Turning Colombia Into ‘Another Vietnam’

Re “Dogs of War Bare Their Teeth Over Colombia,” Commentary, July 17: The use of mercenaries to circumvent U.S. laws is problem enough. The fact that the mercenaries almost undoubtedly will prove to be ex-U.S. military personnel is a second major problem. We are creating a competitor to our legal armed forces both as a military employer and as an armed agent of national policy, a new and dangerous addition to the military industrial complex that President Eisenhower warned the nation about.

I am not arguing that we should (or should not) support the elected government of Colombia with a more vigorous effort. My argument, based in part on my experience with U.S. Army Special Forces in Laos and Vietnam, is that to sustain a successful effort requires, at a minimum, informed public support backed by coherent public policy. There is nothing covert about our overall operation in Colombia, and the Congress cannot support the effort by passing laws that are, in effect, a shell game played on the American public.

Philip R. Waldman

San Clemente