[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1689 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







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.

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

SECTION 1. REPORT ON UNITED STATES POLICY AND STRATEGY REGARDING 
              COUNTER-NARCOTICS ASSISTANCE FOR COLOMBIA.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Relations between the United States and Colombia are an 
        important element in the National Drug Control Strategy.
            (2) A majority of the cocaine and heroin smuggled into the 
        United States is produced in Colombia.
            (3) Colombia received the third highest amount of foreign 
        assistance from the United States in fiscal year 1999, most of 
        which was dedicated to counter-narcotics activities.
            (4) The United States has provided counter-narcotics 
        assistance to Colombia for more than 20 years in an effort to 
        reduce the supply of illegal narcotics to the United States.
            (5) United States priorities in recent years have been to 
        support eradication efforts in Colombia, which now has the 
        largest illegal crop eradication program in the world.
            (6) The net number of hectares of coca and poppy available 
        for harvest in Colombia increased steadily in 1996, 1997, and 
        1998 despite ongoing eradication efforts. Production for 1999 
        is also expected to be significantly higher than the previous 
        year.
            (7) The quality of coca grown in Colombia has increased. 
        While previous reports have assumed that the alkaloid content 
        of coca grown in Columbia was significantly less than that 
        grown in other coca producing regions, new data indicates that 
        the quality of coca grown in Colombia has increased and is now 
        at least equivalent to that available in other growing areas.
            (8) Recently elected Colombian President Andres Pastrana 
        has initiated new peace negotiations with the FARC guerrilla 
        organization, which has included a demilitarized zone the size 
        of New Hampshire and Vermont.
            (9) Numerous paramilitary groups continue significant 
        activity in Colombia, especially in northern Colombia.
            (10) There are increasing indications that the funding of 
        the guerrilla organizations has increased significantly because 
        of a closer association with drug trafficking organizations.
    (b) Report on United States Policy and Strategy Regarding 
Colombia.--(1) Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations and the Caucus on International Narcotics Control of 
the Senate and the Committee on International Relations of the House of 
Representatives a report on the current United States policy and 
strategy regarding United States counter-narcotics assistance for 
Colombia.
    (2) The report shall address the following:
            (A) The primary and secondary priorities of the United 
        States in its relations with Colombia.
            (B) The actions of the United States to support and promote 
        such priorities.
            (C) A schedule for such actions in order to meet such 
        priorities.
            (D) The role of the United States in the efforts of the 
        Colombia Government to deal with illegal drug production in 
        Colombia.
            (E) The role of the United States in the efforts of the 
        Colombia Government to deal with insurgency in Colombia.
            (F) The role of the United States in the efforts of the 
        Colombia Government to deal with paramilitaries in Colombia.
            (G) How the strategy set forth in the report fits with the 
        overall United States strategy for the region.
            (H) How the strategy fits with overall United States 
        counter-narcotics goals.
                                 <all>