Posted on 07/17/2003 2:00:01 PM PDT by HAL9000
3 US hostages gathered with the "prisoners of war" of the FARC (guerrilla)
The three Americans removed by the FARC on February 13 in the south of Colombia were gathered "with the prisoners of war" of this guerrilla, according to a text diffused Thursday on Internet by Red Resistencia, near to the revolutionary Forces armed with Colombia (FARC).
Employed by the American Defence Department, the three men had been sequestered after their Cessna-208 single-engined aircraft had been cut down in full flight by the FARC close to Florencia, to 600 km in the south of Bogota, at the time of an anti-drug operation.
Two other passengers, a Colombian and an American, had been carried out by their kidnappers, according to the Colombian authorities.
The three hostages "were gathered with the Colombian prisoners of war and the others (sequestered)" concerned with" the proposal for an exchange against the guérilleros held in the prisons "of Colombia, reveals Red Resistencia, which publishes the official statements of the FARC.
The same text reiterates the opposition of the rebels to an exchange of prisoners with Washington, already made public on last 3 March. The United States "does not have to interfere itself this exchange", affirms Red Resistencia.
These removals are the first of employees of the American government, whereas the civil war already made more than 200.000 died, with an average of 3.000 removals per annum since 1964.
Political blackjacks hostages, whose former candidate of the Greens to the presidential Colombians, Ingrid Betancourt, the three Americans, 47 officers of the local army and 800 civil have been always captive FARC, some for more than five years, in the Colombian jungle.
Since the signature in 2000 of the anti-drug Colombia Plan, extended to the combat against the rebels in July 2002, the United States did not cease increasing their assistance to Bogota, of an amount of more than two billion dollars.
This support includes the presence in the Andean country of 400 military advisers and 400 civil advisers, as well as the delivery of 79 helicopters for the eradication of the coke by air fumigation of weedkillers.
Colombia remains the first world producer of cocaine, with nearly 700 tons per annum, past primarily in the United States and in Europe.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.