The guerrillas financed much of their war against the Colombian state with ransom payments, and sought to put pressure on the government by taking political hostages.
Bin Laden spent millions supporting the Afghan guerrillas, financing thousands of volunteer foreign soldiers who came to Afghanistan from throughout the Islamic world, and creating a network of guest houses and charities to support them and their families.
In addition, the assessments say, the guerrillas' financing for attacks is being squeezed -- partly because fighters are demanding high prices to participate -- and the insurgency's leadership is under pressure and on the move, making it harder to plan attacks.
The United States general commanding operations in Saddam Hussein's ancestral homeland says that American forces have dealt a damaging blow to the insurgency in this pivotal region of Iraq in the past 30 days by choking off much of the guerrillas' financing and arms supplies.
"The way the IRA was robbing banks, the guerrillas were financing themselves from drug trafficking," he said.
It dealt with dictators and guerrillas and financed political parties and intellectual groups -- whatever was necessary to promote American interests and ideals.
Mr. Serpa also proposes fighting the rebels, but he has implicitly warned that voting for Mr. Uribe would mean supporting Colombia's feared illegal paramilitary groups, whose brutal war against the guerrillas is financed by large landowners and drug money.
Israeli officials say the Palestinian militants have also turned for help to Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based guerrilla group financed and trained by Iran and Syria.
At 1.10pm on 11 February the White House Situation Room received the shattering news that Tehran had fallen to a coalition of Muslim fundamentalists and left-wing guerrilla groups financed and armed by Libya, the PLO and the east bloc.
