CPT Net
May 15, 2002
CHICAGO: CPTers visit with Senator Durbin about Colombia appropriations
bill.

On Friday, May 10, Claire Evans, Mark Frey, Scott Kerr, Sara Reschly, and
Janet Shoemaker prayed and sang songs in front of the Federal building in
Chicago and then delivered a letter to Senator Dick Durbin's office.

The letter requested a meeting with the senator (before May 20th) regarding
the upcoming Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill on
Counter-Terrorism, which will be voted on within the next three weeks. The
bill proposes an additional $35 million in military aid to Colombia,
removes the Colombia-specific human rights conditions Congress has
previously placed on aid, and removes the stipulation that military aid to
Colombia can only be used for counter-narcotic operations.

When the five CPTers entered Senator Durbin's office, they had the fortunate
opportunity of running into the Senator in his lobby. Reschly and Kerr, who
have recently returned from spending several months in Colombia, shared that
they had personally observed AUC paramilitary checkpoints being established
five to ten minutes from Colombian Navy checkpoints on the river that runs
through the region where the Colombia team operates. The checkpoints are
clear evidence of the Colombian military's close relationship with the AUC
paramilitary group, which has been officially identified by the United
States as a terrorist organization.

In response to Reschly's urgent request that he vote against giving more
military aid to Colombia because the Colombian government continues to
violate human rights, Durbin replied that it would be a "disaster if the US
withdraws completely" from Colombia. The serendipitous meeting was cut
short, but the Senator did say that he was open to meeting with the CPTers.
The CPTers, along with other local Colombia Solidarity groups, will be
pressuring Durbin for a meeting before the vote on the Emergency
Supplemental Bill.

CPT encourages people to call or visit their local Representatives or
Senators in order to voice their concerns regarding the FY2002 Emergency
Supplemental Appropriations Bill on Counter- Terrorism. If you do not know
who your senators are, please see
http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm. If you do not know who
your representative is, please see www.house.gov/writerep .