Promised article;
INFORMATION WARFARE: Another Good Deed Gets Punished
May 13, 2007: If Colombia thought that frozen American military aid was where it would end, they guessed wrong. U.S. Congressional leaders have all but declared war on Colombia's war on FARC and ELN. In a very real sense, victories won in Colombia are going to be undone in the halls of the United States Congress. This is not getting the headlines that come from Iraq, but it is just as important.
Colombia's efforts, backed by U.S. aid, not only have managed to get the rebel AUC militia to disarm, but they also have put rebel FARC and ELN militias on the ropes. FARC has, in recent months, fled across the Colombian-Ecuadorian border, seeking a safe haven. At the same time, the Colombian government pursued a number of initiatives to increase economic development, the big-ticket item being a free-trade agreement with the United States. By making trade with the United States easier, Colombia's economic growth can continue to climb, and a prosperous nation has a lot less interest in having a revolution.
Free-trade agreements between the U.S. and countries in Latin America tend to be touchy at best. Opposition not only comes from labor unions, but also from some conservatives in the United States - many of whom represent districts that sometimes lose jobs in these deals. Democrats, who tend to be beholden to unions, usually oppose such deals. In Colombia's case, there is also the fact that for a number of people on the left, FARC and ELN are seen as the good guys and victims.
No, you didn't read that wrong. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have often criticized the Colombian government for ties to paramilitary forces. Some alliances were struck up, largely by officers in the field who realized that the enemy of their enemy was their friend. However, that view did not go over well in some quarters, and 2001, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell designated the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (the AUC) as a terrorist group on par with FARC and ELN, despite the fact that the founder of that organization had provided assistance in the 1993 campaign against Pablo Escobar's drug cartel. The AUC eventually struck a demobilization deal with the Colombian government, much to the chagrin of human rights groups. Claiming the Colombian government was no better than the terrorists it was fighting, they attacked the deal.
The Colombian successes on the battlefield need to be followed up to ensure victory in the war on terror. If economic conditions do not improve, FARC and ELN will be able to bounce back. A three-day visit to Washington D.C. by Colombian President Uribe did not make any progress. Worse yet, the Congressional antipathy towards Colombia is causing problems in the relationship with the United States. Colombia sees itself as having taken a lot of risks to defeat terrorism, and their thanks seem to be little more than sanctimonious lectures and having the rug pulled out from under them.
The result from this fuss? For the United States, it will not be good. Future allies with checkered pasts will be much less willing to help out - noting that sooner or later, they will be turned on due to pressure from a media that often runs claims from human rights groups. Terrorist groups will be more determined to hold on - because they know that if they hold out long enough, the political landscape in DC will become more favorable. Colombia may not get headlines, but it is being watched by many on both sides of other theaters of the global war on terror.
PEACEKEEPING: Greed and Good Works
May 13, 2007: Islamic militants are attacking aid workers in Pakistan. But it's not that simple. The UN is still providing aid to the victims of the late 2005 earthquakes in northern Pakistan. That's not unusual. The UN has hired lots of local people, and companies to help get the goods and services delivered to needy people. Millions of dollars is flowing into the local economy via payroll and contracts. Again, not unusual.
But another bit of normal behavior is less pleasant. There are often several firms competing for contracts, and the losers often seek ways to show their displeasure. In northern Pakistan, many businessmen have prominent local clergy as allies. This is especially useful if some of the business is illegal. Pays to have God, or his humble servant, on your side. When the UN gave out some contracts recently, they offended some people who didn't hesitate to use religion to get revenge. Some clerics began inciting their followers to attack UN aid workers because they employed women. To an Islamic conservative (think Taliban), women should not work outside the house, even if they were widows with no other source of income. The clerics are demanding that the police arrest the UN officials for "un-Islamic" behavior. The cops have to be careful, as you cannot just call out the clerics on their business connections. But local politicians will start getting heat if the aid operations are disrupted for too long. Eventually, the UN will be advised that things might calm down if some more business were given to certain companies. This could be considered giving in to blackmail, but the lives at stake are largely those who are still recovering from the earthquake. The UN usually pays the money, and life goes on.