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Colombia rescues Betancourt, 3 US hostages

reuters.com — * Betancourt, 3 Americans, 11 other hostages rescued * Military infiltrated, tricked guerrillas * U.S. ex-hostages land in United States By Hugh Bronstein BOGOTA, July 2 (Reuters) - Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. hostages held...

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  • kuz2r, on 07/03/2008, -1/+36Ingrid Betancourt is free after 6 years, amazing operation.
    • jasz, on 07/04/2008, -0/+3I'm glad this made it to the front page... I submitted it as soon as it happened (I happened to be listening to the radio when it happened).. but I'm just not too popular here :P

      In any case, this news fills with joy the hearts of thousands of colombians (me included). Check out the CNN videos section to hear (in English) the tale of how she was rescued, it's amazing! not a single bullet was fired!

      Other interesting links:
      Soldiers and police offers reuniting with their families:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W2XJ9m4u6U

      Ingrid telling the story of her rescue (1st part - in Spanish)
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDnxPCFqGjE

      Part 2:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AkU6mesU6A

      It is a good day to be a Colombian, I'm proud of my president, and I'm proud of our army! At this rate, I am willing to vote for a third re-election of Uribe!
  • dagorret, on 07/03/2008, -13/+4She was a symbol.
    6 years is a long time.
    But it was a presidential candidate when he was caught.

    The ideas are not enclosed in the depths of the jungle.
    The ideas are "kill" with more ideas.

    Depriving the freedom to carry out an "idea" can not take place in global society today.
    And less, much less when the hijackers are simple criminals. There were "guerrillas" with a cause of justice for its people. (Nor do I share that the weapons serve to win a case).

    PS: USA is the largest consumer of drugs worldwide.
  • djturtlep, on 07/03/2008, -0/+20Great news! It will be a day long remembered by her family.
  • usernamed, on 07/03/2008, -1/+37Why isn't this getting more Diggs? Am I the only one to find this rescue awesome?

    http://tinyurl.com/5qnzdd
    ----

    The hostages, who had been divided in three groups, were taken to a rendezvous with two disguised MI-17 helicopters piloted by Colombian military agents — one on the ground, the other hovering above. The choppers were painted white, without insignias.

    Betancourt said her hands and feet were bound, which she called "humiliating."

    At first she thought the pilots — a crew of four with nine "assistants" dressed in white — were from a relief organization. Then she saw their Che Guevara shirts and assumed they were rebels.

    Only when they were airborne did she notice that Cesar, who had treated her so cruelly for so many years, was naked and blindfolded on the floor.

    "The chief of the operation said, `We're the national army. You're free,'" she said. "The helicopter almost fell from the sky because we were jumping up and down, yelling, crying, hugging one another. We couldn't believe it."
    • rubaaan, on 07/04/2008, -0/+17the story was nuts!
      some of the hostages were captured in 1998!!! CAN YOU IMAGINE?!
      10 ***** years in a jungle with no communication to the outside world.

      at least in jail you get visits and know whats going on in the world. 10 years of being oblivious to everything going on. wait till they see the iphone and flat panel tvs. crazy stuff.
    • vexingmodstwo, on 07/04/2008, -0/+5I was wondering the same thing. I'm glad a story finally made it to the front page about this.

  • SmellyFingers, on 07/04/2008, -16/+1

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  • Fremen93, on 07/04/2008, -2/+10Its just hard to believe that they kept her for 6 years in the jungle...that's just unbelievably cruel. I mean, what the hell were they waiting for??
    • rubaaan, on 07/04/2008, -0/+14some of the ones rescued have been there since 98.
  • rz8472, on 07/04/2008, -2/+7The Columbian government has its share of problems, but FARC is just ***** up. I read in the SF Chronicle once that they fill their mortar shells with semen as a 'crude chemical weapon'
    • alphgeek, on 07/04/2008, -0/+6A/ Wow they must have BIG cojones.

      B/ It must be dull as ***** hanging around in the jungle for years.
  • EclipseGSX, on 07/04/2008, -0/+7It really is an amazing story. Read more than just this article... there are some much better ones explaining the entire history. This will be a movie sometime in the near future.
  • loconet, on 07/04/2008, -2/+11Please, let this be the thread where everyone learns that it's COLOMBIA and COLOMBIAN not Columbia nor Columbian.

    Having said that, fantastic work by the Colombian armed forces to pull this off. Their families must be very happy.
  • Barackalypse, on 07/04/2008, -3/+13Sorry Hugo Chavez, even with all the resources you're funneling to FARC freedom wills out yet again.
    • SugarCoatedSalt, on 07/04/2008, -2/+6Don't forget Ecuador as well.
      • pintomp3, on 07/04/2008, -4/+2that might have had something to do with colombia invading ecuador.
        http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/t ...
      • SugarCoatedSalt, on 07/04/2008, -1/+3trust me I know that. but isn't it so freaking Obvious Ecuador is cooperating with FARC along with Venezuela and then playing the innocent card, then threatening to go to an all out war, where the Dominican Republic had to intervene in order to stop them.
  • mrhedges, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1Wow, imagine what Putin would have done in this situation.
  • kidlover69, on 07/04/2008, -1/+4Probably used Hot Topic Che shirts...
  • captric, on 07/04/2008, -15/+6Guess what – the hostages were rescued by American Special Forces trained troops. The CIA provided “sigint” – and for you Canadians and French Fags who know nothing about the military, intelligence, or science – that is short for signal intelligence. No thanks to you druggies, who help supply money to the FARC terrorists, for making it nearly impossible to find these hostages. No thanks to you idiots who think of Hugo Chavez as a hero for standing up to the US (laughable) because he was proven to be involved in the keeping and handling of the hostages. Another score for military intelligence and the CIA who got to capture and examine the hard drive of the FARC commander who died of a heart attack and left his laptop behind. Every French citizen should reevaluate his attitude towards the US because it was AMERICANS who saved the asses of your women who were hostages. Every creepy drug and pothead should be humbled by the knowledge that your activity helps keep terrorists in business providing a source of income and a market for their illegal products. In fact, it is your fault that the Drug Interdiction subcontractors were in Columbia in the first place, exposed to capture and ransom after the engine on their airplane failed forcing them to land in FARC territory. Score another win for the GOOD GUYS, the US MILITARY, the US GOVERNMENT, the CIA and the fantastic Special Operations People that this country produces. Go cry in your beer all you Canadians, French and Drug heads because it is a shameful day for you and your ilk.
    • ufia, on 07/04/2008, -2/+6A troll is a troll, and a troll calling himself an ex Marine is a pretty good indicator he never was one. I think this is self explanatory. Nice trolling there, kiddo.
      • captric, on 07/04/2008, -6/+2But then - what would some guy who lives in his parents basement and smokes dope know about the marines??? You must be a ***** Canadian!!
      • captric, on 07/04/2008, -6/+1But then - what would some Canadian fag dope addict know about the marines - you might know something aout trolls from personal experience but i doubt you know anything about the US Marines or Mil Intel.
    • alphgeek, on 07/04/2008, -1/+5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paragraph

    • GodelEscherBach, on 07/04/2008, -2/+3DUGG!!! Who dugg this guy down? It's a bit disturbing, but this guy is either in the business (SIGINT, HUMINT, IMINT) or just made a few good assumptions. He seems to have the inside scoop and uhh. . . spilled the beans here. . .

      FWIW, I don't think giving the US some credit is in anyway discrediting the amazing job the Colombians did.

      1) Colombian personnel were used because it would be extremely disagreeable to the American public if American lives were lost in a covert operation in South America. Believe it or not, there were lessons learned in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. (Let the locals fight their own war, but give them a non-violent hand b/c there are Americans down there too. Then, give the locals credit so that America does not appear hegemonious or heavy-handed.)

      2) We need a strong independent ally in South America that is seen as tough on drug cartels. If the US were to take any credit whatsoever for this operation, this would show weakness in the Colombian government military. This cannot happen because of Hugo Chavez in the bordering country of Venezuela. We need an ally, not a puppet. A strong government is one that the people believe in. That cannot happen if it appears that the Americans were pulling strings.

      The US sits in a very fragile position right now in terms of international relations. I'm not about to comment on the Bush presidency, but thank god there is/are some analyst(s) working in the US government right now who has his/her head(s) screwed on straight.
      • captric, on 07/04/2008, -1/+1You are correct all points and everything I have said is available to the public in The NY Times - Wall Street Journal and San Francisco Chronicle and Chicago Tribune. You offer good and truthful insight however. My motivation is to give the relentless anti American Canadians and others a little insight into their own misguided and nationalistic jealousy. America can be your best friend or your worst enemy - the choice is yours. Here is a perfect example of a 5 1/2 years operation involving multiple US Federal Agencies including the military,NSA and CIA and cost upwards of 250 million dollars. The US was the only country in the world that could have pulled off an operation of this magnitude and it was other countries citizens who benefited the most. Only 3 of the 15 captives were American. They were repatriated form a group of ignorant jungle thugs who summarily shot 2 of the people outright on their initial capture. No pansy water boarding by these guys - the FARC is finished and it is the US who is most responsible, along with the Colombians they diligently and professionally trained.
    • ptanonimo, on 07/04/2008, -2/+2Th French almost rescued her once, but the operation failed due to brazilian Faggotry.
      Being the ***** he is, Chavez will eventually be part of the solution for the FARC problem as a whole.
  • DDMX, on 07/04/2008, -10/+1How many of the 750 remaining hostages will be killed in retaliation of this rescue?
  • daxsymbiont, on 07/04/2008, -1/+7they'll make a movie on it.
    • specialK16, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1Hopefully, that ***** was fantastic.
  • chicoer2001, on 07/04/2008, -1/+7Great job by the Colombian Army. And no blood was shed.
  • vexingmodstwo, on 07/04/2008, -1/+6I really really hope that the reason this story isn't getting more diggs has nothing to do with FARC being communists.
  • sa9e, on 07/04/2008, -5/+5Colombia frees long-held US hostages in a daring raid. Meanwhile, the Democrat controlled Congress refuses to acknowledge the leadership of Uribe and the efforts of Colombians to combat Hugo Chavez' influence, by refusing to open free trade.
    • jasz, on 07/04/2008, -1/+4I support Obama and the Democrat party, but this is the only issue I disagree with him/them.

      The Free Trade Agreement will be of benefit to both US and Colombian workers; I want Obama to become president, but moreover I want him (Obama) to understand that the Colombian government DOES protect its people and that this agreement will bring more jobs to both American and Colombian workers, it's a win-win situation.

      Unfortunately, entities like FARC and the paramilitary groups blur out the reality about the Colombian government.

      Digg me down if you believe I'm lying, but ask any Colombian and they'll tell you how proud we are of our government since Uribe became president. Over 85% of the Colombian population supports the president, more than any other president in the history of the country, way more than the percentage of americans that support Bush these days.

  • slythic, on 07/04/2008, -0/+8Dugg for getting COLOMBIA spelled right in the title. It's about damn time.
  • pintomp3, on 07/04/2008, -4/+4i'de like to farc her:
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/Farc ...
  • wishninja, on 07/04/2008, -3/+1I hope they can kill off the FARC but because the drug war is still a big fat failure, and yet the USA still insist on continuing that failed policy; I think something else will take its place. The something else is usually worse.
  • darthsand, on 07/04/2008, -1/+0woo woo!
  • jpop, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1Kudos for the Colombian military. Jeers for the media that has to blab every single detail on how it was done so that any collaborators can be murdered and the same methodology can't be used again in the future...
  • SaladCactusKing, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2That was so ***** cool.
  • ptanonimo, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1A great woman, an horrible ordeal.
  • ptanonimo, on 07/04/2008, -1/+1This only happened because the guerrilla is collapsing.
    • specialK16, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1Naturally, and that doesn't take any credit out of the operation since it FARC is collapsing thanks to the Colombian Army.
  • willskillz, on 07/04/2008, -4/+3how come nobodies mentioning the private military contractors that were also imprisoned w/ that chick? i wanna know what they were doing down there in the first place.... were they blackwater?? and why did that cia plane with tons of cocaine aboard crash recently? http://focused.org/misc/4413-plane-crashed-yucatan ...
  • liuite, on 07/06/2008, -1/+1now they have screwed over the rest of the kidnapped people since FARC will make it harder for humanitarian groups to work with them.
  • govsucks, on 07/07/2008, -1/+1Tree swinging collectivist farc = PWNs
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