Hi SE Mom!
This is pretty interesting- I saw there was a thread on FR about this too- but for another take:
http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/
BARACK OBAMA
Bizarre: Was a Slain FARC Leader Meeting ‘Gringos’ About Obama?
Dear readers, take this most curious item with appropriate caution and skepticism, until it can be verified.
Having said that... for a moment, let’s assume this translation of a letter found on FARC terrorist leader Raul Reyes’ computer is accurate. The letter is reportedly from Reyes to “members of the FARC Secretariat.” The link is to an English-language version of El Universal, a major Venezuelan newspaper based in Caracas, and reportedly the letter was published published in Spanish by El Tiempo, described as the highest circulation daily newspaper in Colombia.
And let’s assume the document is genuine, and this isn’t some massive propaganda or disinformation effort on the part of the Colombian government...
What are we to make of the last paragraph?
6. The gringos called for a meeting with the minister to ask him to tell us they are interested in talking about several topics. They claim they new president in their country will be Obama and that these people are interested in their fellow citizens. Obama will support neither Plan Colombia nor the signature of the Free Trade Agreement. In this regard, we replied we are interested in relations with the governments that are on equal grounds and that in the case of the United States, a public statement voicing their interest in talking to the FARC is needed, given their eternal war against us.
Who are “the gringos” this letter mentions?
And why are they so convinced that Obama will be the next president, and that he will oppose Plan Colombia?
A search for “Colombia” on Obama’s Senate web site reveals only one reference, made March 8 of last year:
The United States has invested a great deal—nearly $5 billion during the past 7 years—to help stabilize Colombia. A more peaceful, just, and stable Colombia is undoubtedly in our national interest. It is imperative, however, that greater peace and stability contribute to a reduction in the flow of drugs from Colombia to the United States. Thus far, we have not seen the kind of drop off that the effective pursuit of our interests demands.
President Bush’s closest ally in the region—Colombian President Alvaro Uribe—is embroiled in a controversy that has led to the arrest of eight of his supporters in the Colombian Congress and his former confidant and former chief of Colombia’s secret police for ties to the country’s narco-terrorist paramilitaries. President Bush must be careful to keep the pursuit of U.S. interests in Colombia distinct from specific personalities, or personal relationships. The further consolidation of legitimate governing institutions in Colombia – and the extension of their reach throughout Colombia – are clearly in the national interest of the United States, and the interest of Colombia.
A most curious little item. Again, the letter is not yet verified, and it will be difficult to get FARC leader Reyes to confirm, as he recently assumed room temperature at the hands of the Colombian military.
UPDATE: Dan Riehl notes that Obama issued a statement....
Obama Statement on Recent Events near Colombia’s Borders - March 03, 2008 “The Colombian people have suffered for more than four decades at the hands of a brutal terrorist insurgency, and the Colombian government has every right to defend itself against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The recent targeted killing of a senior FARC leader must not be used as a pretense to ratchet up tensions or to threaten the stability of the region. The presidents of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela have a responsibility to ensure that events not spiral out of control, and to peacefully address any disputes through active diplomacy with the help of international actors.”
and a Huffington Post blogger is angry at both Hillary and Obama for being too tough on Venezuela and insufficiently critical of Colombia’s military action against FARC.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Campaign Spot Augusto says the translation is a bit off:
The translation you posted is partially incorrect ...
6. Los gringos pedirán cita con el ministro para solicitarle nos comunicara su interés en conversar estos temas. Dicen que el nuevo presidente de su país será Obama y que ellos están interesados en sus compatriotas. Obama no apoyara Plan Colombia ni firma de TLC. Aquí respondimos que nos interesan las relaciones con todos los gobiernos en igualdad de condiciones y que en el caso de Estados Unidos se requiere in pronunciamiento público expresando su interés en conversar con las Farc dada su eterna guerra con nosotros.
The universal translation says in the first sentence;
6. The gringos called for a meeting with the minister to ask him to tell us they are interested in talking about several topics.
The more correct translation is:
“The gringos will ask for a meeting with the minister to solicit him to communicate with us his interest in discussing these topics”.
The last part of the sentence is a bit hard to read without the context, but certainly the tense in the sentence is clear about “will ask or will request” a “meeting / date/ appointment”. The universal translation seems to imply a meeting has already been requested and this is not what it says at all. I also get the feeling this is a general statement about the “Americans” or the american reaction, not about a specific group of Americans.
03/04 03:14 PM