Colombian President Alvaro Uribe won backing from US lawmakers to extend Plan Colombia, with many willing to increase US military and civilian contractors employed in the Andean nation.

The Senate's leader of minority Democrats, Tom Daschle said lawmakers were "very pleased" with Uribe's efforts to reduce drug trafficking and "impressed" with his fight against leftist rebels the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and terrorism.

"I don't think there could be a better partnership than the one we have with Colombia in assuring that stability and security today, and this is part of it," he said.

"We talked about raising the military cap and many of us support it," he said.

Republican representative Henry Hyde who heads the Foreign Relations Committee of the Lower House said he favors an extension of Plan Colombia beyond its 2005 expiration date. Uribe is requesting for four more years.

"I think the best thing in Colombia is to have a good, stable government and defeat the rebels who are causing such difficulty" and drug trafficking, said Hyde.

Hyde said he supported Daschle's view that the military cap be raised.

The law governing the US contribution to Plan Colombia forbids US military from directly engaging in the fight against drugs and rebels, limiting its scope to training and technical assistance for Colombia's police and armed forces.

President George W. Bush's administration wants to double the US forces supporting Plan Colombia, the anti-drug and rebel operation, from 400 to 800 operatives, and civilian contractors from 400 to 600.

Representative Bill Delahunt, a Democrat, said that while he "would describe the bilateral relationship today as good as it ever was," he would continue giving Colombia assistance on the current terms pending the outcome of the November 2 presidential election in which Bush is bidding for reelection against Democratic Senator John Kerry.

The United States has given 2.6 billion dollars to Plan Colombia, largely in military equipment and assistance.

"Colombia is pleased with it and has no concerns," said Uribe, briefly speaking of US support to Colombia with reporters at Capitol Hill following a meeting with Daschle and Senate majority leader Bill Frist.

"What we need is good help and more of it," he said, adding: "I can't complain -- we've had very good help, moving from the rhetoric of years past to effective aid."

Uribe expressed satisfaction with the support given to his request to extend Plan Colombia.

"We can't leave the work half done," he said.

The Colombian president also said Bogota wants to grant consular registration to Colombians who are in the United States without documentation, following Mexico and several Central American nations' lead.

The registration will allow Colombians to open bank accounts here and obtain a US driving license.

© Copyright 2004 Agence France Presse

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