The FARC has long accused the U.S. of meddling in the country's 40-year civil war, and Uribe disclosed that FARC's seven-man ruling body ordered guerrilla units to make an attempt on Bush's life.

The Colombian authorities reported that the attempt was thwarted by the heavy security net thrown up around the U.S. president which, apart from his own Secret Service detail, included 15,000 members of the Colombian security forces.

The FARC is disturbed by the fact that Washington provides over $600 million in mostly military aid to Bogota and supplies intelligence from U.S. listening stations, satellites and spy planes that are focused on Colombia.

Also high up among the reasons for animosity: The U.S. has indicted many of the FARC high command on drug-trafficking charges, and two senior FARC commanders in prison seem set to be sent to face American justice.

The fact that the guerrillas would even consider killing the most powerful and heavily protected man on earth shows that U.S. involvement in Colombia is so deep that the rebels feel they have very little to lose, said the BBC report.

Editor's note: