unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (09/19/89)
Andean strategy. Q: Are they mostly working with police or troops or the military? A: I don't know the answer to that. Q: You said in Colombia there are two kinds of teams. One is specifical a counter-narcotics team. What is the other team? A: I said there were two types of teams that would be assigned to Colombia. Those specifically sent under the 506A emergency aid package, the $65 million aid package to Colombia in specific support of their counter- narcotics effort. And then we have also military training teams in Latin America to honor other requests from those countries that may not be directly related to the counter-narcotics mission. Now I'm not positive how you break that number two down in Colombia. That was Charlie's question and that's the one that we're taking and we'll get an answer for you. Q: Can you extend that to Bolivia and Peru too, and let us know what these teams are? A: Yes, we'll do our best on that. Q: Just to clear up the number again, you said there were seven teams with numbers under 50 people? A: The total number is under 50, fewer than 50. Q: The number you gave later was 50 to 100. A: All right. Q: The total number involved, but no more than 50 at any one time? A: I understand your question. But you see, not all the people that are in Colombia, and this may be useful, not all the number--as opposed to everything else I've said here this morning. (Laughter) Not all the people that are in Colombia are military training teams. You have other kinds of people that go down there to assist. Military training teams have a very specific mission that's worked out for a very specific purpose. Other support personnel may include people to unload airplanes. They don't count under military training teams. People to check out the security of airfields. They don't count in military training teams. Other kinds of support personnel. Now all of that is within the 50 to 100 number in Colombia under the President's emergency package. The 50 to 100 people will include military training teams and other support personnel. The number, fewer than 50 is the number that applies to the military training teams that we currently have in Latin America in the counter-narcotics program. Q: Could you tell us if any of these teams are tactical advisers as opposed to people just teaching others to use machine guns or... A: It will vary from team to team, and depending on what the training mission is. Q: How about now? A: I don't know that we'll get into that sort of detail. But let me just say that as a general matter military training teams provide specific equipment training, but they also provide tactical training as well. That's the job of military training teams. Q: According to the U.S. Army, 564 Colombia officers and soldiers have been training in the United States. I wonder what other specific missions the training teams that will be sent from the United States on a case-by-case basis. Are the training teams supposed to give a higher quality of combat capabilities to the Colombian forces and police forces? A: The question is: are our training teams intended to provide a higher quality. I don't know. I don't want to necessarily buy off on that language. The point is that these training teams go down at the request of the host country. Sometimes it's tactical training, sometimes it's specific equipment training. But obviously, those countries have capable military forces now. I'm not sure I want to get into the business of judging the varying qualities of their forces. Q: In other words, my point of the question is that so far this year only U.S. Army has given special training on various levels to Colombian military personnel totaling 564 this year, in Arizona and elsewhere. What other levels of requirements are requested by the Colombian government at this time? A: I don't know the answer to that. Maybe the Army could provide it for you, but I don't have that sort of detail. Q: Has there been any additional equipment sent since Tuesday, since the 2.4 million? A: Let's see where we stand on the President's emergency aid package. I don't have it broken down. We could probably figure it out as we go along information I have is cumulative to to date, so let me run through that. To date, we have provided about $13 million worth of aid to the Colombian military and civilian authorities. I'm told now, by the way, that the dollar figures we're giving you include not only the equipment itself but also the shipping charges of getting it there. In other words, the mission to fly the C-5's down and the other things. The money to do that has to come out of the total $65 million package. So to date, $13 million worth of aid under the emergency package. For the police, five UH-1 helicopters, small arms with ammunition; machine guns with ammunition; grenade launchers with ammunition; Claymore mines; flares; and weapon systems for helicopters. For the Army, vehicles; radios; medical equipment; grenade launchers; machine guns and small arms, all with ammunition For the Air Force, the two C-130's with spare parts; the 0A-37's with spare parts. For the Judiciary, the 500 bulletproof vests. For the Director of Administrative Security which is sort of Colombia's version of the FBI, small arms and smoke grenades. Q: There's a story on the wire saying that the Colombian judges * Origin: UNITEX --> Toward a United Species (1:107/501) --- Patt Haring | United Nations | FAX: 212-787-1726 patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu | Information | BBS: 201-795-0733 patth@ccnysci.BITNET | Transfer Exchange | (3/12/24/9600 Baud) -=- Every child smiles in the same language. -=-