Congressional Democrats continue to hold up a free-trade deal with Colombia.All the debate about Colombian free trade has obscured something important: Colombia is far safer now than it was five years ago. In fact, if Iraq were reclaiming terrorist-controlled areas as effectively as Colombia is, even the most die-hard opponents of the Iraq War would admit error. Colombia is, after Iraq and Afghanistan, our third-biggest nation-building project, and it is by far our most successful.
Colombia demonstrates the value of the indirect approach in our overseas military deployments. Our military role there, started by Bill Clinton and continued by George W. Bush, has been significant: Army Special Forces have trained elite Colombian units, who have in turn engaged the narco-terrorists. When I first visited Colombia in early 2003, the border with Venezuela was a no-go zone. Now new businesses are opening, and the streets are crowded, even at night. Parts of the south and east are experiencing the same success. Indeed, by 2006 I could visit large swathes that were inaccessible before.
Colombia is what Iraq should eventually look like, in our best dreams. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has fought—and is winning—a counterinsurgency war even as he has liberalized the economy, strengthened institutions, and improved human rights. Nuri al Maliki and Hamid Karzai could learn from him. The failure of Congress to pass a free-trade pact indicates that the greatest threat to our power is our own domestic dysfunction. What should be the icing on the cake to a successful nation-building program has become an embarrassment.
Read more of Kaplan’s recent writing on South American here. Thanks as always to the readers who send in the alerts to Kaplan stories, we greatly appreciate your contributions.
- BROWSE / IN TIMELINE
- « Keepin’ it real and intelligent
- » Hydroelectric Surprise
COMMENTS / 8 COMMENTS
Colombia » Colombia extradites paramilitary warlord to US added these pithy words on May 08 08 at 5:39 am[...] Kaplan on ColombiaAll the debate about Colombian free trade has obscured something important: Colombia is far safer now than it was five years ago. In fact, if Iraq were reclaiming terrorist-controlled areas as effectively as Colombia is, even the most … [...]
Jesus Reyes added these pithy words on 07 May 08 at 9:04 amThis just happened yesterday.
“Three years after officials hailed his arrest as a major drug war victory, the U.S. asked a judge Tuesday to dismiss cocaine charges against Colombian rebel leader Ricardo Palmera.”
The “narco-terrorist” dealing the cocaine are the same right wing death squads that it has always been, only now they are in the government and the USA chooses to finance it with Plan Colombia. A house of cards built with US dollars. Good luck with that.
Simply amazing.
Jesus Reyes added these pithy words on 07 May 08 at 9:17 amYou can check out the Special Report by the Committee to Protect Journalists to discover that Colombia is now the 4th worst country in the world when it comes to killing journalists and then pretending that it never happened. Just one of many “methods” used by Uribe that make glowing reports such as this one possible.
Curzon added these pithy words on 07 May 08 at 9:38 amJesus, your first comment is blantantly inaccurate. Palmera is serving a 60 sentence in a US prison for kidnapping. The ongoing charges of his guilt of cocaine trafficing are basically irrelevant as to how long he rots in jail, although there were attempts to exchange the outcome of that trial in exchange for freeing hostages. The only people asking for his release are hardcore lefists.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_Palmera
Dan tdaxp added these pithy words on 07 May 08 at 12:13 pmCurzon, thanks for this great post, and refuting Reyes’ misinformation.
Jesus Reyes added these pithy words on 07 May 08 at 6:10 pmCurzon, no doubt you are right. Here is the AP article with information to the contrary.
lirelou added these pithy words on 08 May 08 at 2:41 amI dissent with Kaplan that “Colombia is our third biggest nation building project”. Nation building in Colombia is a Colombian responsibility, and our efforts are a mere piddle compared to what Colombians themselves are doing. Yes, US special forces have trained elite Colombian units, but it is Colombian Armed Forces themselves which have reorganized to take the war to the FARC and ELN. Uribe deserves the credit, as he would have received the blame, but no small amount of Colombia’s present success is due to a Colombian officer named Carlos Opsina Ovalle, and a small group of similarly aggressive “lancero” officers who rose up through the ranks in the guerrilla war.
Curzon added these pithy words on 08 May 08 at 3:11 amThanks Jesus—the article basically just follows on what I wrote above. Ultimately, all it shows is how hard it is to convict a criminal in the United States under the FRE and current Constitutional rights, despite overwhelming evidence of criminal conduct. Prosecutors ultimatley wanted a symbolic victory, and when that appeared distant, tried to drop charges in exchange for a hostage release.
Lirelou—I fear that, once again, your issue with Kaplan is only one of terminology. Afghans, Bosnians, Iraqis, and Colombians are all involved in the rebuilding of their own nations, both individuals, institution, communities, and the government. However, while Afghanistan and Iraq are in the news almost daily, Colombia is hardly heard of, despite its importance. Hence its designation by RDK as our #3 nation building project—it probably isn’t thought of in those terms very often.
SPEAK / ADD YOUR COMMENT
Comments are moderated.
