Bogota to allow 1,400 more US soldiers in its territory

[IndianaGreen]

Are DUers ready to support another war, this time in Latin America? Don't say you weren't warned!

Bogota to allow 1,400 more US soldiers in its territory

Thursday 16 July 2009

Colombian ministers sought to defend plans to allow the US to boost its military presence in the country at a public hearing on Wednesday.

Washington and Bogota are poised to sign a deal allowing the Pentagon to base up to 1,400 US troops in a central valley in support of "drug interdiction missions."

Both sides say that they hope a fifth round of talks slated for later this month in Bogota will seal a 10-year lease deal on three Colombian army bases.

Most details of the negotiations are secret, but senior Colombian military and civilian officials familiar with negotiations reported that the idea is to make Colombia a regional hub for Pentagon operations.

<snip>

At an April symposium at Maxwell air force base in Alabama, military officials presented a US Air Mobility Command document, Global En Route Strategy, which states that Palanquero could become a "co-operative security location" from which "mobility operations could be executed.

"Nearly half the continent can be covered by a C-17 military transport craft without refuelling" from Palanquero, according to the document.

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/world/bogota_to_allow_1_400_more_us_soldiers_in_its_territory

Related thread:

Colombia completes an agreement to increase the combat operations of the USA in its territory

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x464034

[bemildred]

1. I guess "Never give up" is our motto WRT Latin America.

We are going to continue to pretend to "project power" down there no matter how silly and disfunctional it reallly looks.