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