U.S. to use Colombian anti-drug program in Afghanistan

BOGOTA, March 5 (Chinese media) -- Washington plans to

implement part of Colombia's anti-drug program in Afghanistan, the chairman of

the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday.

Mike Mullen said the Colombian program, which was

founded by the United States, will be used in Afghanistan to contain the spread

of drugs in the turbulent southwestern Asian nation.

Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santo said,

however, that the program will not be completely replicated in Afghanistan

because the environment in that country is different from that of Colombia.

Mullen and Santos also discussed the possibility of

sending Colombian troops to Afghanistan.

"We talked about Colombia's promise on sending troops

to Afghanistan, which we consider a positive and needed step in that country,"

Mullen said.

Colombia has been receiving anti-drug funds from the

United States for the past nine years.