Columbia

America's War on Drugs

Chaos best describes the current state of the Republic of Colombia. Rebelling terrorist groups from within the country threaten to topple Colombia's actual government. Again and again, Colombia has shown its inability to fight the rebelling terrorists and simultaneously protect its civilians from harm.

America has several reasons to intervene, with its military force if necessary, in Colombia. America must be protected against drugs and the countless crimes and social problems that drugs inevitably produce. By stopping the flow of drugs, America will also stop the flow of funds to terrorist groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia, who receive a large amount, if not the majority of their funding from the drug trade. The terrorist groups within Colombia provide another reason for America to intervene; they have declared the United States an enemy and have succeeded in capturing large portions of Colombia. Colombia's problems could easily spill across our borders. Finally, the citizens of Colombia sit in a horrible position. By intervening and eliminating the terror groups in Colombia, America would aid the innocent civilians tremendously. In its current fragile state, Colombia poses a clear and present danger to the United States, now more than ever. America must find a way to solve the Colombian problem, or the American people will suffer the consequences.

Common Dreams Newscenter, an organization having the vague mission statement, "working to bring progressive Americans together to promote progressive visions for America's future" argues against American military assistance to Colombia (US Finds). The cold, hard facts, however, show the necessity of American military aid to Colombia.

America needs to intervene in Colombia to prevent proliferation of further export of illegal drugs to the United States. The Republic of Colombia leads the world in illicit coca production (CIA). Colombia provides the United States with a grand total of 90% of its cocaine. Seventy percent of all heroin sold in America comes from Colombia (U.S. to Debate). Colombia also ships more cocaine to other international drug markets than any other nation (CIA). The Central Intelligence Agency also calls Colombia an "important supplier of heroin to the US market" (CIA). Colombia's inability to stop shipping illicit narcotics to the United States provides the United States with a very good reason to intervene in that nation. The Republic of Colombia cannot stop the drug cartels from sending their lethal and addictive products to the United States. The cartel's narcotic poisons are even now damaging and destroying the lives of a significant portion of American youth. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, in the year 2001, 19.5 percent of 8th Grade students, 37.2 percent of high school students in their sophomore year, and 41.4 percent of high school seniors used illegal drugs (Information). Illegal drugs, most of which come from Colombia, are poisoning the American youth. Drugs cause more than just the immediate problem of addiction. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, suicide, truancy, cheating, and unhealthy family relationships pose greater risk for teenagers who take drugs than with their contemporaries who do not (Information).

The United States of America has every right to protect its citizens from drugs and the crime and social problems that follow them. Since September 11, 2001, the United States has fought a war against terrorist organizations worldwide. America spends 64 billion dollars annually on illicit drugs---and much of this money funds the same terrorist groups who threaten America (International 24). If America hopes to defeat her enemies, the terrorists, then she must shut down illegal drug operations. Drugs fund terrorism. Drugs and terrorists seem to be symbiotic at times--one problem surviving because of the other. Before his death, famed Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar often collaborated with FARC and the ELN, two Colombian rebel terrorist forces, and hired them as private miniature armies to protect his fields and processing laboratories from the Colombian government (Bowden, 43). The terrorists, in turn, found the arrangements to be very financially profitable (Bowden 43).

Those at the Common Dreams Newscenter argue that President Bush and members of the U.S. Congress "are increasingly painting that country's [Colombia's] battle against leftist insurgents and drug traffickers as part of the larger struggle against terrorism." By making this statement, the staff of Common Dreams claims that Bush and his Cabinet are misusing the current terror war to find an excuse to involve America in the current Colombian crisis. The facts easily refute their argument.

If one examines the statistics, terrorism takes place in Colombia more than anywhere else in the world (International 29). 55% of all attacks on American interests in foreign countries occurred in Colombia (International 29). The U.S. House of Representative's International Relations Committee describes Colombia as a "potential breeding ground for international terror equaled perhaps only by Afghanistan" (U.S. to Debate).

Colombia is home to the rebel terrorist group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC. FARC is the largest terrorist group in the world, with 16,000 members. It may also be the world's wealthiest terrorist organization (International 29). FARC finances its terror operations with illegal drug money (International 2). The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia actively participate in the drug trade (International, 2). The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations has accused FARC of "sheltering and promoting the cultivation, processing, and trade in illegal drugs" (International 2). Other terrorist organizations call Colombia home as well, such as the National Liberation Army, commonly called the ELN, and the United Defense Group of Colombia, known by its Spanish acronym AUC (International 29). The AUC has 9,000 members, and the ELN has 4,000 members in its service. The FARC, AUC, and ELN have all been officially recognized as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the United States Government. FARC has murdered more than 5,000 Colombian police officers and "thousands" of innocent noncombatants (International 1, 2).

The Common Dreams Newscenter argues that President Bush and his administration officials claim falsely that "the Colombian guerrillas" have "links to some of the same global groups that are the target of Washington's expanding war on terrorism" (US Finds). They also