It is not quite Afghanistan, but outside that country and the Middle East, it is the American's most expensive foreign entanglement. Since 2000, under an aid programme known as "Plan Colombia", the United States has pumped in some $2.4 billion in military and economic aid, aimed at fighting drugs and the rebel armies that feed upon them. Under Alvaro Uribe, a stern Liberal who took office as Colombia's president a year ago, this aid has started to show results. That may be one reason why Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary, this week became the latest in a string of senior American officials who have recently visited Bogota. Mr Rumsfeld declared Colombia to be "half-way along and making good progress" in its efforts to impose security. America sees Mr Uribe as a close ally. George Bush has asked Congress for $688m more for Colombia in fiscal year 2003-04. This week, he announced the resumption of a policy under which American spy planes will help Colombia spot and shoot down drug planes. (The policy was suspended in 2001 after an American missionary and her baby were killed when their plane was downed in Peru.)
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