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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Bush Vows Support for Beleaguered Uribe |
| 2007-03-12 |
| President Bush traveled to Colombia Sunday amid tight security in a show of support for President Alvaro Uribe, VOA's Paula Wolfson reports from Bogota the short visit was long on symbolism. President Bush came to Bogota at a critical time. President Uribe, his strongest ally in the region, is dealing with a political scandal involving members of his inner circle. And in Washington, Democrats in the U.S. Congress are questioning the Bush administration's request for billions of dollars over the next few years in additional aid to Colombia, which remains the world's largest producer of cocaine. Mr. Bush says "Plan Colombia" - the program set up to battle narco-terrorists - is worthy of continued U.S. support. And he stressed he has confidence in President Uribe. "You have set high expectations for your nation," said President Bush. "I appreciate your determination. And I am proud to call you a personal friend, and call your country a strategic partner of the United States." During a joint news conference, Mr. Bush spoke directly about the political scandal that has rocked Colombia - the revelation that some of President Uribe's allies had ties to paramilitary commanders. "I support a plan that says there will be an independent judiciary analyzing any charge brought forth and when someone is found guilty there will be punishment," he said. "That is the kind of plan I support. And it happens to be the kind of plan the president supports." Mr. Uribe said the prosecutions, trials and sentences handed down are proof of just how far Colombia has come in its fight against insurgents and drug lords. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 Beleaguered my a**. He has gained considerable popularity for shutting down the FARC. The only hope the FARC (and the drug smugglers) have is the US Demorcratic party. Al |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2007-03-12 11:55 |
| #3 Me too, Spot. "Besa-bol been berry berry good..." |
| Posted by: mojo 2007-03-12 11:31 |
| #2 For a second there, I thought he meant Juan Uribe, shortstop for the White Sox, who had a little trouble in the Dom. Rep. in the off-season;) |
| Posted by: Spot 2007-03-12 08:17 |
| #1 See also STRATEGYPAGE article > COLUMBIA: THE WAR MOVES CLOSER TO VENEZUELA. In addition, Strategypage also reports that the US Army is conducting or assisting in search operations wid local Columbian authorites for 3 Americans held captive by FARC since 2003. * FARC for its part reportedly now prefers to engage in IED-style terror bomb attacks in order to SAVE ITS MANPOWER/HUMAN ASSETS, thus allowing FARC as an organized group to fight on. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-03-12 00:20 |