CRITICAL AREAS, BUT ALSO HAS TO HAVE THE CAPABILITY
           TO MASS AND EE ECONOMIZE FORCES TO ATTACK GUERRILLA FORMATIONS
           WHEN THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES. MR. PRESIDENT, COLOMBIA'S ARMY

           HAS BARELY 40 HELICOPTERS FOR A TERRITORY THE SIZE OF TEXAS AND
           MEXICO COMBINED. EL SALVADOR, 1/50TH THE SIZE OF COLOMBIA, HAD
           80, TWICE AS MANY DURING ITS CIVIL WAR. MR. PRESIDENT, ALTHOUGH
           THE ARMY HAS 12,000 SOLDIERS, MOST OF THEM ARE ONE-YEAR CON
           SCRIPPS. APPROXIMATELY 35% ARE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES NOT
           ASSIGNED TO COMBAT DUTIES BY LAW. AT ANY TIME, ABOUT 30% ARE
           UNDERGOING BASIC TRAINING. A LARGE PORTION OF THE MAINING

           FORCES IS ASSIGNED TO STATIC DEFENSE OF KEY ECONOMIC OR
           ISOLATED MUNICIPAL OUT POSTS. THAT LEAVES, MR. PRESIDENT, ONLY
           ABOUT 20,000 SOLDIERS REMAINING FOR OFFENSIVE COMBAT
           OPERATIONS. THESE ARE THE VETERANS OR VOLUNTEERS THAT
           CONSTITUTE APART FROM THE OFFICER CORPS ACTION THE ONLY TRUE
           REPOSITORY OF TRUE COMBAT EXPERIENCE IN THE COLUMBIAN ARMY.
           NOW, MR. PRESIDENT, CONSIDER THAT THE ACTIVE GUERRILLA COME BA

           TANTS ALONE NUMBER BETWEEN 11,000 TO 20,000. DO THE MATH. IT
           DOESN'T LOOK GOOD. IT'S CONCEIVABLY A RATIO OF 1-1. A FIGHTING
           RATIO OF 1-1. HOW CAN A MILITARY WITH LIMITED RESOURCES, MR.
           PRESIDENT, FIGHT TWO GUERRILLA MOVEMENTS WHICH HAVE VIRTUALLY
           UNLIMITED RESOURCES FROM DRUG TRAFFICKING, KIDNAPPING,
           EXTORTION AND ARMS TRAFFICKING?
           HOW CAN THEY DO IS IN THE ANSWER IS, IT IS VERY, VERY
           DIFFICULT, AND COLOMBIA FACES A HUGE CHALLENGE. MR. PRESIDENT,

           THE COLUMBIAN ARMY HAS ALREADY SUFFERED A STRING OF MILITARY
           DEFEATS. IN 1998, THE COLUMBIAN ARMED FORCES SUFFERED THREE
           MAJOR BLOWS IN MARCH, AUGUST, AND THEN AGAIN IN NOVEMBER. IN
           FACT, THE FARK EXECUTED ONE OF ITS MAJOR BLOWS AGAINST THE
           MILITARY JUST AS PRESIDENT P PASTRANO WAS MEETING WITH FARK
           LEADERS ON PEACE TALKS. THE FARK CURRENTLY OLDS OVER 300
           MILITARY AND POLICE PRISONERS OF WAR. AND ACCORDING TO JANE'S

           INTELLIGENCE REVIEW, COLUMBIAN GUERRILLAS KILLED 445 SOLDIERS
           DURING 1998. MR. PRESIDENT, IF YOU INCLUDE COLUMBIAN NATIONAL
           POLICE, THE FIGURE WOULD RISE AS HIGH AS 600. THE CNP TOO HAS
           EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT LOSSES. OVER 4,000 POLICEMEN HAVE BEEN
           KILLED IN COLOMBIA IN THE PAST DECADE. 4,000. MR. PRESIDENT, AS
           IF THE FARK WEREN'T ENOUGH AFTER PROBLEM, LET ME NOW FURTHER

           COMPLICATE THIS SITUATION BY DISCUSSING THEIR SECOND PROBLEM.
           AND THAT IS THE WAR WITH THE E.L.N. FIRST THE FARK, NOW THE
           E.L.N. THE E.L.N. HAS BEEN ENVIOUS OF THE ATTENTION THE FARK
           HAS BEEN GETTING PARTICULARLY AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE, AND AS
           A RESULT, THE E.L.N. RESORTED TO A SERIES OF RECENT HOSTAGE
           TAKINGS. SHORTLY AFTER PRESIDENT PASTRONA AND THE FARK
           ANNOUNCED IN APRIL THAT FORMAL NEGOTIATIONS WOULD TAKE PLACE IN
           THE SUMMER, THE E.L.N. HIJACKED A COLOMBIAN COMMERCIAL AIRLINER

           IN APRIL KIDNAPPING 41 PASSENGERS AND CREW. THEN SHORTLY AFTER
           THE DEFENSE MINISTER'S RESIGNATION, ABOUT 30 E.L.N. GUERRILLAS
           INVADED A CHURCH SERVICE IN AN UPPER-CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD IN CALI
           AND ABDUCTED OVER 40 WORSHIPERS. IN RESPONSE THE GOVERNMENT
           DEPLOYED MORE THAN 3,000 SOLDIERS AND POLICEMEN TO TRY TO
           LOCATE THEM. NOW WHILE SOME HOSTAGES HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM
           THE HIJACKING, AND FROM THE CHURCH INCIDENT, APPROXIMATELY 50 L

           STILL BEING HELD INCLUDING TWO AMERICANS. NOW, MR. PRESIDENT, I
           HAVE OUTLINED THE TWO MAIN GUERRILLA GROUPS WHICH ARE A
           SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO COLOMBIA. HOWEVER, I HAVE NOT YET SPOKEN
           OF ANOTHER, A THIRD ONGOING WAR WHICH POSES AN ADDITIONAL AND
           SUBSTANTIAL THREAT. I AM TALKING NOW ABOUT THE COLOMBIAN PARA
           MILITARIES. IN FACT THE COLOMBIAN PARA MILITARIES ARE SEEKING A

           ROLE AT THE NEGOTIATION TABLE. THEY ARE AN UMBRELLA
           ORGANIZATION WE BELIEVE OF 5,000 ARMED COMBATANTS. THERE
           MISSION HAS BEEN TO COUNTER THE GRIP OF LEFTIST GUERRILLAS.
           CARLOS COSTANIO THE POWERFUL LEADER OF THE GROUP HAS BEEN
           QUOTED DEFENDING THE STRATEGY OF KILLING VILLAGERS WHO ARE
           GUERRILLA SUPPORTERS AND SYMPATHIZERS. THE PARAMILITARIES ARE
           FUNDED BY WEALTHY LANDOWNERS, AND IN SOME CASES, COCAINE

           TRAFFICKERS. THEY EX O OWE THEY EXZERO OWE THEY EXERCISE
           INCREASING INFLUENCE AND DID DURING 1998 EXTENDING THEIR
           PRESENCE INTO AREAS PREVIOUSLY UNDER GUERRILLA CONTROL. THE
           PRESENCE OF PARAMILITARY GROUPS HAS DRIVEN A WEDGE IN PEACE
           TALKS BECAUSE THE FARK REFUSES TO NEGOTIATE UNLESS IT
           GOVERNMENT CLAMS DOWN ON THE RIGHT WINNING GUNMEN. THE PROBLEM
           IS THE GOVERNMENT ALSO HAS A PROBLEM IN TRYING TO CONTROL THE
           PARAMILITARY. NOW IN AN ATTEMPT TO BECOME A PLAYER AT THE

           NEGOTIATING TABLE, COSTANIO ORGANIZATION KIDNAPPED A COLOMBIAN
           SENATOR JUST LAST MONTH. IN FACT, COSTANIO SAID SHORTLY AFTER
           THE ABDUCTION HIS AIM WAS TO GAIN POLITICAL RECOGNITION ON A
           PLACE AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE FOR HIS MOVEMENT. THE SENATOR
           WAS FREED AFTER BEING HELD FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. THE SENATOR
           LATER COMMENTED THAT THE PASTRANO GOVERNMENT SHOULD EVENTUALLY
           INCLUDE COLOMBIA'S PARAMILITARY FORKS IN NEGOTIATIONS TO END

           THE 35-YEAR LONG CIVIL WAR. SINCE THE LEFTIST REBELS VEHEMENTLY
           OPPOSE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE PEACE TALKS, PROS PEGST FOR
           THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS ARE COMPLICATED EVEN FURTHER. NOW, MR.
           PRESIDENT, BEFORE I TALK ABOUT THE INCREASING DRUG THREAT FROM
           COLOMBIA, LET ME SPEND A FEW MINUTES ON THE GENERAL VIOLENCE IN
           COLOMBIA. ACCORDING TO THE U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN
           RIGHTS, COLOMBIA LEAD LED THE WORLD IN KIDNAPINGS IN 1998 AND
           MAY BE THE MOST LIKELY PLACE IN THE WORLD TO BE ABDUCTED. THE

           COUNTRY AVERAGES 5 PEOPLE A -- FIVE PEOPLE A DAY -- FIVE PEOPLE
           A DAY, SNATCHED BY GUERRILLAS OR OTHER CRIMINALS. GUERRILLAS
           FROM THE FARK, E.L.N., SMALLER POPULAR LIBERATION ARMY
           ACCOUNTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 1,600 KIDNAPINGS OF THE 2,600
           REPORTED IN 1998. A REPORT ISSUED BY THE COLOMBIA GOVERNMENT'S
           ANTI-KIDNAPPING OFFICE IN MAY CALCULATED THAT AT LEAST 4,925
           PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABDUCTED SINCE JANUARY 1996, WITH THE LARGEST

           TOTAL COMING IN 1998. NOW MR. PRESIDENT, THE PROBLEM WITH THIS
           STATISTICS IS THAT MANY FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES PREFER TO DEAL
           DIRECTLY WITH KIDNAPERS, AND SIMPLY NEVER REPORT THE ABDUCTIONS
           TO THE POLICE. HENCE THIS FIGURE IS ONLY THE OFFICIAL FIGURE.
           IT IS UNDERSTANDABLY DIFFICULT TO COUNT HOW MANY KIDNAPINGS
           ACTUALLY OCCUR IN COLOMBIA EVERY DAY, EVERY MONTH, EVERY YEAR.
           IMAGINE, IF WE CAN, LIVING IN A COUNTRY WHERE YOU CAN'T SEND
           OUR CHILD ON SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS, WHERE YOU CAN'T DECIDE TO GO

           OUT OF BOGOTA FOR THE WEEKEND TO ADVICE ILT RELATIVES IN A
           NEARBY CITY. IN FACT THE SITUATION IS SO GRAVE THAT YOU THINK
           TWICE ABOUT GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE OR EVEN TO A MOVIE. A
           RECENT "NEW YORK TIMES" ARTICLE DESCRIBED THE LIVES OF
           COLUMBIANS AND PRE CRAUGSS -- PLEA CAUTIONS THEY TAKE ON A
           DAILY BASIS. THE ARTICLE STATED MCCOLLUM YAN'S REFUSE TO FLY ON
           ANY AIRPLANE THAT IS NOT A JET. THEY CITE THE EXAMPLE OF THE
           E.L.N. HIJACKING OF 5 PROP PLANE. THE COLUMBIAN QUOTED IN THE

           ARTICLE COMMENTED THAT IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR GUERRILLAS
           TO TAKE OVER A BIG JET AND MAKE IT LAND AT SOME AIRSTRIP OUT IN
           THE JUNGLE. THAT WAS HIS EXPLANATION. IN THE WEEK BEFORE
           EASTER, A TRADITIONAL VACATION TIME THROUGHOUT ALL OF LATIN
           AMERICA, TRAVEL WITHIN COLOMBIA WAS DOWN 40% OVER LAST YEAR
           ACCORDING TO A COLUMBIAN CIVIC FLWUPE. MR. PRESIDENT, WITH
           INCREASING REGULARITY, THE 5 MILLIONAIRESS DENTS OF BOGOTA ARE
           CANCELING TRIPS TO TOWNS THAT ARE BARELY A TWO-HOUR DRIVE AWAY,

           WHILE TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAYS, THE CARIBBEAN COAST, ALSO DROPPED
           SIGNIFICANTLY. KID NACHING IS SUCH A SIGNIFICANT THREAT THAT A
           GOVERNMENT STUDY MADE PUBLIC ESTIMATES THAT THE COUNTRY'S THREE
           MINUTE GUERRILLA GROUPS HAVE OBTAINED MORE THAN $1.2 BILLION IN
           KIDNAPPING RANSOMS IN RECENT YEARS. MR. PRESIDENT, THE
           SITUATION IN COLOMBIA HAS GOTTEN SO BAD, SO BAD THAT OUR STATE
           DEPARTMENT RECENTLY ISSUED A WARNING ADVISING AMERICANS NOT TO
           TRAVEL TO COLOMBIA. YOU SEE, COLUMBIANS ARE NOT THE ONLY

           TARGETS. U.S. CITIZENS ARE TARGETS AS WELL. IN LATE 1997 THE
           STATE DEPARTMENT ADDED THE FARK TO ITS LIST OF TERRORIST
           ORGANIZATIONS. IN JANUARY, 1999, GUERRILLAS ANNOUNCED ALL U.S.
           MILITARY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL IN COLOMBIA WOULD BE
           CONSIDERED LEGITIMATE TARGETS TO BE KILLED OR CAPTURED. IN LATE
           FEBRUARY, THE FARK VICIOUSLY MURDERED THREE U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS
           WORKERS. THIS EXECUTION MET WITH NO REACTION FROM OUR

           ADMINISTRATION. A RESOLUTION WAS RECENTLY INTRODUCED IN THE
           HOUSE CALLING ON THE COLUMBIAN GOVERNMENT TO PURSUE THE
           KILLERS. MEMBERS OF THE FARK, AND TO EXTRADITE THEM TO THE
           UNITED STATES. MR. PRESIDENT, COLUMBIAN TERRORISTS CONTINUE TO
           TARGET AMERICANS, KIDNAPPING OVER A DOZEN U.S. CITIZENS IN 1999
           SO FAR. AND THIS IS THE DOUBLE -- THIS IS DOUBLE THE TOTAL
           AMOUNT FOR THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE 1998 STATE DEPARTMENT

           TERRORISM REPORT ALSO SUGGESTS THAT TERRORISTS ALSO CONTINUE TO
           BOMB U.S. COMMERCIAL INTERESTS, SUCH AS OIL PIPELINES, AND
           SMALL BUSINESSES. MR. PRESIDENT, THERE HAS ALSO BEEN MUCH
           CONCERN THAT THE CIVIL WAR IN COLUMBIA COULD SPILL OVER INTO
           NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, INCLUDING VENENZUELA, WHERE THE
           PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT CHAVEZ IS ALLEGED TO HAVE CONTACTS IN THE
           PAST WITH THE E.L.N. 5 SPILL-OVER INTO VENENZUELA WOULD BE A
           DISASTER FOR THE UNITED STATES AND THIS HEMISPHERE. GIVEN THE

           FACT THAT VENDS WAY LA IS OUR NUMBER ONE IT SHALL LET ME REPEAT
           THIS -- OUR NUMBER ONE SUPPLIER OF FOREIGN OIL. THE SWAYS IS SO
           GRAVE THAT VENENZUELA SENT 30,000 TROOPS TO THE BORDER WITH
           CLOFM YEAH. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A RECENT EXODUS OF CLOME YANS
           INTO VENENZUELA IN A TWO DAY PERIOD RECENTLY 2,000 BEGAN THEIR
           EXODUS TO VENENZUELA AFTER DEATH SQUADS MASSACRED ABOUT 80

           PEOPLE NEAR A BORDER TOWN. MANY OF THE COLUMBIANS WERE SAID TO
           BE COCOA FARMERS. AT FIRST PRESIDENT CHAVEZ SAID THEY WERE
           PREPARED TO OFFER TEMPORARY REFUGE NEUROMUSCULAR THEY COULD
           RETURN SAFELY TO THEIR HOMES. HOWEVER, ONLY ONE DAY AFTER THE
           RECENT CROSS-OVER BEGAN, VENDS WAY LA ALREADY STARTED -- VENDS
           WAY LA STARTING SENDING COLUMBIANS BACK COLOMBIA. IN A FEW
           DAYS, ALL HAD BEEN SENT BACK. COLOMBIA-V VENDS WAY LONG

           RELATION SHIPS HAVE BEEN TENSE. TARGET, WHILE PRESIDENT CHAVEZ
           SAID HE WOULD PLAY A ROLE IN NERSS, IN MID-MAY HE ANNOUNCED HE
           WOULD MEET WITH FARK AND THE FARK COMMANDER. TWO MONTHS EARLIER
           THE PRESIDENT AGREED -- THE PRESIDENT HAD ANGER PRESIDENT
           PASTRANO BY SUGGESTING THE FARK'S ARRANGED STRUGGLE WAS
           LEGITIMATE AN DECLARING THAT VENZUELA REMAIN NEUTRAL IN THE
           CONFLICT. THERE HAS BEEN CONCERN MR. PRESIDENT ABOUT A

           SPILLOVER OF CONFLICT INTO ECUADOR. IN FACT THEY INDICATE REBEL
           FORCES HAVE CROSSED OVER TO THEIR NATION PRIMARILY FOR REST AND
           RELAXATION. WITH THE END OF ITS BORDER DISPUTE WITH PERU,
           ECUADOR IS?
           THE PROCESS OF LOCATING 10,000 TROOPS TO THE COLUMBIAN BORDER.
           IN ADDITION INTELLIGENCE REPORTED IT HAS TAKEN DOWN SOME
           GUERRILLA SUPPLY ROUTES. COLOMBIA ALSO BORDERS PANAMA, WHICH
           SHOULD BE OF SIGNIFICANT CONCERN TO OUR NATION. IT IS KNOWN --

           IT IS A KNOWN FACT THAT COLUMBIAN REBELS HAVE BEEN INFILTRATING
           THE A PROVINCE IN PANAMA FOR QUITE SOME TIME IN SEARCH OF
           SPLICE. IN LATE MAY, HUNDREDS OF PANAMANIANS THREAD THEIR HOMES
           FEARING A VIOLENT CRASH BETWEEN COLUMBIAN GUERRILLAS AND
           PARAMILITARY BOUNTY HUNTERS. WITNESSES CLAIM THERE WERE ABOUT
           500 FARK REBELS INSIDE OF PANAMA. MR. PRESIDENT, THIS REBEL
           CROSSING IS OCCURRING JUST 250 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE PANAMA

           CANAL. AND LET ME REMIND ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT THE U.S.
           MILITARY FORCES ARE NOW, AS WE SPEAK, DEPARTING FROM
{END: 1999/06/30 TIME: 20-45 , Wed.  106TH SENATE, FIRST SESSION}