When US Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, visited Columbia on August 19th, 2003, as many as 13,000 police officers and soldiers were assigned to ensure his safety for the short eight hour stay. The trip was part of a two day visit to the region, which also included a stop in Honduras.
Rumsfeld was in Columbia to provide some support for the country's anti drug campaign. The Columbians have drawn up a wish list of further aid that would help, such as real time satellite information. It is thought that the Bush administration will look favorably upon the requests; guerillas currently hold three US intelligence operatives who were captured when their plane crashed in rebel territory.
Over the past four years, the US has invested nearly $3B in Plan Columbia which is designed to reduce drug flow from that country-much of which ends up on US streets. (BBC, El Colombiano)
--MICHAEL HUNTER
The Dominion is a monthly paper published by an incipient network of independent journalists in Canada. It aims to provide accurate, critical coverage that is accountable to its readers and the subjects it tackles. Taking its name from Canada's official status as both a colony and a colonial force, the Dominion examines politics, culture and daily life with a view to understanding the exercise of power.