Free Republic

July 3, 2008 Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said Colombian military intelligence managed to infiltrate the top hierarchy of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and arrange for a transfer of hostages purportedly to be handed over to Alfonso Cano, the rebel group's top leader. A government mole arranged for the hostages to be brought from three locations to one camp, then taken to a helicopter the FARC believed belonged to a friendly aid group that would take the hostages to Cano. Instead, the chopper was a military helicopter piloted by intelligence officers who whisked a total of 15 hostages...

Live breaking report at CNN En Español. Just a heads up in the website for now. Colombia's president Alvaro Uribe has just rejected Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez' mediation with the FARC narco-guerrillas on the release of the French hostages. It seems as if Hugo Chavez tried to meddle in the affairs of Colombia's armed forces. A senator named Pilar Cordoba made a phone call to General Montoya, Chief of Staff of the Colombia Armed Forces, and then put Hugo Chavez on the line. General Montoya first evaded Chavez and then terminated the call and informed his superiors of the situation....