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| More on the Colombian hostage rescue | |
| 2008-07-03 | |
| From TerrorWonk: 'There are many implications to this tremendous success. It indicates both the FARCÂ’s rot and impressive Colombian capabilities. That Colombian intelligence could manage this elaborate ruse shows how much information they have gathered about the FARCÂ’s internal workings.' From Counterterrorism.org: 'This is a classic demonstration of how a country can use a mixture of law enforcement, intelligence, military, diplomatic and other mechanisms together, with a great deal of patience and tenacity, to achieve profound results against terrorism. It's an operation that needs to be studied, understood, to see what its lessons are for handling other hostage situations and other terrorist groups.' From Lawhawk: "It's curious to look back at some of the reporting and punditry surrounding the March cross border raid and the opining of pundits that it put the lives of those hostages in jeopardy. It now looks like the raid helped gather intel to crush the terror group and rescue hostages. Far from putting lives in jeopardy, it appears to have been the straw that broke the camel's back."
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #6 Colombian intelligence tricked the FARC into believing that the hostages, who had been divided in three groups by the FARC, should be brought together in a single group to be handed over to FARC leader Alfonso Cano for a possible diplomatic, negotiated solution to the hostage crisis that would achieve FARC political objectives. As a result, FARC's high command agreed to travel with the hostages as a means of transferring them to Cano on a helicopter that actually belonged to the Colombian military and was actually manned by Colombian intelligence personnel. According to Minister Santos, not only were all of the hostages safely rescued, but two senior FARC officials and some 15 other FARC soldiers were arrested in the process, also without violence. Schweet. Cherry on top if the fake order was given in the name of Hugo Chavez. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-07-03 14:24 |
| #5 Dis from Miguel Octavio care of Daniel: This is an unexpected guest post. Miguel Octavio of the Devil's poop is out of the country traveling and is having problems to post on his blog. Thus he sent me this e-mail as he wants to express himself on the wonderful freedom of Ingrid Betancourt yesterday. He will be reposting the post below at his blog at some point. Meanwhile you can leave your comments here if you wish or go to his latest post there and comment anyway even if "off topic". --- --- --- --- --- --- As Ingrid Betancourt is freed today, Alvaro Uribe scores a huge victory and Hugo Chavez loses big, as his bid to gain worldwide fame, helps Colombia defeat the FARC and the most symbolic hostage is out. This puts the FARC in a corner, where it makes no sense anymore to hold the remainder hostages and their decades old terrorists' war, which turned into drug trafficking and kidnapping to support the effort, is over. While the news is great, as long held Betancourt is finally freed in good health, it throws some uncertainty over the remainder hostages, as the former Presidential candidate represented the most visible hostage the world was ready to fight for. Thus, there will be a period of uncertainty for the remainder people suffering the horror of years in captivity, treated badly and without good medical care. Its already been hours since the surprising rescue by the Colombian Government and there has been no reaction by the Venezuelan Government. Perhaps Chavez is calling Cuba to map out a strategy for his response, perhaps he is depressed, but is certainly a bad day for him. The Venezuelan President tried to play a high stakes game, the way he has tried with us in the last ten years, but he had a more formidable opponent, used to playing tough and they actually used him to raise the communications levels among the FARC commanders and in the end Uribe got the upper hand on both the FARC and the Venezuelan President. French President Sarkozy is another winner as he made the liberation a point of honor and made the media and his country focus on it. But most of all, it is a great day for Ingrid Betancourt, the three American hostages and the eleven Colombian hostages who may now attempt to escape the horror they have lived through and regain some semblance of their lives. The world also has to learn from recent events, not to sympathize with terrorists, not to defend them. Uribe was painted as the bad guy too many times in his fight to return peace to his country, while the FARC kidnapped and traded drugs to survive. The terrorist criminals of the FARC should be given one last chance by the world to give up the remainder hostages and return to civilian life. If they don't, the world should back the Colombian President. It is not a matter of ideology, it is simply a defense of humanity and people's rights. Read here. English only unless you make Hiakoo. Verily it is quiet in Vz, notebooks telling a big damn tale evidently. |
| Posted by: .5MT 2008-07-03 12:16 |
| #4 Let's hope it either speeds the approval oif the Columbia trade deal or the relesae of the information about FARC's ties with Pelosi & Co. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-07-03 11:25 |
| #3 I learned from the rescue by reading "Die Welt"s web site. According to it America had provided support for the operation. In Le Figaro's (France supposedly conservattive newspaper) thee was no mention of America's role. |
| Posted by: JFM 2008-07-03 11:22 |
| #2 Thank you Columbia. It's not exactly Entebbe, but as a strike for freedom, It'll do. Happy 4th. |
| Posted by: Bin thinking again 2008-07-03 02:05 |
| #1 What is interesting is that the two blogs quoted (and linked) say nothing about any 'embedded' reporters or any journalists having ben briefed ahead of time. Almost like they knew that Jimmy Olson and his kin would be unable to keep a secret. Maybe we should try that sometime. |
| Posted by: USN,Ret. (from home) 2008-07-03 00:21 |