Excerpt from White House press briefing, February 26, 2002

Excerpt from White House press briefing, February 26, 2002

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 26, 2002

Press Briefing by By Ari Fleischer
The James S. Brady Briefing Room

...

Q Ari, now that the civil war is heating up again in Colombia, is the President going to lean on the Congress to pony up the money for that new Colombia brigade? And is the United States planning to send more than the 300 or so troops that we have now have in Colombia to aid that government in its fight with the FARC rebels?

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, since President Pastrana began the peace process, some three years ago, the United States has repeatedly stated our support for his efforts, and sought to work with the international community to find a negotiated solution to Colombia's internal conflicts. Regrettably, the goodwill of the Pastrana government and of the Colombian people has not been reciprocated by the FARC. FARC terrorist actions, including the attacks that have taken place on civilians, the hijacking of airplanes, the kidnapping of a state senator, their use of the DMZ in Colombia for drug trafficking, all are a real affront to people who seek peace in Colombia.

The most recent event, the kidnapping of the airplane, clearly shows that the FARC is interested in continuing to pursue terror. And that is why the United States has said, and I refer you to the statement made by the State Department last week, that the United States supports President Pastrana's actions and determination now to change the calculation in Colombia, and he has our support.

We're consulting with the government of Colombia in that process to determine where we can be helpful, how we can be helpful. We are mindful of the legal constraints that are imposed on us and any actions we'll take will be in accordance with those constraints.

...

Q On the Colombia issue, and actually, on two leaders issue, Ingrid Betancourt was the senator who was taken from the airplane. Is anything being done specifically to try -- is the American government trying to do anything to get her back, or to help the Colombians with that?

MR. FLEISCHER: I would just refer you again to what I said; that's what the United States is doing, we are trying to explore what options we have to be helpful. I'm not aware of anything beyond that.

...

Q Two questions on Colombia were, are you urging Congress to increase money to the country? And is there a possibility of sending more U.S. troops? Do you have the answer to either one of those?

MR. FLEISCHER: I don't have anything on that.

Q Can you check on that for us?

MR. FLEISCHER: Yes. Ron, do you have anything further?

Q Well, Terry is saying you are ruling out more troops -- that's not quite what you're doing?

MR. FLEISCHER: No, I said I would follow up on your question.

Q Ari, is there a meeting today about Colombia? We heard that there is. Is there one today?

MR. FLEISCHER: There are various meetings of the foreign policy community here, the National Security Council principals and others. And as a matter of White House practice, I don't cite what those meetings are.

Q But, generally, Ari, can you address the state of play in Colombia right now? It would appear to even the average, non-educated observer very perilous there. Is the United States government, at its highest levels, at a higher level of concern about what's happening with the Pastrana government, about what's going on on the ground? And are you treating with any greater sense of urgency what the U.S. government can do on the ground to assist Colombia?

MR. FLEISCHER: Major, I think it's been perilous there for quite a while. And that's why the State Department has listed FARC as a terrorist organization. And that's why the United States has worked so closely with President Pastrana and his Plan Colombia.

Despite the best and most peaceful intentions of the Colombian people and of President Pastrana, the FARC have decided to pursue an alternative means, and that led to last week's hijacking, last weeks kidnaping. And the FARC has not accepted the goodwill and the good intentions of President Pastrana. And the United States supports what President Pastrana is now doing.

Q It's no more perilous in Colombia this week than it was, say, four weeks ago? Even though the FARC is now destroying dams and electricity-generating complexes?

MR. FLEISCHER: I said it's always been perilous in Colombia. I don't know that, when you live in a region like that, that you characterize one week as being any more or less perilous than the previous region-- week. When you live in an area in which terrorists are doing the things that you just said, I don't think the people living there make gradations; they just want it to stop.

Q Does the administration consider FARC a terrorist organization of global reach?

MR. FLEISCHER: The administration considers FARC a listed terrorist organization by the State Department.

Q Ari, can I add something? The plane, though, that was kidnaped had a Senator aboard. Ingrid Betancourt is a presidential candidate. There are two different things that have happened -- first was the kidnaping of the Senator and a few days later a kidnaping of a presidential candidate. I just wanted to bring that up because it seems that--

MR. FLEISCHER: Yes, I'm aware of that.

As of March 11, 2002, this document was also available online at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/02/20020226-5.html