Tuesday, March 27, 2007

The Next Stage in 'War on Terror'?

Remember all the tough talk about the 'war on terror'? Remember when Bush said this:

"Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."

This signified a shift in American foreign policy. From now on, any state that works with terrorists will be forced to face the consequences. Well, there is one state that, according to the CIA, has strong ties with terrorist organisations and has been involved in countless human rights abuses. I'm not talking about Iran, I'm talking about Colombia.

In the latest in a long line of revelations about the Colombian government, it has emerged that the CIA has 'obtained intelligence alleging that the head of Colombia's U.S.-backed army collaborated extensively with right-wing militias that Washington considers terrorist organizations'. According to the Los Angeles Times:

The intelligence about Montoya is contained in a report recently circulated within the CIA. It says that Montoya and a paramilitary group jointly planned and conducted a military operation in 2002 to eliminate Marxist guerrillas from poor areas around Medellin.

At least 14 people were killed during the operation, and opponents of Uribe allege that dozens more disappeared in its aftermath.

The intelligence report includes information from another Western intelligence service and indicates that U.S. officials have received similar reports from other reliable sources.

What complicates this matter further is that the US, alongside the UK, gives a vast amount of aid to Colombia ($700 million in the case of the US). In short, the American government is funding a terrorist organisation. A terrorist organisation that effectively runs Colombia. A terrorist organisation responsible for the deaths of thousands of Colombians. All the time receiving financial support by the American government, financial support that is unlikely to be cut off.

It would seem that under the authority of the Bush Doctrine only one course of action is possible. If those who support terrorists must be confronted, alongside the terrorists themselves, it would appear that there is only one logical conclusion to this situation. A 'coalition of the willing' must be assembled to invade Colombia and install democracy free from the influence of terrorists that threaten the stability of the region. Once that has been achieved, it is time to promote regime change in the states that continue to support the terrorists. A new kind of freedom, freedom from tyrannical regimes, can then spread across the globe. Now, all we need is someone to lead this 'coalition of the willing'. Anyone have any suggestions?

Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com