The Chicago Tribune has some pretty strong criticism of the Bush Administration's increasing involvement in Colombia's ongoing civil war.

"In 2001, the U.S. pumped about $860 million into Colombia, followed by $400 million the following year. Pending before Congress is a request by the Bush administration for $538 million more."

"Under President Clinton the aid was earmarked for counter-narcotics activities. But under the Bush administration it has become part of an anti-terrorism crusade, a catch-all that disingenuously lumps Colombian guerrillas and paramilitary thugs with Al Qaeda and Palestinian terrorists. In truth the new money would be gasoline on an already toasty fire."

".... The U.S. ought to be pressuring all parties to negotiate--the only way a 38-year-old civil war is going to be resolved--or at least refrain from fueling it with more military aid."

"From an anti-drug perspective, Plan Colombia, as the initial U.S. aid package was known, has been a flop. Coca growers have simply moved around inside Colombia or to neighboring countries, with no effect on either the supply or the availability of cocaine and other narcotics."

"President Bush's embrace of his counterpart in Colombia as a fellow warrior against terrorism is a poor excuse for staying involved in a civil war. With a real war against terrorists on its hands, and a possible war in Iraq, the U.S. ought to back off the mess in Colombia, and the sooner the better."

The alternative news media has been carrying similar views for quite a while. We hope that by the mainstream media jumping on the bandwagon, more pressure will be brought on the Administration to stop its unwise involvement in Colombia.