MEDIA REACTION: DETAINED AMERICAN SERVICEMEN

UNCLAS BOGOTA 008157 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OPRC PREL SNAR PGOV CO SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: DETAINED AMERICAN SERVICEMEN Leading editorial in weekly Semana (8/29) entitled: "A Happy Ending For The 'Narcosoldiers'," states: "Taking advantage of their presence in Colombia... the (American) soldier and the three sergeants... had built up a cocaine distribution net. Ironically, they trained Colombian soldiers to fight against drugs... In contrast, the Colombian " mules" who arrive in civilian airplanes, usually with smaller amounts (of cocaine) and without criminal records, receive an average of 12 years of jail in the United States... That is what is so discouraging about this case. It is obvious that the crime of the American soldiers is more serious than that of the Colombian civilians." WOOD