Getting in Deeper
If the budget President Bush proposed this week is any indication, his administration appears to be moving boldly toward establishing an outright and unabridged military relationship with Colombia — exactly the kind Washington sought so long to avoid. The White House sent Congress a budget proposal for the next fiscal year that includes $110 million in good old-fashioned military assistance for the Andean nation. Unlike last year’s proposal, the money would not be tied to a specific effort or locale. Rather, the Colombian military could use the funds for whatever counterterrorism effort it wanted, in whatever part of the country. That’s not exactly a blank check, but it’s pretty close. Full Story