Relevant excerpts, transcript of Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on "The Foreign Affairs Budget," February 2, 2003

Relevant excerpts, transcript of Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on "The Foreign Affairs Budget," February 2, 2003

S. Hrg. 108-19

FOREIGN AFFAIRS BUDGET

=======================================================================

HEARING

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

UNITED STATES SENATE

ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

__________

FEBRUARY 6, 2003

__________

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Secretary Powell. This budget also includes almost a half a billion dollars for Colombia. The funding will support Colombian President Uribe's unified campaign against terrorists and the drug trade that fuels their activities. The aim is to secure democracy, extend security, and restore economic prosperity to Colombia, and prevent the narcoterrorists from spreading instability through the broader Andean region.

To accomplish this goal requires more than simply funding for Colombia. Therefore, our total Andean Counterdrug Initiative is $731 million. Critical components of this effort include resumption of the Air Bridge Denial program to stop internal and cross-border aerial trafficking in illegal drugs, stepped-up eradication and alternative development efforts, as well as technical assistance to strengthen Colombia's police and judicial institutions.

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Prepared Statement of Hon. Colin L. Powell, Secretary of State: The President's request for $731 million for the Andean Counterdrug Initiative includes $463 million for Colombia. An additional $110 million in military assistance to Colombia will support Colombian President Uribe's unified campaign against terrorists and the drug trade that fuels their activities. The aim is to secure democracy, extend security, and restore economic prosperity to Colombia and prevent the narco-terrorists from spreading instability to the broader Andean region. Critical components of this effort include resumption of the Airbridge Denial program to stop internal and cross-border aerial trafficking in illicit drugs, stepped up eradication and alternative development efforts, and technical assistance to strengthen Colombia's police and judicial institutions.

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Senator Hagel. You mentioned our own hemisphere. In December, I traveled to Mexico, I traveled to Colombia just for that reason, to let them know that we have not forgotten them, and that we are working with President Uribe. I spent time with President Uribe in Bogota to go over his programs and to go over his plan and to tell him that the United States will be there to support him.

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Senator Coleman. I know there is a substantial commitment, I believe $731 million for the Andean counterdrug initiatives, including $463 million to Colombia. My question is this. As we look at the issue of dealing with Colombia, my fear is it is kind of like squeezing a balloon, that if you squeeze it in one place, it pops out in another place.

Can you talk to me a little bit of the regional perspective, of how do we deal with this threat of drugs coming from this area, and understanding, by the way, we have an obligation at home to deal with the demand side. I understand that, but can you talk to me a little bit about, are we focusing perhaps in one area and not giving as much attention to the others, or do we have a broad regional approach to what is a growing threat to this country?

Secretary Powell. I think it is a broad regional approach. We recognize the balloon phenomenon that you mentioned, and therefore we are working on all sides of that balloon, or all parts of that balloon, hopefully and ultimately to bust the balloon, puncture it. So we are working with Colombia, where we think the major problem is right now.

There has been an increase in crop eradication, and we are glad to see that that is now getting into high gear. I hope in the very near future the aerial denial program will be back in operation. We have seen some statistics recently reported by the office responsible for this, in drug control and prevention, that some of these statistics with respect to the use of drugs on the part of our young people is starting to go in the right direction. Kids are starting to get smart, and as you know, Senator, that is where we have to solve the problem.

And so I think it is a broad approach, not just Colombia but the other nations as well, and that is why we shifted it from being just Colombia to the Andean Drug Initiative.

Senator Coleman. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Coleman.

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Responses of Hon. Colin Powell, Secretary of State, to Additional Questions for the Record Submitted by Senator Russell D. Feingold

Question. What, based on your preliminary intelligence, do you expect the annual coca cultivation survey to show in terms of results of the 2002 fumigation campaign, and if it's not positive, what other alternatives will you begin to look at?

Answer. The annual U.S. official estimate on Colombian coca cultivation for 2002 was released on February 27. The estimate showed a 15 percent reduction in Colombian coca fields compared to 2001--the first decline in cultivation in a decade. The report also noted a 50 percent reduction in coca fields for the Departments of Putumayo and Caqueta, the focus of our most aggressive coca eradication campaign.

This estimate reflects the contribution that the aerial eradication program is making to our efforts to fight cocaine at its source.