Talking About Colombia

On Foreign Policy, Paul Wolfowitz and Michael E. O’Hanlon suggested looking at U.S. aid to Colombia in order to implement a similar program in Afghanistan.

Plan Colombia included training and military hardware, and aerial drug fumigation. In recent years, Plan Colombia has moved on to concentrate on social programs. Critics of Plan Colombia say the drug problem has simply been pushed toward Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru where law enforcement is weaker.

Wolfowitz and O’Hanlon say the U.S. should empower the Afghan government to contain the insurgency witihin its own borders. However, American relations with Afghanistan tend to be more guarded than they are with Colombia. President Pastrana, President Uribe and President Santos are strong U.S. allies, and that is likely the key that led to any success with Plan Colombia; neither country was afraid to share intelligence. There appears to be a different chemistry between Afghanistan and American relations.