Betancourt: Rescue in Colombia was impeccable

Colombian spies tricked leftist rebels into handing over kidnapped presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. military contractors Wednesday in a daring helicopter rescue so successful that not a single shot was fired.

[Tooth4U]

LOL...... just in time for McCains visit and the renewal of the Bush Columbia deal that was trounced a few weeks ago. How interesting.

[Sneed Hearn]

This should have been resolved 5 minutes after it started. The U.S. is too weak in these matters. We should make it known that those who take US citizens captive will pay, and pay dearly. As a matter of fact we should be bombing the hell out of these so-called rebels right now, just to send a message.

[Miyamoto Musashi]

More interesting is the observed and repeated reality that Topix people CHOOSE to minimize coverage of an uplifting story about hostages held for five and six years gaining freedom, but give prominence to stories degrading America whenever possible. A new news story regarding freedom from terrorists takes the back seat to old, slyly distorted news stories about waterboarding. Topix is becoming almost as predictable in their Left-leaning as Yahoo! was.

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Tooth4U wrote:

LOL...... just in time for McCains visit and the renewal of the Bush Columbia deal that was trounced a few weeks ago. How interesting.

[Californio]

Tooth4U wrote:

LOL...... just in time for McCains visit and the renewal of the Bush Columbia deal that was trounced a few weeks ago. How interesting.

You are right FARC is obviously a Republican grouup.(

[yeah]

Great news!!! I love the part about the Gov Troops disguising themselves in Che shirts!! Ha-ha,,Che is rolling in his grave!!!

[Bluebonnets-This tle]

Tooth4U wrote:

LOL...... just in time for McCains visit and the renewal of the Bush Columbia deal that was trounced a few weeks ago. How interesting.

LOL indeed, we go in somewhere and get trounced for that. We don't go in somewhere else and the administration gets trounced for that.

Be consistent, it happend on President Bush's watch, so he should get credit!!

Make up your minds!!!

[MDP]

Bush should get ZERO credit. It was not his watch either. This was the work of President Uribe, on HIS watch - and W could learn some lessons on how to run a country from him, except by our great fortune, W will never again "run" a country. You see, he never learned to spell and he always thought there was an "I" in "run" between the "u" and the "n". The rest is history.

I believe W spells Colombia like most people do as well, with a "U". Go figure...

[Miyamoto Musashi]

It seems some Stalinist censor deleted the post, so here it is again... Maybe they should be clearer in their Terms of Service.

More interesting is the observed and repeated reality that Topix people CHOOSE to minimize coverage of an uplifting story about hostages held for five and six years gaining freedom, but give prominence to stories degrading America whenever possible. A new news story regarding freedom from terrorists takes the back seat to old, slyly distorted news stories about waterboarding. Topix is becoming almost as predictable in their Left-leaning as Yahoo! was.

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Tooth4U wrote:

LOL...... just in time for McCains visit and the renewal of the Bush Columbia deal that was trounced a few weeks ago. How interesting.

[Concerned Citizens]

When the hell are the Columbians going to get rid of their drug kingpins and Leftist extremists? When are we going to start doing what is necessary and start executing our own drug dealers?

[Little No Name]

They were kidnapped 6 years ago. This should have been resolved 6 years ago.

[MDP]

I wish it could've been resolved 6 years ago for Ingrid and the Colombian soldiers and 5 years ago for the U.S. contractors. Logistics prevented that, and I'm sure all the hostages are glad they had to wait to be rescued alive, rather than not wait and end up dead.

The way this was pulled off? I don't think it would've been possible with Marulanda still in control of FARC and he died this past March. After that I believe the ball was in play to get them out.

[coolncrazy]

The story is really exciting. But that's really happen:

Colombian rebels paid $20 mln to free Betancourt - Swiss media

Colombian rebels received a $20 million ransom for the "staged" release of 15 hostages, including former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. citizens, Swiss media reported Friday.

Betancourt, 46, who holds dual French-Colombian citizenship, had been the focus of an international campaign since her capture in 2002 by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, with leaders including the French president attempting to negotiate her release.

"The release of the 15 hostages for a high ransom was first negotiated, and after that a rescue operation was staged," Radio Suisse Romande reported, citing an anonymous source.

According to official reports, Betancourt, the three U.S. citizens and 11 Colombians were freed from captivity Wednesday after undercover Colombian military intelligence officers infiltrated the FARC command structure and convinced the local commander that they were taking the hostages by helicopter to FARC's leader Alfonso Cano.

After landing near a military base in Guaviare, the helicopter was surrounded by military commandos and the rebels on board surrendered without putting up armed resistance.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, whose father was killed by FARC insurgents, and who has consistently refused to make any compromises with the group, said: "This was an intelligence operation comparable with the greatest epics of human history, but without a drop of blood being spilled, without one weapon being fired."

Swiss media reported that the staged "rescue operation" allowed Columbian President Alvaro Uribe to improve his political image in the country after his authority had been seriously undermined by allegations that his re-election was a result of a rigged campaign.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20080704/113153476.ht...

[yeah]

coolncrazy wrote:

The story is really exciting. But that's really happen:
Colombian rebels paid $20 mln to free Betancourt - Swiss media
Colombian rebels received a $20 million ransom for the "staged" release of 15 hostages, including former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. citizens, Swiss media reported Friday.
Betancourt, 46, who holds dual French-Colombian citizenship, had been the focus of an international campaign since her capture in 2002 by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, with leaders including the French president attempting to negotiate her release.
"The release of the 15 hostages for a high ransom was first negotiated, and after that a rescue operation was staged," Radio Suisse Romande reported, citing an anonymous source.

This has already been discredited as an attempt by very embarrassed "FARCsters anonymous sources" desperately trying to save their sad sack image.

[DAG]

What is big deal? She was advised not to travel on the road where she was kidnapped. I am happy she was rescued but she created the mess herself (very smart woman - just like Bhutto)

[Jeugenen]

URIBE’S WONDERFUL HOSTAGE SHOW
The wonderful Columbian Hostage Show accomplished was it was intended to accomplish: Columbian redemption in America hearts. Give horrible Uribe credit for making fools of his American critics.

[Just A Gigolo]

Very good staging. Gosh, just like in the movies. She should have worn more makeup though. Some scars. Some rings about her heck.

If this babe was chained by the neck and starved, then I'm Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Not to be believed by this old country boy.