U.S. Certifies Colombia on Human Rights, Clears Aid Transfer

[Judi Lynn]

U.S. Certifies Colombia on Human Rights, Clears Aid Transfer
By Janine Zacharia

Sept. 11 (Bloomberg) -- The State Department cleared the transfer of aid to Colombia’s military forces after certifying to Congress that the government and military are meeting criteria related to human rights and paramilitary groups.

“There is no question that improvement must be made in certain areas; however, the Colombian government has made significant efforts to increase the security of its people and to promote respect for human rights by its armed forces and has thereby met the certification criteria,” State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement today. The certification was made Sept. 8.

The U.S. “remains concerned” about extrajudicial killings and “will continue to push for improvements in Colombia’s human rights situation,” Kelly said.

Colombia is a key U.S. ally in battling drug trafficking. Last month the U.S. and Colombia reached an accord that facilitates U.S. access to three Colombian air force bases.

The certification allows the State Department to release about $32.1 million in withheld funds, said Sara Mangiaracina, a spokeswoman in the State Department’s Western Hemisphere bureau.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=asVKhxVIvmS4

[Judi Lynn]

1. U.S. and Colombian military negotiations cause unrest

U.S. and Colombian military negotiations cause unrest
Matthew DraelosIssue date: 9/11/09 Section: World

Since July 15, 2009, the United States government has been negotiating a deal that would allow the lease of new military bases in Colombia. Now capped at 800 uniformed and 600 un-uniformed personnel, the agreement would increase this US military presence to seven new facilities.

Diplomatic discussions have not proceeded smoothly.

''This greatly worries me, and I can't accept that a U.S .document treats us like a back porch,'' said Rafael Correa, president of Ecuador, to The New York Times.

Venezuela and Ecuador have been particularly critical of the negotiation, unconvinced that new American bases in Colombia are not a prelude to invasion. On Aug. 25, the tense negotiations were awash in controversy as Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela, accused America of "mobilizing for war" and warned that new U.S. bases would compromise South American independence, according to The New York Times.

The Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) pledged to investigate Chavez's accusations. A UNASUR conference was called for Sept. 28 to address concerns that the bases would afford the US impunity to manipulate South American affairs, inviting President Obama to join the discussion.

More:
http://media.www.guilfordian.com/media/storage/paper281/news/2009/09/11/World/U.s-And.Colombian.Military.Negotiations.Cause.Unrest-3769234.shtml

[Judi Lynn]

2. AP: US certifies Colombia's rights record

Sep 11, 2:06 PM EDT
US certifies Colombia's rights record
By FOSTER KLUG
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The State Department said Friday it has made a legal certification of an improvement in Colombia's human rights record that allows $32 million that Washington had withheld to be used to fight gangs and drug smugglers.

State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Colombia must still make progress on human rights, and he described in a statement "several disquieting challenges," including allegations of soldiers murdering civilians and illegal surveillance.

But, he said, the country has "made significant efforts to increase the security of its people" that justify the certification to Congress that Colombia is meeting legal criteria on human rights and paramilitary groups and that the funds can be made available.

"Years of reforms and training are leading to an increased respect for, and understanding of, human rights by most members of the Armed Forces," he said.

Colombian officials insist they are trying to stamp out human rights abuses, but critics say abuses remain widespread in the country, where the government has been battling a leftist insurgency for years.

The International Trade Union Confederation says Colombia is the deadliest country for labor rights activists, with 49 killed in the South American nation last year, up from 39 in 2007 but down from 78 in 2006.

A U.N. human rights investigator reported separately in June that soldiers had killed hundreds of innocent civilians, falsely identifying them as guerrillas slain in combat to boost body counts. Officials have vowed to eliminate that practice and punish those responsible.

More:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_US_COLOMBIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-09-11-14-06-06

[rabs]

3. Well, guess Brownfield did get pissed off over his attache getting wiretapped

The Bloomberg and AP stories neglected to mention;

The statement also said it found "troubling and unacceptable" allegations by the media and non-government organizations of illegal domestic wiretapping and surveillance by Colombia's Department of Administrative Security (DAS).

It urged the prosecutor general's office to "conduct a rigorous, thorough and independent investigation in order to determine the extent of these abuses and to hold all perpetrators accountable."

Frenchie news agency AFP:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i0kxyYZXN0IkFQkRz-5fWSwvVFeQ

(DAS director answers directly to alvarito, so is alvarito one of the perpetrators?)

[EFerrari]

4. What a farce. n/t

[Peace Patriot]

5. This is very, very, VERY bad. It gives license and FUNDING to the worst elements

in Colombia society--its narco-fascist rulers, and its military--to CONTINUE with their paramilitary death squads, and other horrendously fascist activities.

It is difficult to know if this means that the Obama administration is on board for the Bushwhack-designed oil war in South America, or maybe is just into war profiteering (the boodle to private U.S. war contractors, which is more the Democratic Party leadership's motive than actual war, but which-duh-leads to and prepares Bushwhack wars), or--another possibility: Obama simply doesn't have the power within our government to stop it (if he is inclined to).

It's interesting that we are simultaneously seeing the U.S. (Obama, Clinton) finally take the steps they should have taken months ago to undo the fascist military coup in Honduras. Reliable word is that they have just yanked (canceled) the visas of 170 coup participants, including Micheletti's, and are freezing coupsters' bank accounts. It's as if a trade has been made, between Obama/Clinton and the worst Puke fascist pigs in Congress, Colombia for Honduras. Colombia, of course, is the most important asset in the Bushwhack war plan. So that is going forward, while the U.S. at long last pressures the Honduran coup to step down. I read somewhere that the Pukes in Congress were holding up key Obama appointments in Latin America using the Obama administration's condemnation of the Honduran coup as the reason. (The Pukes support the coup.) But their real reason is now becoming clearer. Colombia!