Ejercito Nacional de Colombia

Since 2002, homicides are down 25%, kidnappings 45% and terrorist incidents by 37%. The Farc and Eln guerrillas as well as the terrorist United Self-Defense Forces are, at least temporarily, receding, as citizens now live and work in an atmosphere of enhanced security that hasn't been enjoyed in a generation.

As terrorism decrease, and roads and moves more smoothly throughout the country. Last year, the economy grew by 4%, adding 2.1 million jobs, while trade with the U.S. in creased by 10%. During the first quarter of the year overall economy growth was 4.1% while trade with the neighbouring Venezuela is estimated to increase throughout 2004 by 81% due to higher oil prices driven demand.

A sample of people opinions after two years of the four-year Uribe presidency paints a mostly positive picture of citizen morale. A real estate agent in once heavily violence-prone Medellín states, "The living safety conditions are generally better here. People are going out more, spending more, and that benefits everybody. My attitude is one of guarded optimism for the future."

A member of the fashion industry in Bogotá declares "Since President Uribe took control people feel things are getting better in every sense. Before, we had no hope, now we feel he's fighting for us."

He recognizes U.S. assistance to the government as an important factor especially in the areas targeted for drug crop eradication. "U.S. aid is very important and I don't believe we'd being having the current success without it," he declares.

A beautician in Bogotá says an upturn in economic conditions over the last few years has impacted her positively as people are earning more they pay more attention to their personal needs.

But, she adds, "There's still plenty of poverty and misery and the lot of poor people hasn't improved that much." (According to the World Food Program, 5.7 million suffer from malnutrition and hunger.)

A large part of the Armed Forces relentless attacks on guerrillas, terrorists and the narco-traffickers fields and processing plants. In the first half of 2004, 6.000 terrorists were either killed or captured, putting a big dent in Farc, Eln, and illegal Self-Defense Forces criminal operations, according to the Army News Agency. In the process, the deactivation of 223 mine fields and neutralization of 363 terrorist acts saved many civilian and security forces' lives. In the last two years, over 15.000 arms have been confiscated, including, rifles, machine guns, grenade and rocket launchers, mortars, deadly anti-personnel mines along with over 138 kilos of explosive materials.

In the aggressive, anti-drug campaign, according to the Army News Agency, on the first five months of this year, over 16,800 hectares of illicit drugs and 475 narcotic plantations were eradicated, 176,114 kilos of drugs were confiscated and 18,946 gallon of processing drugs, 426,779 kilos of solid material and 347,038 gallons of pre cursor liquids destroyed.

An Army spokesman explained, "The trimester statistics on our fight against illegal armed groups clearly demonstrates what's being accomplished "850 deadly military strikes against the terrorist groups and the capture of 27 high- value leader like Simon Trinidad, Juancho Prada Sonia and El Gavilana of FARC. Such positive result gives us encouragement for even better operation in the future.

In large measure, credit for these security improvements goes to the congressionally approved $2.2 billon "Plan Colombia", a multi-faceted effort to aid the country.

Under its provisions, the U.S has supplied Colombia training equipment, infrastructure assistance to modernize its Armed Forces, providing both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft and upwards of 500 military (including Green Berets) and 300 civilian technical personnel at any one time.

Army Aviation sassets, including fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, are tasked with transport of soldier and equipment, protection of drug eradication teams and interdictionefforts against the narco- traffickers. They supply provision and support the forces during far-flung military operation. The highly maneuverable choppers play a vital role inn the combat mission, search-and-rescue details, medical evacuation and the all-important anti-drug operations. The U.S provided 32 UH-INY troop transports and 14 HU-60L choppers to the three Army Anti-Narcotics.

Battalions, in full service since may, 2001. Trained by American pilots, over 160 soldiers are now flight-capable and well versed in maintenance of their aircraft. Their mission: to spot illegal growth areas, drug labs, and other terrorist installations and, in conjunction with the National Police, disrupt, and destroy such facilities, along with the interception of drug operations.

Protection of infrastructure from attack and sabotage, especially northem oil pipelines is a key Army Objective.

In 2001, for example, the Cano Limon lines in Arauca State were attacked 117 times by guerrillas at a loss to the country of 500,000 dollars. Bolstered by intensive training by U.S. Special Forces, the 18th Brigade fortified security at the pipelines and actively confronted guerrillas. As a result, from January through October, 2003, the attacks dwindled to 17.

One of the main problems with the guerrilla-terrorist threat stems from their attacks on under-protected rural and farmer populations.

With U.S. aid, the govemment is expanding its physical security presence throughout the country, including placing 41 mobile mounted squadrons of Carabineri assigned to 14 Colombian states, more police stationed in potential conflict zones, along with extra fortifications, as well as 140 specially trained police units with fortified communications networks located permanently in designated municipalities.

The reason the U.S. so strongly supports the Colombian govemment is the treat of narco-terrorism to the continentas a whole; the real and present danger to the U.S. from Colombian drug dealers, who provide 90% of the cocaine and a majority of the heroine used by Americans.

The progress to date is impressive. In 2002, for the fist time in a decade, coca production dropped 15%, with 130,362 hectares eradicated, and 25% for the poppy crop, the lowest figure since 1988. In 2003, up to October, an additional 1200,000 hectares were eradicated, representing, according to the U.N. Crime and Drug Office, a reduction of 32% in illicit cultivation. It's estimated that in 2005 the coca cultivation will be reduced to a fifth of 2000 levels.

An overview of Colombian Army operations gives an idea how the progress to date was achieved. The six motorized companies, in Six Divisions, dispersed around the country are carrying out "Plan Meteor" to secure safe roads throughout Colombia. Rifle and machinegun-bearing troops reconnoitre, patrol and protect the byways day and night. Their record: terrorist actions, including roadblocks and banditry, decreased over 88% on highways nationwide compared with last year, while roadside kidnappings plunged 87% the same period.

Mobile Brigades are characterized by forces capable of extensive and complicated tactical maneuvers in different regions of the country, anticipating and countering both terrorist and criminal operation. Nine such units are on 24-hour standby to rush to any area where intelligence or an alert indicates trouble. With training going at full pace, the Army expects 18 such units in the field by 2006.

With such a diverse and rugged terrain, it's the mission of the 5 Alta Montana Battalions to scale mountains over 3,500 meters high and endure temperatures under 3 degrees centigrade to pursue the highly mobile guerrilla bands.

The govemment´s challenge in the country side is two-pronged-confront the guerrilla and maintain security in the liberated areas. One answer is the "Soldier-Farmers Program", a territorial army which consolidates conquests, protects the small municipalities and allows the functioning of the State in the many remote areas. To date, 432 platoons of Soldier-Farmers "local young men trained and armed to protect their families and communities against outlaw attacks" are spreading throughout the national territory.

Despite the aura of national optimism, Enrique Serrano, of the Internal Politics Department, the University of El Rosario, in Bogotá, offers a word of caution regarding the recent gains.

"It's too early to proclaim victory against the illegal organizations because there is a real problem of resurgence, "he declares. On the drug cultivation operations, he notes, the country is so big and many areas have not even been mapped yet. "If we cannot have strong polices to recuperate and legitimate any place in the country, the war against drugs could be completely insufficient.

Elizabeth Ungar, from the political science department, University of Los Andes, in Bogotá, declares, "Making clear that I definitely agree there has been a good deal of improvement in the field of security, there are things that should be looked at more carefully".

Armando Borrero, former professor at the public Universidad Nacional, in Bogotá, believes the drug war cannot be won largely by military operations without a major effort against consumption and the international demand of the marketplace.

He notes, "the traffic doesn't seem to have diminished although the planted fields have diminished in the number of hectares' productivity has increased and the refining continues being high." He then adds that the U.S. aid has "great importance" in the progress to date, in the introduction of new technologies, in intelligence, communications, electronic intelligence and training".

Richard Bocklet reports from Bogotá, Colombia.