America's Other War: Terrorizing Colombia (Paperback)

Editorial Reviews
Review
"Colombia is the worst humanitarian catastrophe in the hemisphere. The sources are deeply rooted in Colombia's own history, and in policies of the hegemonic power that are no less deeply rooted in its own history and institutions. This study provides a uniquely perceptive analysis of the tragic interaction, and its far-reaching implications for understanding the past and the evolving global order."--Noam Chomsky

"US administrations keep finding new excuses for intervening in Latin American affairs. Colombia is the most blatant example, as Doug Stokes' trenchant account of the US's shifting agenda--from Cold War, to guerrillas, then the drug trade, and now the 'war on terror'--so forcefully shows. Whether called imperialism or technical assistance, the consistent result is state terror and human suffering on a vast scale."--James Petras, Professor of Sociology (retired), Binghamton University, New York

"The two great turning-points of the last few years have, or so we've been told, been the end of the Cold War and 9/11. Not so argues Doug Stokes in this most challenging of volumes. Now, as before, the United States pursues the same hegemonic project simply using different cover stories--first communism, then drugs and now terrorism--to justify intervention in Colombia. For those looking for reassurance this is not the book for them: for those however seeking to peel back the layers of officialese and get to the heart of things this is a must read."--Michael Cox, London School of Economics and Editor of International Politics

"Doug Stokes shows that there is depressingly little 'new' about the growing U.S involvement in Colombia's conflict. With very thorough research and a highly readable narrative, the book goes beyond the liberal-conservative debate over Plan Colombia, the 'war on drugs' and the 'war on terror', reminding us of the central role played by the often brutal pursuit of economic interests."--Adam Isacson, Director of Programs, Center for International Policy, Washington


Book Description
This controversial book maintains that in Colombia the US has long supported a pervasive campaign of state violence directed against both armed insurgents and a wide range of unarmed progressive social forces. While the context may change from one decade to the next, the basic policies remain the same: maintain the pro-US Colombian state, protect US economic interests and preserve strategic access to oil. Colombia is now the third largest recipient of US military aid in the world, and the largest by far in Latin America. Using extensive declassified documents, this book shows that the so-called "war on drugs", and now the new war on terror in Colombia are actually part of a long-term Colombian "war of state terror" that predates the end of the Cold War with US policy contributing directly to the human rights situation in Colombia today.