BREAKING: (Ingrid) Betancourt 'rescued in Colombia'

[arcos]

Source: BBC

The Colombian authorities say they have rescued Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans held by rebels in Colombia.

Ms Betancourt, a French-Colombian politician, has been held for more than six years by the rebel Farc group and is said to be in very poor health.

She is the group's highest-profile hostage and the French government has made securing her release a priority.

The Farc group has been fighting to overthrow the Colombian government for more than 40 years.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7486552.stm

---

This is GREAT news.

The timing is "funny" because McCain is in Colombia right now, praising military cooperation between the US and Colombia, but in my opinion, the most important thing is her safety and the safety of all the other hostages.

[bikebloke]

1. Finally!

Though I can't find anything in any French news sites right now.

[arcos]

3. It's just coming out...

Colombia's El Tiempo seems to be down, and I can't find any other links besides AP.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

2. I hope Uribe doesn't have her killed

During her campaign, she was highly critical of the Columbian government and its corruption and involvement with the drug trade before being kidnapped. I think she could be elected President of Columbia as this is one very charismatic lady.

[EFerrari]

12. It's a little weird that these particular four were "rescued" at the same time. n/t

[Bacchus39]

18. 15 hostages in total were rescued n/t

t

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

24. Betancourt has accused the Columbian government of being in bed with the FARC

It has resulted in dollars flowing to the Columbian government from Washington. In her book "Until Death Do Us Part", she's accused the Columbian government of taking pay-offs from narco terrorists and she has accused them of falsifying elections, with thousands of votes going uncounted and "disappeared". She's also lamanted the fact that the U.S. has provided military support to the fascists in power in Columbia.

I know it's easy to jump to conclusions and some might smell a fetid Chimp behind this sudden release, a kind of "July surprise" for the benefit of the Republican nominee. I don't know, but it does seem conveniently timely.

[gbscar]

35. Yes, because it's all part of some big government / farc / narco / Bush / McCain conspiracy! (n/t)

nt

[EFerrari]

43. It's hard to believe that in an organization as big as FARC

there isn't a faction willing to bed anyone for profit, power or even advantage.

[ngant17]

64. the official story

which is what I'm reading from the MSM, this is almost laughable. If the FARC were so ignorant and their command was so wholesale incompetent as the MSM and the Columbian gov. are saying, the FARC would have been routed and wiped out 40 years ago, without Yanqui money and military assistance.

My guess is that the FARC applying a long-term strategy outside of the war zones, they are listening to the peace overtures coming from the leftist leaders of the neighboring South American countries, and they probably realize this is where the real money and political power is going to come from in the future, not from the prolonged guerrilla combat, the contraband and kidnapping business. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain by earning legitimacy before the world, and the whole drama that was played out in the jungles recently, this is part of some bigger strategy that ought to benefit the FARC once its members can be demobilized and integrated into the non-violent and mass leftist/progressive/anti-imperialist political groups of Columbia.

[Bacchus39]

76. I don't know, recently they've looked more like the Germans in Hogan's Heros

[EFerrari]

81. The official story is a piece of work. n/t

[ngant17]

25. FARC is probably metamorphizing itself

and may be attempting to attain political legitimacy again in Columbia.

I doubt it if it was so much of a "rescue" by the rightwing government as it was a decision within the FARC high command to avoid a direct firefight and conveniently allow the hostages to go out and release them from their control, while allowing the Columbian government an excuse to claim some kind of minor victory for themselves.

Ihe correlation of forces in South America is highly conducive to FARC's long-term political interests (i.e., socialism in Columbia) without the absolute necessity of its prolonged guerrilla warfare in the Amazonian jungles. Sure, Uribe & Company's paramilitary death squads will remain a threat as before, it will continue to target them for selective assassination, but I believe the FARC and its many thousands of partisan supporters in the cities and countryside will gain a moral victory for themselves and eventually be able to take part in a majority control of the government by peaceful and non-violent means. They are surrounded by supporting political groups (Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, ect.) Uribe has nothing to do with this, of course.

[EFerrari]

31. That's pretty much what I was imagining but we'll see as more

information comes out in the weeks ahead. For now, I'm just happy she isn't dead from liver failure.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

36. That'd be undoubtedly the best outcome. Except, of course, for the lunatics...

...with an incontrollable desire to see piles of bodies of people they don't like.

[EFerrari]

47. Yeah. Those people, whoever they side with, can go to hell.

FARC was decapitated recently and the U.S. has pumped a lot of money into the Colombian military so that they can now challenge FARC on their turf instead of just staying out of the jungle.

The problem I see is that Bush is nearly out and Uribe has scandals breaking and this is about the right time for stupidity to break out like chicken pox and get people dead. Whatever the next fuck up is that happens in Latin America, it will probably be in poor Colombia.

[rayofreason]

89. "Moral Victory"????

This is one of the stupidest things I read in a long time.

FARC got stung in an elaborate operation

http://counterterrorismblog.org/2008/07/details_on_colo...

that goes to show how badly they have been compromised and how much data was recovered from the computer of FARC leader Ivan Rios – who was killed by his own men!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iv án_Ríos

And you want to call this tremendous defeat a "moral victory" for FARC?????

The band of narcotrafficing, kidnapping, gangsters known as FARC are done for.

[hack89]

115. Will it metamorphize itself out of the narcotics business?

or is that kind of moral victory asking too much?

[Robbien]

4. Also strange is that the Colombian Senator who was mediating with FARC

on Ingrid Betancourt's release is right now in DC. She was on Democracy Now yesterday

http://i2.democracynow.org/2008/7/1/colombian_senator_p...


edit to add that Betancourt being released is great news! Thanks for posting.

[EFerrari]

19. I saw that story. We greeted her with our usual hospitality.

I expect we'll be learning much more about this story in the coming days -- or at very least, when Betancourt is out of Colombian custody.

[Robbien]

26. Aren't the French and Swiss negotiators over there right now?

I believe I read that they were trying to arrange to meet with FARC but Uribe kept getting in the way.

No matter who was able to obtain her release, Uribe would of course claim all the credit anyway.

At least she is free. A good day.

[EFerrari]

32. Uribe needs FARC. That's been clear for a long time.

It is a great day.

[Bacchus39]

40. Uribe just guaranteed himself a third term, if he wants it

although, it will interesting now to see if Betancourt gets back into politics. She would make a logical successor to Uribe I would think.

[EFerrari]

41. Uribe is a criminal and has scandals breaking out all over the place.

Mayb Colombia will find someone who isn't as dirty as he is. That would be a good outcome for him and for them because if he stays in office much longer, it will all catch up with him.

[Bacchus39]

42. yeah, right... I wonder what his approval will be tomorrow ,90%???

but it may be better if he stepped down after this term, and Betancourt would seem the person to fill his shoes.

I don't support perpetual rule from one individual like what Colombia's idiot neighbor to the east wants or the island neighbor to the north has given himself.

[EFerrari]

46. Then you surely disapprove of Uribe bribing lawmakers

to make his re-election possible.

Tuesday July 1, 04:36 AM
Colombia polarized by Uribe's battle with courts

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Alvaro Uribe deepened his feud with the courts on Monday by going ahead with plans for a referendum aimed at rerunning the 2006 election in which he won a second term.

The popular leader reacted angrily to last week's Supreme Court ruling that said a former lawmaker was bribed by high government officials to support the constitutional amendment that allowed Uribe to seek re-election.

The judges recommended a legal review of the 2006 vote but rather than wait for that, the U.S-backed president wants to take his case directly to voters.

Uribe's move throws politics into turmoil as his long-simmering feud with Colombia's courts over his hard-line policies breaks into an open clash.

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/080630/5/6gl9.html

Let's see if the voters get their say this time.

[Bacchus39]

50. what a pleasure sharing the euphoria with you

Miss Buzz Kill

[EFerrari]

63. That's Ms. Buzz Kill, thanks!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

45. I don't think Betancourt would ever consider herself a successor to Uribe

Uribe and his ilk are everything Betancourt loathes.

[EFerrari]

48. I won't feel okay until she is out of his custody. n/t

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

56. Ingrid Betancourt was a presidential candidate of the Green Party

when she was kidnapped. I don't think Uribe considers her an ally.

[EFerrari]

59. And even apart from that, it's even money whether she's worth more free or not. n/t

[ngant17]

65. Given the number of political assassinations in Columbia,

Betancout was probably safer with FARC hiding out in the jungle. Once she starts out into the political campaign again, with any chance of gaining some political power, I'd say she has a 50-50 chance of being targetted for assassination by Columbian paramilitaries or some CIA-engineered patsy which would be convenient for Uribe and Company.

[ngant17]

66. Given the number of political assassinations in Columbia,

Betancourt was probably safer with FARC hiding out in the jungle. Once she starts out into the political campaign again, with any chance of gaining some political power, I'd say she has a 50-50 chance of being targetted for assassination by Columbian paramilitaries or some CIA-engineered patsy which would be convenient for Uribe and Company.

[Duke Newcombe]

69. Yeah..it was great of FARC to "protect" her for all this time...

...I'm sure all of the protectees appreciate their concern.

Duke

[EFerrari]

73. Do you really not know that Uribe has sabotaged releases before

or are you just being cute?

Fate uncertain of mission to free hostages

VILLAVICENCIO, COLOMBIA (CNN) -- A mission to free three hostages held by leftist rebels in Colombia stalled Monday, with the rebels and Colombian authorities trading blame for the delay.

On Monday night, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who organized the mission, said he remained hopeful that the operation would succeed despite major obstacles that surfaced earlier in the day.

"There is no deadline," he told reporters Monday night.

The leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC for its Spanish acronym, had planned to release three hostages as part of a deal Chavez brokered. Yet they reversed course Monday and said that Colombian military operations in the area made a release impractical.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/01/01/colomb...

[Bacchus39]

75. I guess Hugo's "help" isn't needed any more

the FARC cannot be trusted, surely you acknowledge that?

[EFerrari]

77. Do you have a sockpuppet here?

[Duke Newcombe]

78. Are you ignoring the fact...

...that there would be no releases to "sabotage" if FARC did NOT kidnap people?

duke

[Bacchus39]

80. reason is not necessarily appreciated here n/t

n/t

[EFerrari]

82. That's what I thought.

Can you run down for us what happened every time FARC tried to put down their guns and go mainstream like so many other dissidents in other countries with broad support have?

Thanks.

[Duke Newcombe]

84. Feel free to do so yourself.

I don't particularly give a damn what happens to criminal groups when they kidnap innocent, sick people, or how "unfair" it is for them when they decide to "join 'em" when they can't "beat 'em".

Duke

[EFerrari]

91. I didn't think so. n/t

[Bacchus39]

102. when has the FARC ever tried to lay down their arms?

when Pastrana gave them territory the size of Switzerland, Colombia received nothing in return.

[EFerrari]

107. Why would you say "Colombia received nothing in return"?

FARC is a part of Colombia.

[Bacchus39]

110. yeah, like a cancer is a "part" of the body

go on. lets here about the occassions when the FARC agreed to lay down there arms.

[Bacchus39]

57. it would be up to her and then the Colombian people to decide n/t

n/t

[wvbygod]

5. Did they get the kidnappers?

Hopefully the scum that held these people against their will are out of circulation.

[Barcelona]

6. Good n/t

[NattPang]

7. Great for these hostages. I'm glad to hear this.

But isn't John McCain in Columbia? Is this meant to be a coincidence, good timing, or a Political PR Ploy?

[Bacchus39]

8. fantastic news, hope they take the FARC down with them

n/t

[Hope And Change]

9. Great news.Thanks for posting.

[Bacchus39]

10. cnn link

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/07/02/betancourt...

looking forward to hearing the details.

[EFerrari]

11. The timing stinks but she's very ill. I'm so happy she got out alive.

[Bacchus39]

13. being ill, I would say the timing was perfect wouldn't you???

I'm sorry for you that Hugo couldn't take the credit.

[EFerrari]

14. It would have been much better months ago.

I just hope her system isn't too compromised by now.

[Bacchus39]

16. yeah, the FARC could have let her go anytime, or not kidnap her at all

maybe we need Colombian forces to get Bin Laden.

[EFerrari]

17. They're pretty busy dismembering and murdering trade unionists

I expect we'd have to book them way in advance.

[Bacchus39]

20. and rescueing hostages

you seem as happy now as you were after President Obama's speech in Miami or after Venezuela's exercise in democracy in December.

[EFerrari]

21. We'll see. And no, I don't favor Obama addressing terrorists

but have no idea what you mean about the referendum. The vote went against Chavez and it was clean.

[Bacchus39]

23. sure was, that was great

hope you find a candidate you like. you can always become a Venezuelan citizen I'm sure.

[EFerrari]

38. I need to become a citizen of Venezuela in order to support democracy?

lol

[ngant17]

71. this guy you're replying to, he/she/it made my ignore list a long time ago

it's great to see that he/she/it magically disappears from my DU message threads whenever there's an intelligent series of posts to browse over.

[YankmeCrankme]

49. They have been busy rescuing hostages?

And it only took them six short years? Wonder how long it would have taken if they weren't trying. With that kind of track record I suppose they could open up a training school. I imagine a lot of countries would be eager to have their personnel trained by the crack Colombian hostage rescue unit. Of course, they won't come close to their elite anti-union dismemberment squad.

[Bacchus39]

55. well the power to release them was always in the FARC's bloody hands

wasn't it??

[Duke Newcombe]

60. Cue the sound of crickets from the FARC cheer team. n/t

Duke

[fascisthunter]

61. FARC CHeerleading Team... Are You Saying That Poster Supports FARC?

maybe you should ask before attacking that person? Or is that how you handle folks who disagree with you on this topic?

[Duke Newcombe]

67. I don't believe you properly read the post I was responding to.

Please review it, and you'll understand what I meant about "cue the sound of crickets" and "the FARC cheer team".

Duke

[YankmeCrankme]

100. I responded to your post about Colombia being so busy rescuing hostages,

not about FARC. Quite frankly, hostage taking is one of the worst ways to get your point across though it sometimes does work. Holding them for six years either shows indifference or incompetence by the governing body, or a weak point by the hostage takers. Perhaps both.

Why do you bend over backwards defending everything Colombia and Uribe, even though they have arguably the worst record of human rights abuse and oppression to opposition political parties in Latin American at this time? You staunchly defend Colombia, yet criticize leftest governments that don't do anything remotely as bad as what happens in Colombia.

[Texano78704]

15. Three CIA operatives as well

Er, US contractors, that is.

[Duke Newcombe]

68. OMG...they were CIA operatives?

Wow. I'd be interested to read documentation of that.

Duke

[Texano78704]

83. Did you try their web site?

The post the names of all their operatives there.

[underpants]

113. They sure looked like it didn't they?

or special ops or mercs

at least the three guys did.

[hack89]

116. They work for Northrup Grumman

and they are techies that operated a Northrup Grumman sensor system being used to detect coca fields as part of an anti-narcotics effort.

[Sultana]

22. Fantastic news!

She can finally receive some medical help.


How many people are in captivity in Colombia?

[arcos]

29. Supposedly, about 500... nt

[Sultana]

96. .

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

27. They're not bragging about FARC bodies or any combat. In fact, they say "no one was hurt."

Almost as if the FARC just silently let them go. Maybe they did not want to be seen as "capitulating" or something. Anyway, it's odd there wasn't a firefight.

EDIT: hit "post" before finished speculating. Perhaps his recent pressure on the FARC had effect?

[Bacchus39]

30. yeah, just read the story I just posted. FARC was duped n/t

nnn

[amerikat]

90. I bet that farc base was destroyed shortly after the

hostages left. Unless there was some kind of deal made beforehand. Know what I mean?

[Blue_Tires]

101. so a behind-closed-doors deal was made, perhaps?

[hack89]

103. Or FARC is falling apart

and have been heavily infiltrated? Internal betrayal is just as likely as a deal

[Blue_Tires]

106. internal strife could be another possibility

perhaps over the coke and cash...still the timing of this strikes me as curious...

[Bacchus39]

28. more details emerging, FARC duped

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080702/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/c... ;_ylt=Arcs.Lc631MAnS9r5viqfVZvaA8F

BOGOTA, Colombia - Colombia freed Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. military contractors from leftist guerrillas on Wednesday after military spies tricked rebels into giving them up without a single injury, the defense minister said. In all, the operation freed 15 hostages including Colombian soldiers and police, Juan Manuel Santos said.



The rescue is the most serious blow ever dealt to the 44-year-old Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, who considered Betancourt and the three Americans their most valuable bargaining chips.

In Paris, the French-Colombian politician's son Lorenzo Delloye-Betancourt called her release after six years of captivity, "if true, the most beautiful news of my life." There was no answer at the homes of American families of the three U.S. hostages: Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell.

Santos said the military intelligence agents infiltrated the guerrilla ranks and led the local commander in charge of the hostages, alias Cesar, to believe they were going to take them by helicopter to Alfonso Cano, the guerrillas' supreme leader.

Surrounded by military commandos, Cesar and the other guerrillas gave up without a fight as they helicopters took the hostages to a military base in Guaviare.

Betancourt was abducted in February 2002 as she was running for president. Because she also holds French citizenship, France's government has campaigned for her release. She turned 46 on Christmas Day.

The Americans were captured a year later when their drug surveillance plane went down. They worked for a Northrup Grumman Corp. subsidiary as Pentagon contractors. They were the longest-held American hostages in the world.

Since their abduction, families of the U.S. hostages have received only two "proof of life" videos, the latest in November.

That latest tape also showed the first images in years of Betancourt, who hadn't been seen since 2003. The images, along with letters and reports from other hostages, described a once-vibrant, confident woman slowly succumbing to Hepatitis B, tropical skin diseases and depression.

One former hostage said Betancourt was kept chained to a tree after trying to escape.

Betancourt's family waged a campaign for her freedom, organizing marches and events in Colombia and France, where her case became a cause celebre. French President Nicolas Sarkozy implored the FARC to free the ailing Betancourt and sent a mission to Colombia to try to gain access to her. He also urged Colombia's government to contact the rebels.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who shares an affinity with the leftist FARC, also tried to negotiate Betancourt's release as part of a prisoner swap.

But none of the efforts could bridge the gaps between the guerrillas and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, whose father was killed by the FARC and who made the group's defeat the cornerstone of his presidency.

Colombia's government even criticized the family for its efforts to raise Betancourt's public profile. With all the interest in her, officials said, Betancourt became too valuable a bargaining chip to be traded for anything less than a comprehensive deal. The family countered that its work had drawn attention to the plight of all Colombia's kidnap victims.

[gbscar]

33. So what? It's not like FARC didn't dupe the 11 Cali councilmen they kidnapped in 2002 (nt)

nt

[Bacchus39]

34. ummm....that was the jist of the operation, just relaying the info there cacique

ok with you?

[gbscar]

37. Just that kinda implied that duping FARC is somehow "unfair" or at least "disappointing"...n/t

nt

[Bacchus39]

39. no, I found it quite ballsy actually

no harm no foul.

[Bacchus39]

44. I can't wait for the movie to come out n/t

n/t

[bluesmail]

51. Columbia Rescues Ingrid Betancourt, Americans from FARC

Source: Huffington Post

Columbia Rescues Betancourt

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/02/columbia-frees...

[Botany]

52. Just in time for McCain's visit

Wow what a shock!

[Bacchus39]

53. who cares? McCain didn't do anything n/t

n/t

[Ian David]

54. Maybe he gave them some missiles. n/t

[Kokonoe]

58. McCain obviously knew ahead of his trip,

The whitehouse claims five years involvement in the release per CNN.

[fascisthunter]

62. Of Course They Will Claim This

and you do know what this means right? If they claim he had anything to do with is, then the question needs to be asked. Why wait until now and was Columbia and the US standing in the way the whole time?

[EFerrari]

72. Ding! You can have anything off of the top shelf.

Well, at least she may get some medical care now.

[Bacchus39]

74. well, maybe Colombia used te McCain visit as as diversion ever consider that??

I really doubt that McCain had much to do with this other than being a useful distraction for the operation.

[fascisthunter]

79. LOL... Why? They Love Republicans

are you kidding me?! They'd like nothing more than to help McCain's image.

[goodgd_yall]

94. Picture this scenario

McCain meeting the ex-hostages and he gets to talk about his hostage experience and the news is obsessed during this Independence Day weekend on military rescues, McCain as a hostage, the bravery of military contractors, how great the CIA did, blah, blah, blah, and it all goes into turning the attention of Americans to military worship, which is a boon for the Republicans and particularly John McCain.

[MullenBank]

99. That phone call to the home office...

is gonna be a tough one.

Hola...boss... about those fifteen hostages.. well... look next week you'll see the humor.... and we checked their ID just like we're supposed to do... but, well anyway they all got away in the chopper... you're gonna what? ... send some help our way.... sure sounds great... we'll wait right here....

[liberal1973]

70. McBush

McBush is the typical corrupt Neo-nazi republican. His wife is a bad drug user and it seems a sleazy right winger.

[burrowowl]

85. I'm glad she is rescued

But is she safe? And why now? Did Columbia and not the FARC have her hostage?

[Zorro]

86. I think the situation has become rather dangerous in the short term

FARC may attempt to do something particularly spectacular and violent to show they're still a force to be reckoned with.

[hack89]

87. FARC's internal rot revealed

The first reports about the Colombian military’s rescue of the 15 hostages held by FARC (in Spanish) indicate an impressive intelligence operation. The hostages were held in three separate locations. Colombian intelligence had infiltrated one of the FARC fronts holding the hostages as well as the FARC Secretariat. They told the front commander “Cesar” that the hostages were being transferred on the orders of FARC chief Alfonso Cano. After gathering the hostages in one location the FARC unit was met by a helicopter, ostensibly from an NGO (that doesn’t actually exist). Then the hostages were loaded onto the helicopter and the FARC commander and his deputy were taken captive to be handed over to judicial authorities. The other members of the FARC front were permitted to escape.

The fifteen hostages were rescued without firing a shot. The long nightmare of the hostages and their families is finally over.

There are many implications to this tremendous success. It indicates both the FARC’s rot and impressive Colombian capabilities. That Colombian intelligence could manage this elaborate ruse shows how much information they have gathered about the FARC’s internal workings. The computer files seized, both from Raul Reyes, but also from the computer of FARC leader Ivan Rios – who was killed by his own men, were no doubt invaluable. That FARC would fall for this ruse indicates increasing fragmentation and decay. The loss of several top leaders, and the reported serious illness of FARC’s top military commander Mono Jojoy have all contributed to FARC's weakness.

Communications has long been an Achilles heel for the FARC, which is spread out in Colombia’s vast hinterland. The hostage rescue operation is the most dramatic capitalization of this weakness so far and it will also exacerbate it. FARC leaders will now doubt the origin of their orders – leading to further fragmentation.

http://terrorwonk.blogspot.com/2008/07/farc-is-farcd-as...

[Zorro]

88. Didn't you get the message?

Those laptop files were bogus.

Just ask the usual anti-Uribe crowd that hangs out in the Latin America threads.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

92. WOW, I just heard Ingrid Betancourt speaking on television

I speak both Spanish and French and I heard her make statements in both languages. On French television, they devoted their entire news broadcast to her liberation. What a wonderful speaker Ingrid Betancourt is. Her words were so moving and so powerful. I can't believe how strong and positive she sounded after so many years of captivity. Her supporters from Columbia are saying that she will be the next President of Columbia in 2010 and she will continue her fight against government corruption. I can believe it. This woman is one tremendously charismatic person. I wish we had her in this country.

[EFerrari]

93. That's astonishing. If you see it go up on the net, lemme know.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

95. "She will continue her fight against government corruption" -- GREAT!

Gee, wasn't she supposed to praise odes to Uribe? I guess something in the script went wrong!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

97. She did thank Uribe and so did her family in Paris

Her daughter is an absolute goddess, she's so beautiful, and her words were splendid as well. Betancourt didn't offer effusive praise to Uribe but it was polite and subdued. She expressed her thanks as one would expect. She sat next to Uribe as he made a statement for Columbian television and she had an unemotional expression as she watched him speak. French television showed previous video footage of the heavy criticism her family leveled against Uribe for his inaction in the past and for his bombastic statements about using violence and force to free the hostages instead of trying to use diplomacy. Both Betancourt and her family issued an empassioned plea to the FARC and to Uribe to continue their efforts to free the remaining hostages and to not treat this release as a political football.

[MullenBank]

98. President Alvaro Uribe

tough guy. cool.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

104. The tough, cool one here is Ingrid.

Uribe can go suck an aardvark. I have as much consideration for him as I have for the FARC.

[MullenBank]

108. We can disagree.

I think the FARC suck too. See, Common Ground. Is this a grand country or what. Based on what my relatives in Miami say, Uribe is OK. They have friends and blood relatives in Columbia so I pretty much defer to them on stuff like this 'cause I figure they are better informed.

[Judi Lynn]

109. Commie Pinko Dirtbag lives in South America. I'd put my money on him. n/t

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

111. What other political opinions do "your relatives" have?

For instance, about the Cuban embargo? Or about Obama vs. McCain?

[Name removed]

112. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[KamaAina]

114. Why do you hate aardvarks so much?

Huh?

[hack89]

105. "The rescuers came wearing Che Guevara T-shirts "

He said the military infiltrated the FARC's top hierarchy and arranged for a transfer of hostages on the ruse that they were going to be handed over to Alfonso Cano, the rebel group's maximum leader.

The government mole arranged for the hostages to be brought together from three different locations to one camp, and then taken in a helicopter the FARC believed belonged to a friendly aid group that would transport the hostages to Cano. ''The military planned this for more than a year by establishing a fake helicopter company that had been offering transport services to the rebels for some time,'' said Newlink Political senior analyst Mauricio De Vengochea, who has close contacts in the Colombian military.

``It shows they infiltrated the highest levels, because there is no way the guerrillas would have turned over the crown jewel to a stranger in an unknown helicopter. It's truly impressive.''

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