year-old guerrilla war is the longest-running conflict in the Americas and claims thousands of lives a year. The paramilitaries are blamed for many of Colombia's worst human rights abuses. But the proposal to use U.S. taxpayer funds to demobilize the AUC could run afoul of U.S. laws that prevent money from flowing to groups deemed terrorist organizations, prompting a review of the legal issues. Under U.S. law, anyone who provides "material support or resources" to a foreign terrorist organization can be subject to fines and to a prison sentence of up to 15 years. If someone dies as a result, they can get life imprisonment. The effort could also be politically risky for Bush in an election year. He has vowed never to negotiate with terrorists "in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere," and told a campaign rally last week: "You can't talk sense to these people. You can't negotiate with them. You cannot hope for the best. We must engage these enemies around the world." --MORE 2300 Local Time 2000 GMT
