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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Kill priests, FARC leader says |
| 2005-09-07 |
| The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia's (FARC) top military chief, Jorge Briceno, has called for the killing of clergy. According to Caracol News, "the death of Father Jesus Adrian Sanchez, which occurred Aug. 18 in (the southern province of) Tolima and which according to authorities can be attributed to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group, is part of this group's offensive against the clergy." The order to murder clergy apparently came Briceno. Colombian military intelligence officials report that the rationale for targeting clerics "was explained in a speech by Briceno ... that was taped by a fighter who deserted the FARC's ranks." Briceno purportedly said, "All of these clerics are agents of the enemy or propagators of a doctrine that numbs people's minds and makes them enemies of the guerrillas," before instructing his men to "kill all the clerics, without saying it was us." Caracol news played a tape featuring a voice that sounded like Briceno. The secretary-general of Colombia's Catholic Bishops Conference, Fabian Marulanda, said Briceno's threat "should be analyzed because it's not understood why that group would go after those who are trying to reach them to discuss peace." Army commander Gen. Reynaldo Castellanos said the threat made sense since FARC guerrillas have "no respect" for the church. During a recent meeting military top officers told bishops that they had information that the FARC had declared clergy in Colombia to be "a military target." Real or propaganda? Any guesses? |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |