U.S. Rethinks Its Cutoff of Military Aid to Latin American Nations

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/12/politics/12rice.html?_r=2&th=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&emc=th&adxnnlx=1142186635-YPat1jsUAV2nz4kRu+DzDQ&oref=slogin

March 12, 2006
U.S. Rethinks Its Cutoff of Military Aid to Latin American Nations
By STEVEN R. WEISMAN

SANTIAGO, Chile, March 11 — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice indicated Saturday that the United States would look for ways to resume military assistance to Latin American nations cut off from aid programs because of their refusal to shield Americans from the International Criminal Court.

Officials traveling with Ms. Rice said that in meeting with President Evo Morales of Bolivia, she had emphasized the importance of cooperating on efforts to combat drugs despite his vow to end coca plant eradication programs. The newly installed Bolivian leader favors the legal cultivation of coca, the plant used to manufacture cocaine, but says he opposes cocaine and has agreed to let American antidrug officials remain in the country.

In a friendly but pointed gesture, he gave Ms. Rice a small guitar decorated on the front with real leaves from a coca plant in lacquer. Ms. Rice, perhaps not realizing that the decoration was from the plant that the United States has sought to eradicate, then smiled and strummed the guitar for television cameras. American officials said Bolivian leader was clearly trying to show how growing the plant that is made into cocaine is a part of his nation's culture.

Eliminating or reducing military assistance to countries like Chile and Bolivia that are seeking to combat terrorism or drug trafficking is "sort of the same as shooting ourselves in the foot," Ms. Rice told reporters on Friday as she traveled here for the inauguration of Michelle Bachelet as the new president of Chile.

Ms. Rice said, however, that the Bush administration had limited flexibility in restoring aid because a law enacted by Congress required the cutoff of military aid to countries that did not exempt American citizens from being brought before the court.

At least 30 countries have declined to enact an exemption, including 12 in Latin America and the Caribbean.

At the time the law was adopted, the Defense Department supported it on grounds that American military officials based overseas might be brought before the court. More recently, administration officials said Defense Department officials had become concerned about the loss of military cooperation with key allies.

Although the law allows President Bush to apply a waiver to cutting off military assistance, State Department officials said the administration was concerned that if some waivers were granted, other countries would demand them as well.

A senior State Department official, briefing reporters under ground rules requiring anonymity, said Ms. Rice told Mr. Morales that Washington would to try to help provide economic opportunities to the "marginalized sectors" of Bolivia's economy.
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