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Killing Peace Reviews
Noam Chomsky, author and MIT professor “This is a lucid and informed introduction to one of the most painful tragedies of the current era, now escalating to new levels of horror. The U.S. has played a central role in enhancing terror in Colombia and sustaining the grim social and economic conditions in which it is rooted. By the same token, we could easily play a constructive role in reversing the cycle of atrocities and the deepening of misery, despair, and chaos. Colombia has rich natural and human resources, and despite a terrible history, could enjoy the bright and promising future for which many of its people are struggling with remarkable courage and dedication. These options lie to no small extent in our hands. Garry Leech's fine study shows why and how.” NACLA Report on the Americas, July/August 2002 “Garry M. Leech's Killing Peace: Colombia's Conflict and the Failure of U.S. Intervention is an excellent short overview of the past and the present of the Colombian Civil War. The book's clear goal is to inform a lay audience about the complexities of the conflict and to underline the impact of U.S. policy in this conflict. The book succeeds in both respects. The author anchors the present conflict historically, providing the context and the reasons for the civil war, and the interplay of the different parties--peasants, guerrillas, the state, military and paramilitary groups. Leech decidedly thinks that U.S. policies have fueled the conflict. On the one hand, the U.S. government, through IMF liberalization policies and support for U.S. companies' investment in Colombia, has exacerbated the economic conditions that feed political discontent and insurgency. On the other hand, the U.S. government has provided aid to the military, nominally intended to combat drug trafficking, but in practice used to combat guerrillas, thereby giving incentives to war and not to peace negotiations. Given the evidence, it is difficult to disagree with the author about this point.” Adam Isacson, Center for International Policy “Colombia's conflict is very complex and evades easy understanding. But as Washington increases its involvement there, Americans will need to understand what we're getting into. Based mainly on interviews and primary sources, Killing Peace is an important guide. Garry Leech has produced a simple, easy-to-follow, but very compelling piece of work.” Bert Ruiz, author of The Colombian Civil War “Killing Peace is an outstanding book. Garry Leech provides a front row seat to the surreal violence in Colombia. Moreover, he explains why a just and enduring peace is so difficult to attain. The author is a superb journalist who documents how the flames of peace have been doused and the drums of war have been amplified. Recommended.” Global Exchange “For readers wanting to know the history and who is who in the Colombian conflict and US policy, Garry Leech's short primer Killing Peace is a cogent and balanced introduction. Leech excels in clearly explaining the roots of the war, the role of US intervention, and how drug eradication and economic globalization deepen the problem. A list of sources and index make the book easy to use.” Ro Leaphart, Leaphart & Associates Garry Leech concisely explains the role of the conflicting parties generating violence in Colombia and their historical context: Colombian government, military, paramilitary, revolutionaries, drug traffickers, US government and military, European governments, and multi-national corporations. If I have one complaint about the book, it would be its brevity. Leech is an excellent writer and has thoroughly documented the book. I would like to hear more from him, because his style of writing is a pleasure to read and the content of the book more than thought provoking. As a result of his brevity, Leech has inspired me to read more about Colombia and to be aware of our foreign policy in Colombia. Just last week (early May 2003), the Bush administration with Congress agree to send another $1.3 Billion in military aid to Colombia as part of the war on terrorism. Our troops are in Colombia to train the Colombian military. Their military leaders are being trained in the US. Our State Dept. has contracted DynCorp, Military Professional Resources, Inc. (MPRI) and other "mercenary" companies to conduct war on drugs in Colombia. The current contract calls for former US military personnel working for DynCorp to pilot fumigation planes and helicopter gunships, with the stipulation that Colombians operate the guns.
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