Colombia says rebels plan attacks during Bush visit

BOGOTA, Mar 8 (Reuters) Colombia's Marxist guerrillas are planning attacks and sabotage during US President George W Bush's visit to his closest South American ally this weekend, the country's top police commander said today.

Bush arrives in Bogota on Sunday for talks with President Alvaro Uribe, who has received billions of dollars in US aid to help fight Latin America's oldest guerrilla war and the cocaine trade that helps finance the violence.

''We have heard some communications, some orders from these criminals to carry out acts of public disorder and we know they could be acts of terrorism,'' National Police Commander Gen.

Jorge Daniel Castro told local radio.

''The idea is that the plan we have and that has been in place for eight days will be enough to counter this and we hope nothing will happen,'' he said without giving details about the communications or the possible attacks.

Helped by US funds, Uribe sent troops out to drive back the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC, the country's largest rebel group fighting a four-decade-old insurgency.

Violence has dropped sharply, but the rebels are still a potent force, mainly in rural areas.

REUTERS SP KP1103