Relevant excerpts, hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs: "Security Assistance Budget Request," April 29, 2004

REP. Jim Kolbe (R-Arizona, Subcommittee Chairman): Thank you. I'm going to end with one final question. Different part of the world. I just want to get you both on record on this. I've been a strong supporter of the Andean Counterdrug Initiative. This year both the departments of State and Defense are seeking a change in the existing law, as far as the number of U.S. contractors and military presence in Colombia -- from 400 to 600 for contractors and from 400 to 800 for the military.

My question for both of you -- and I think this is kind of a ghost of Vietnam thing, which I sometimes think is never going to be exorcised as long as there are some of us who are Vietnam veterans around here. But until that time, the question is this: Does this mean the United States is getting more deeply involved in the conflict in Colombia?

Richard Armitage, deputy secretary of state: We have consulted widely together on the Hill on this issue. What it does mean is the government of Colombia, particularly President Uribe, is stepping up on a whole host of issues. They're not just going after the drugs, they're going after the kidnapping, they're going after the terrorists. In so doing, we need to -- we feel we need to up both the contractors and the military because of the -- and to support Plan Patriotica, we need this increased manning levels.
The fact of the matter is that I think our general overall military size, the size of our military unit, is the biggest sort of prohibition on mission creep that you'll have, because these are not things that our commander in SOUTHCOM or anywhere else can do willy- nilly. We don't have that many extra personnel.

So, I understand the fear. I got the same ghost you have. But we don't have the same abilities we had back then in terms of people under arms.

REP. KOLBE: Did you want to add?

Paul Wolfowitz, deputy secretary of defense: I just would add, I think what Uribe is doing is remarkable. He's a real stand-up guy. He's achieving real results. And it's an opportunity for us to get some success that will save us in the long run.

REP. KOLBE: Secretary Armitage, this is absolutely the last little thing. The Colombia initiative is straight-lined in the president's request. How are you going to pay for going from 400 to 600 contractors?

MR. ARMITAGE: We'd have to make some judicious choices, wise choices. I'll provide it for the record. I don't have it in my mind.

REP. KOLBE: Okay. Because there is no increase in the request for costs for it.

MR. ARMITAGE: No, no, that's right, it's (731 ?).

REP. KOLBE: Okay. Thank you.