II

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1689

To require a report on the current United States policy and strategy regarding

counter-narcotics assistance for Colombia, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

OCTOBER 5, 1999

Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. HELMS, and Mr. DEWINE) introduced the

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on

Foreign Relations

A BILL

To require a report on the current United States policy

and strategy regarding counter-narcotics assistance for

Colombia, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. REPORT ON UNITED STATES POLICY AND

4 STRATEGY REGARDING COUNTER-NAR5 COTICS ASSISTANCE FOR COLOMBIA.

6 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find7 ings:
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1 (1) Relations between the United States and

2 Colombia are an important element in the National

3 Drug Control Strategy.

4 (2) A majority of the cocaine and heroin smug5 gled into the United States is produced in Colombia.

6 (3) Colombia received the third highest amount

7 of foreign assistance from the United States in fiscal

8 year 1999, most of which was dedicated to counter9 narcotics activities.

10 (4) The United States has provided counter11 narcotics assistance to Colombia for more than 20

12 years in an effort to reduce the supply of illegal nar13 cotics to the United States.

14 (5) United States priorities in recent years have

15 been to support eradication efforts in Colombia,

16 which now has the largest illegal crop eradication

17 program in the world.

18 (6) The net number of hectares of coca and

19 poppy available for harvest in Colombia increased

20 steadily in 1996, 1997, and 1998 despite ongoing

21 eradication efforts. Production for 1999 is also ex22 pected to be significantly higher than the previous

23 year.

24 (7) The quality of coca grown in Colombia has

25 increased. While previous reports have assumed that
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1 the alkaloid content of coca grown in Columbia was

2 significantly less than that grown in other coca pro3 ducing regions, new data indicates that the quality

4 of coca grown in Colombia has increased and is now

5 at least equivalent to that available in other growing

6 areas.

7 (8) Recently elected Colombian President An8 dres Pastrana has initiated new peace negotiations

9 with the FARC guerrilla organization, which has in10 cluded a demilitarized zone the size of New Hamp11 shire and Vermont.

12 (9) Numerous paramilitary groups continue sig13 nificant activity in Colombia, especially in northern

14 Colombia.

15 (10) There are increasing indications that the

16 funding of the guerrilla organizations has increased

17 significantly because of a closer association with

18 drug trafficking organizations.

19 (b) REPORT ON UNITED STATES POLICY AND

20 STRATEGY REGARDING COLOMBIA.—(1) Not later than

21 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the

22 Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on For23 eign Relations and the Caucus on International Narcotics

24 Control of the Senate and the Committee on International

25 Relations of the House of Representatives a report on the
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1 current United States policy and strategy regarding

2 United States counter-narcotics assistance for Colombia.

3 (2) The report shall address the following:

4 (A) The primary and secondary priorities of the

5 United States in its relations with Colombia.

6 (B) The actions of the United States to support

7 and promote such priorities.

8 (C) A schedule for such actions in order to

9 meet such priorities.

10 (D) The role of the United States in the efforts

11 of the Colombia Government to deal with illegal

12 drug production in Colombia.

13 (E) The role of the United States in the efforts

14 of the Colombia Government to deal with insurgency

15 in Colombia.

16 (F) The role of the United States in the efforts

17 of the Colombia Government to deal with

18 paramilitaries in Colombia.

19 (G) How the strategy set forth in the report fits

20 with the overall United States strategy for the re21 gion.

22 (H) How the strategy fits with overall United

23 States counter-narcotics goals.

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