Columbian Hostages Rescued in daring operation

[jt71582]

I have met Flash in person, and he really is as smart as he sounds.....he just can't spell for shit. BTW...ask him why they call him Flash. Probably the same reason I'm called Mumbles....because I'm soooo articulate and eloquent a speaker.:icon_wink

I already know why . I met his old roommate a few weeks ago ("Stork" is a good friend of my uncle's). They had nothing but good things to say about ya, Flash.

 

[Delta7]

More info on FARC & misuse of Red Cross Symbols

Who is the FARC?
· Communist/Marxist guerrilla movement (offshoot of Colombian Communist Party) founded in 1960s dedicated to the overthrow of the Colombian government
· Most of its income comes from drug trafficking, kidnapping (they still hold ~700 hostages), and extortion
· Most European governments (less Switzerland, surprise, surprise) and US State Dept labels FARC a terrorist organization

A little history:
· ~2002-2008: governments of France and Switzerland repeatedly send their “expert negotiators” Noel Saez (French) and Jean-Pierre Gontard (Swiss) to Colombia to negotiate with FARC for release of hostages (especially Ingrid Betancourt, French citizen and former candidate for Colombian Presidency, kidnapped by FARC in 2002).
· 2/27/2008: release of four former members of Colombian Congress using Venezuelan MI-17 helicopters with ICRC symbols
- o No subterfuge here, ICRC members were present when the decals were affixed to Venezuelan helicopter
- o However, Chavez is clearly NOT neutral and is an open supporter of the FARC… did anyone complain about this use of the ICRC symbol? No… but I’m not really suggesting they should have… just food for thought.

· 3/1/2008: Colombian military attacks FARC camp in Ecuador
- o Raul Reyes, FARC’s #2 killed along with 24 other fighters/sympathizers
- o Several laptops recovered at the scene, hard drives recovered, copied by Colombia and sent to Interpol for verification
· 3/2008-Today: Information about laptops' contents leaked from various Colombian sources. A sampling of the information released:
- o Connections/negotiations and possible support for FARC by government of Ecuador and its leftist President Correa
- o Strong relationship between FARC and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, dating back to Chavez’ first, unsuccessful coup in 1992
- o FARC’s interest in obtaining/making crude WMD
- o That the two above mentioned European “negotiators,” may have been more than a little sympathetic to the FARC’s cause. Google those two names and make up your own mind on what those two were really up to in their many trips to Colombia.
· 3/17/2008: Based on info contained in FARC laptops, $480,000 in cash recovered in Costa Rica, supposedly destined from government of Switzerland to FARC
· 3/26/2008: Colombian officials report recovery of 66 pounds of depleted uranium. Found based on contents of FARC laptop computers
· 5/15/2008: Interpol completes investigation of laptops
- o Although there were some discrepancies in the handling, Interpol insists they’ve not been tampered with by Colombia (usual suspects question validity of Interpol report: Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador, inter alia)
- o http://www.interpol.com/public/ICPO/PressReleases/PR2008/PR200817.asp

· 7/2/2008: Rescue Operation “Jaque” (Spanish for “Check” as in chess) Ingrid Bentancourt, 3 American contractors, and 11 others released in rescue operation
· 7/2/2008: Ingrid Betancourt (in press conference with Colombian President) emphatically denies seeing any Red Cross decals on the rescue helicopters.
- o YouTube video of Uribe & Betancourt statements (off Venezuelan TV, no less). This Venezuelan news report accuses Uribe of lying. However, we're talking about two different things: ICRC decals on helicopters (which Colombia still denies) and later admission of use of an ICRC decal/patch by Colombian soldier. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYnE9Rn7YnQ
- o YouTube video of rescue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc4d3uZ5CRU&feature=related
- o I don’t see the decal on the helicopter, but you don’t see much of it anyway
· 7/17/2008: Colombian President Alvaro Uribe apologizes for one of the Colombian soldier’s use of a Red Cross “badge” which he wore over his bullet-proof vest (not for having decals on the aircraft). According to Uribe, the soldier said he was afraid once he saw all the FARC soldiers at the helicopter landing site and took out the “piece of cloth in a state of nervousness.” (See first video link above, it’s in Spanish, and includes 7/17 statement by Colombian Pres. Uribe)
· Rumors persist that the rescue was staged, and that the hostages were released after being paid $20 million. Personally, I think it’s all BS… but that’s just me.

Bottom line:
After several hours of Internet research, I’d say there’s no clear evidence that those helicopters actually sported ICRC symbols. There is, however, no doubt -- and the Colombian President has openly (although perhaps a bit tardily) admitted as much – that there was improper use of the symbol by one of his soldiers.

As “they” say… “we report, you decide.” J

John

Sorry for the lengthy post… but these guys (the FARC) are still very dangerous, and despite the fact that they have almost no support in Colombia, they have many friends out there in the “Leftosphere.”

 

[armada1651]

· 7/17/2008: Colombian President Alvaro Uribe apologizes for one of the Colombian soldier’s use of a Red Cross “badge” which he wore over his bullet-proof vest (not for having decals on the aircraft). According to Uribe, the soldier said he was afraid once he saw all the FARC soldiers at the helicopter landing site and took out the “piece of cloth in a state of nervousness.”

The other day I discussed this briefly with someone I met who works for a Latin American policy think tank in DC (the Inter-American Dialogue, I believe). She commented that they think at this point the official story is just the "official" story, and that the decision to use the emblem came down from MUCH higher up.

For the purposes of this conversation, I suppose that's only hearsay. But I just wanted to mention there's some significant doubt regarding Uribe's statement going around in pretty well-informed circles....though I imagine that's not really earth-shattering news to most.

 

[Zissou]

The other day I discussed this briefly with someone I met who works for a Latin American policy think tank in DC (the Inter-American Dialogue, I believe). She commented that they think at this point the official story is just the "official" story, and that the decision to use the emblem came down from MUCH higher up.

For the purposes of this conversation, I suppose that's only hearsay. But I just wanted to mention there's some significant doubt regarding Uribe's statement going around in pretty well-informed circles....though I imagine that's not really earth-shattering news to most.

interesting

 

[Flash]

The other day I discussed this briefly with someone I met who works for a Latin American policy think tank in DC (the Inter-American Dialogue, I believe). She commented that they think at this point the official story is just the "official" story, and that the decision to use the emblem came down from MUCH higher up.

Sometimes there is a little too much 'thinking' going on at those places.