Foreign aid in Colombia: Right now, the the Clinton administration, contrary to the Colombian people, is on the brink of proposing an escalation of foreign aid to Colombia that would total 1.574 billion over the next 3 years, the third largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid behind Israel and Egypt. With the administration claiming this as another plight on the "War On Drugs", some see it only as a smoke screen, where the aid package is really an anti-guerrilla package, rather than an anti-drug package. One thing is for certain, with Congress and the Clinton administration putting over a billion dollars in the hands of the Colombian military and police, it will surely make the United States a major player in Colombia's Civil War. Is it worth it?
             To start off, the one of the main reasons why the Administration is pushing the plan through Congress, is the fact that over recent years, Colombia has emerged as one of the largest oil producers in the West. With much turnmoil in the past decade in the Middle East, the U.S. has become hesitant on being dependent for supplies from the Persian Gulf. What also makes Colombia more intriguing, is that the U.S. also believes that there are plenty of reserves of oil and natual gas still untapped. With this is mind, the administration will try vigorously to pass the bill through Congress, by using this reason to persuade many who question the U.S. and their involvement in Colombia.
             In order for the U.S. to deem Colombia a dependable export of oil, U.S. officials have stressed that the threat and presence of drug operators and guerilla groups who protect their interests, must be neutralized to the best possible measure. With illegal arms groups and drug traffikers taking in between $200 and $600 million dollars a year, the U.S. uses this as a springboard to justify its aid package, by which 1.3 billion of the 1.574 billion will be spent on military funds and training. Although, the...