U.S. calls for dialogue in Colombia, Ecuador dispute

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday said a dispute between Colombia and Ecuador should be resolved through dialogue, not military action -- and in a message to Venezuela, told other countries not to get involved.

State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the United States supported Colombia's efforts to respond to the threat posed by Marxist FARC rebels, but also understood concerns raised by Ecuador in the dispute.

The crisis erupted after Colombia bombed and sent troops inside Ecuador in a weekend raid that killed a Colombian rebel leader in his jungle camp.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez dispatched tanks to the border and threatened to counterattack with Russian-made jets should Colombia unleash a similar raid in Venezuela.

"The way for any differences about this particular military action to be resolved is through dialogue among the two countries. That's in everyone's interests, and it's certainly what we are encouraging the government of Colombia and the government of Ecuador to do," State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters.

"I don't think anybody at this point ought to be talking about military action," Casey said.

Asked about Chavez's attitude, Casey said: "I don't really see that there is any particular role for any other country, certainly not a military role for them in this issue."

Casey said the United States supported an offer from the Organization of American States to provide a forum for mediation between Colombia and Ecuador.

He was unaware of any U.S. role in Colombia's raid, or whether the United States had any advance notice. But, he said, Washington fully supported Colombia's efforts to respond to the rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC.

"We do fully understand and fully support the need of the Colombian government to tackle and respond to threats posed by this terrorist organization," Casey said.

"We understand the concerns that the Ecuadorean government has raised," he added. (Editing by Alan Elsner)