Rumsfeld's Hope and Hype in Columbia

The fuel in the Colombian government's fire is the assistance from Washington. The guerrillas' principal funding remains the illegal drug business. Colombia's gains may be sustainable only as long as Washington's engagement there outlasts drug addiction or at least Colombia's role in drug trafficking.

The FARC understands tenacity, having survived 40 years of civil conflict and 11 presidents. So being put on the defensive may mean only a tactical retreat. They may be willing to shore up their resources and wait for the current military momentum to wear down or even for Uribe to leave office.