Bush Uses Exemption On Colombia Forces (washingtonpost.com)

President Bush this week used his authority to exceed congressional limits on the number of U.S. military personnel allowed to be in Colombia, sending as many as 150 additional specialized troops to assist in the rescue of three American civilians believed to be in the hands of guerrillas since their plane crashed in a rebel-held area last week, senior administration officials said.

The most recent reporting period ended in mid-January, and Bush reported to Congress on Thursday that there were 208 military personnel and 279 contract workers in Colombia as of that date.

By my count there appears to be now 411 military troops and over 300 CIA, DEA, etc. in Columbia; some of whom will be searching for the 3 CIA agents held hostage.

I was surprised to learn there is a group organizing protests against the US companies that benefit from the billions of dollars in military related aid that has been pouring into Columbia.