U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is defending a $98 million U.S. plan to help Colombia protect a key pipeline that connects oil wells run by a U.S. company to a Caribbean port.

Secretary Powell says Colombian rebel attacks shut down the Cano-Limon-Covenas pipeline for 240 days last year, depriving the United States of a strategic petroleum source. He says the closure also caused serious environmental damage, and cost Colombia a significant source of revenue. Speaking before a House subcommittee, Mr. Powell said Wednesday the proposed U.S. funds would pay for training and equipping two brigades of Colombian troops to protect the 700-kilometer-long line in eastern Colombia.

Mr. Powell says keeping the pipeline open would give Colombia more money to be used for counter-narcotics efforts.

Some lawmakers have criticized the plan, saying it could eventually lead to U.S. involvement in the 38-year civil war in Colombia. Mr. Powell says the Bush administration, however, has no intention of using U.S. forces to defend the pipeline. He does say the proposal is a "passive" change in U.S. policy. The plan is part of the administration's $25 billion foreign affairs budget for the fiscal year 2003.

The secretary also says Congress should be able to see results this year from U.S. aid to Colombia. The $1.3 billion package is largely devoted to counter-narcotics military aid and improving human rights.

Colombia's conflict involves leftist rebels, government forces and right-wing paramilitary groups.

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