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Caribbean-Latin America
Colombia frees Betancourt, Americans
2008-07-02
HT to Liberalhawk
Colombia said its military rescued former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, three U.S. military contractors and 11 other hostages from leftist rebels on Wednesday.

Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos says no one was hurt in the operation in eastern Colombia.

He said army commandos captured rebels manning a security ring around the hostages and got them to persuade their comrades to turn over the captives, without any loss of life.

Santos says the other 11 hostages freed were Colombian soldiers and police.

Betancourt, the Americans Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell, and the other hostages were taken to a military base.

In Paris, Betancourt'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.
Posted by:Frank G

#16  I think the training and the equipment the Colombians got from the US is paying off in spades.

Good work, gentlemen.
Posted by: DarthVader   2008-07-02 20:35  

#15  Lawhawk has a post with more details; link found courtesy of the comments section at LGF.
Posted by: Abdominal Snowman   2008-07-02 19:09  

#14  Joe, that was then. I wonder what she would say now?
Posted by: tipover   2008-07-02 18:55  

#13  The leftists always say that, they say the same thing about Saddam Hussein, and have most people believing it, that he got all his T-72's and Migs and Mirage Jets and AK-47's and SCUDs from Donald Rumsfeld.
Posted by: Abdominal Snowman   2008-07-02 18:53  

#12  SHHHHHHHHH, PENN STATE = STATE COLLEGE in the background - AGAIN!
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-07-02 18:51  

#11  HMMMMMMM - CNN > a suppor of Betancourt argued that as an Author + Columbian Senator SHE'D ARGUED/CLAIMED THAT THE COLUMBIAN GOVT. WAS ACTUALLY COVERTLY COLLUDING WID FARC = SUPPOR FARC, + THAT BY GIVING $$$ AID TO COLUMBIA'S GOVT THE USA ,etc. WAS IN FACT ALSO SUPPOR FARC + ITS ACTIVITIES???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-07-02 18:48  

#10  IF the report I quoted is true...

Stick a fork in FARC. They're DONE.

AND GOOD RIDDANCE.
Posted by: Abdominal Snowman   2008-07-02 18:46  

#9  This is huge, good on ya boys.
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2008-07-02 18:44  

#8  ok, I was working on a post on this when this came up. SO... here's what I was going to post:
Hostages Rescued from FARC in Columbia

Initial link found at Discarded Lies. What little details seem to be out at present seem to indicate that this is a major coup.

BOGOTA, Colombia — Rescued hostage Ingrid Betancourt says the military operation that freed her from Colombian rebels was "absolutely impeccable" and took her completely by surprise.

The 46-year-old Betancourt says the 15 hostages had no idea that helicopters they thought were taking them to another rebel camp were in fact piloted by military intelligence agents.

Betancourt told Colombian army radio on Wednesday that "they got us out grandly" and not a shot was fired.

Three U.S. military contractors and 11 Colombian police and soldiers were also freed.

Some additional links:

And that's all I can find for now. Details seem to be scarce, but it sounds like parts of FARC have been thoroughly infiltrated.
Posted by: Abdominal Snowman   2008-07-02 18:42  

#7  HO for it in some ways, against it in more. Send in your questions and we'll talk.
Posted by: .5MT   2008-07-02 18:35  

#6  The rescue came as U.S. presidential candidate John McCain was visiting Colombia. When news of its success reached McCain on his campaign plane, he said he and two other U.S. senators traveling with him — Joe Lieberman and Lindsay Graham — had been told about it in advance by Uribe.

1st to call Uribe Ne0-Con Wanna-be!
Posted by: .5MT   2008-07-02 18:34  

#5  FARC is coming apart at the threads.
It's the jungles rainforest that does it.
Posted by: .5MT   2008-07-02 18:33  

#4  

The rescue came as U.S. presidential candidate John McCain was visiting Colombia. When news of its success reached McCain on his campaign plane, he said he and two other U.S. senators traveling with him — Joe Lieberman and Lindsay Graham — had been told about it in advance by Uribe.
Posted by: 3dc   2008-07-02 18:32  

#3  Thank gawd for Hugolito and deh 21 Century Socialists.






humm... dis maybe wrong thread.
0/PDVSA and PSA united workers.
Posted by: .5MT   2008-07-02 18:31  

#2  Video on FoxNews
Posted by: 3dc   2008-07-02 18:24  

#1  FoxNews is suggesting the government captured a good segment of the FARC Central Committee
Posted by: 3dc   2008-07-02 18:24  

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