South American Crisis

The Colombian Army has recently started going into Equadorean territory to pursue rebels who have been attacking them. They now say that they have attained information that links the rebel fighters to Equadorean President Rafael Correa. Equador and the Hugo Chavez's Venezuela have responded by sending troops to Colombia's borders. Chavez has warned that any similar movements into Venezuela would result in war.

Chavez is known to have a cozy relationship with the drug dealing rebels in Colombia. He recently helped negotiate the release of some of their prisoners through this relationship in an effort to gain favorable press.

This is a significant crisis not only for Colombia but for the U.S. as well. Colombia is pursuing these rebels with U.S. support, and with U.S. encouragement. Venezuela's leadership is virulently anti-U.S. If war were to emerge between Colombia and its neighbors, the U.S. could not sit idly by. We have little or no national interests in Iraq. But we have significant national interests in South America, especially given the drug trade and our current relationship with a growing number of anti-U.S. governments. We could ill afford the fall of Colombia into the wrong hands. Our activities in Iraq are at least legally questionable. What would happen if we are so stretched by our Middle East involvement that we can't react to real issues of national security in our own back yard?

The Bush administration has weakened our country in so many ways. This is just one more.