Ingrid Betancourt freed - FARC duped

Submitted by catchy on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 12:32am. Tags:

Foreign Affairs

I'm thrilled for her, the three released Americans, and the other 11 former hostages. The FARC are really against the wall these days and appear disorganized.

[UPDATE: EMBARRASSINGLY, THIS DIARY MAY HAVE NO PT.

DESPITE RECOLLECTIONS TO THE CONTRARY, I CAN ONLY FIND ARTICLES REFERRING TO THE LIBERATING COLOMBIANS AS 'POSING AS MEMBERS OF A FICTITIOUS *NGO*' AND NOT AS 'MEMBERS OF AN *INTERNATIONAL AID ORGANIZATION*'.

APOLOGIES IF I MISREAD EARLIER REPORTS.]

I think I'm glad the US assisted Colombia in this operation where military operatives disguised themselves as members of a fictitious international aid organization. But the reporting I've read (NY Times + Guardian) has focused entirely on positive pronouncements from Bush, Sarkozy + Uribe w. no comment from actual international aid organizations or consideration of the 700 captives still held by FARC. Undoubtedly they are much less likely to receive medical attention after this latest dupe.

I think a case could be made that this is still justified, particularly since FARC has been weakened greatly lately and these are some of their most high-profile hostages. So arguably the operation is likely to be a net benefit to those in captivity.

Still, why isn't the potential downside of this op being covered?
--

catchy's blog
Login or register to post comments

catchy (#101269)

by Macallan on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 11:38am

"disguised themselves as members of a fictitious international aid organization"

I had heard, perhaps falsely, that they'd posed as FARC dudes with some in Che chic t-shirts.

“I serve as a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their own views.”

(

)

Goodness (#101286)

by catchy on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 1:00pm

All the online articles have changed since I read them last night.

Certainly the Colombians posed as NGO members:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7486552.stm

I thought I read somewhere that the hostages were being transported in part b/c they were ill. Maybe I assumed the Columbians posed as members of an NGO dedicated to providing aid to the sick?

Anyway, I think I better edit the diary. I just don't know what to say for myself other than ... Thanks + hello, Mac!

(

| parent )

See later BBC story (#101289)

by Macallan on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 1:18pm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7486896.stm

The helicopter did the posing using a fictitious NGO, which is probably where the earlier reporting got the idea that the operatives were pretending to be aid workers.

I wouldn't blame yourself for the errors of news organizations rushing stories to air.

EDIT - Interesting that the FARC guerillas had no trouble believing that their comrades would arrive in an NGO's helicopter.

“I serve as a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their own views.”

(

| parent )

mebbe they changed their tune (#101346)

by catchy on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 9:35pm

or mebbe I misread them.

We'll never know.

... Interesting that the FARC guerillas had no trouble believing that their comrades would arrive in an NGO's helicopter

Agreed. Also interesting that Col. has been breaking FARC just as Chavez was increasing support.

(

| parent )

Dunno About The T-Shirts. . . (#101272)

by M Scott Eiland on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 11:49am

. . .but a check of Google News on this seems ambiguous as to whether any "phony aid workers" were involved. Personally, I'm hoping the rescue didn't involve said fake aid workers, as that would make it far more likely that what is left of FARC will turn on each other out of paranoia and run up a nice internal body count.

(

| parent )

Those were more or less my first thoughts too. (#101245)

by nyoos junkey on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 3:46am

I'm delighted for those freed of course but ...

(

)

Ok, I'm on board now. (#101236)

by Punditus Maximus on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 1:51am

Uribe looks like the real thing. I had my doubts before, and this really served to clear them up.

It's impossible to debate if people simply hold beliefs that have no grounding in reality.

(

)

what do you mean by 'the real thing'? (#101240)

by catchy on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 2:05am

(

| parent )

Competent and capable of inspiring excellence. -nt- (#101283)

by Punditus Maximus on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 12:45pm

It's impossible to debate if people simply hold beliefs that have no grounding in reality.

(

| parent )

some have been questioning the timing of this (#101345)

by catchy on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 9:34pm

Uribe's showdown with the Supreme Court was just around the corner.

Plus it's timing pretty nicely w. McCain's visit + 'briefing'.

Meaning, what's happened to your penchant for viewing foreign affairs in terms of domestic politics???

You used to be so reliable!

(

| parent )

Of course it has to do with domestic politics. (#101464)

by Punditus Maximus on Fri, 07/04/2008 - 6:34pm

That doesn't change the fact that it was still quite the coup. The thing about pulling off something impressive at a particular time is that you have to be capable of pulling off something impressive. It's the opposite of current conservative approaches, where incompetence is not only tolerated, it is lauded.

It's impossible to debate if people simply hold beliefs that have no grounding in reality.

(

| parent )

The remaining 700 aren't American (#101229)

by HankP on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 12:47am

if they were, you'd hear tremendous complaints about the operation.

I blame it all on the Internet

(

)

Recent Diaries