[NYTr] NY Times' Romero on the newly released videos and photos of FARC prisoners Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:44:36 -0600 (CST) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Simon Romero's lead of course is that the Colombian Govt "seized" the video and photos while capturiing 3 FARC guerrillas who were trying to deliver them to Venezuela. CNN had already shown the videos in broadcasts, and The Guardian reported the story as well. Apparently the Colombian Govt were the ones who released the videos to the media, including CNN. There is one photo at the URL below on the Times website of the French hostage Ingrid Betancourt. The three yanquis are mercenaries, called "contractors" in most mainstream reports. Pity the poor FARC couriers who got grabbed by Uribe's thugs. It's not at all clear what Uribe thinks he's doing -- he scuttles the talks and then releases optimistic evidence about the prisoners' being alive and unhurt, which only emerged because of Chavez's efforts.-NYTr] Earlier articles on this development here: VIO news excerpts on Colombia Hostage, Freeze with Venez - Nov 30, 2007 http://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/Week-of-Mon-20071126/072332.html The New Yoek Times - Nov 30, 2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/01/world/americas/01colombia.html Colombia Seizes Videos of Hostages By SIMON ROMERO CARACAS, Venezuela, Nov. 30 b Colombiabs government said today that its army had captured three guerrillas carrying videos, photographs and letters containing proof that more than 15 captives, including three American military contractors and Ingrid Betancourt, a former presidential candidate, were still alive recently. The evidence obtained Thursday night in BogotC!, Colombiabs capital, offers new hope for the relatives of the hostages, who are believed to be held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. Several of them have been held in the groupbs jungle camps for nearly a decade. Ms. Betancourt, who was kidnapped in 2002 and holds Colombian and French citizenship, appeared gaunt and apparently chained but clearly alive in the images released today. bThis will encourage us to redouble our efforts to obtain her release,b President Nicolas Sarkozy of France said to reporters today in the southern French city of Nice. Clips of the seized videos broadcast on Colombian television showed the three Americans, Thomas Howes, Marc Gonsalves and Keith Stansell, who were captured in 2003 when their plane went down in the Colombian jungle. The videos of the three men were made in late October, Colombian officials said. The last available evidence that Ms. Betancourt and the three Americans were alive was from 2003. Images and letters were also discovered related to the survival of more than a dozen captured members of Colombian security forces and Luis Eladio PC)rez, a senator kidnapped in 2001. The information came a week after the Colombian president, Clvaro Uribe, withdrew his support for President Hugo ChC!vez of Venezuelabs mediating role with the FARC, a Marxist-inspired insurgency that has been at war with Colombiabs government for the last 40 years. Mr. ChC!vez had a herobs welcome in Colombia after his mediation efforts began in August, but disappointment followed when he visited Mr. Sarkozy in France this month without proof that any of the FARCbs 45 or so political captives were alive. The FARC has asked for the release of about 500 imprisoned guerrillas in exchange for the hostages. Piedad CC3rdoba, a Colombian senator who had been assisting Mr. ChC!vez in the FARC talks, said the evidence released today was en route to be delivered to the Venezuelan leader. bThe mediation of President ChC!vez was being done with responsibility, with seriousness,b Ms. CC3rdoba said in an interview with Telesur, the pan-Latin American news network based here. The images and writings of the captives were obtained in a raid carried out by army investigators at a hotel Thursday in the southern area of BogotC!. Three people were taken into custody on kidnapping and rebellion charges. Prosecutors said one of the detainees, Humberto MontaC1a Valencia, led an urban cell of the FARC. The writings released today included a letter by Ms. Betancourt to her mother, Yolanda Pulecio, and a will written by Mr. Howes, one of the American captives, both dated in October. Mr. Howes and the two other Americans were employees of Northrop Grumman, a military contractor, at the time of their capture in 2003. American companies have established a large military contracting apparatus in Colombia, and they reap part of the $600 million in aid the United States sends to that country each year. Colombia is the largest recipient of American aid the hemisphere thanks to that aid, most of which is intended to combat drug trafficking and leftist guerrillas. Photographs of the Americans and the other captives showed them against a thick jungle backdrop, making their whereabouts hard to determine. The image of Mr. Howes, for instance, shows him standing in a clearing, wearing rubber boots and a black T-shirt. A guerrilla holding a machine gun can be seen standing behind him. Colombia, which is about the size of California and Texas combined, has vast areas where the FARC and a smaller rebel group, the National Liberation Army, operate with relative ease. But the capture of the three rebels in BogotC! illustrates the success Mr. Uribebs administration has had in improving security in large cities, despite recent reports that FARC intelligence operatives had infiltrated the armed forces. Some relatives of the captives pleaded with Mr. Uribe to allow Mr. ChC!vez to reinitiate his mediating role, but such a move was ruled out by Colombian officials after a bitter feud between the leaders in recent days. Mr. ChC!vez said this week that he would sever ties with Colombiabs government as long as Mr. Uribe remained president. While family members were relieved at the evidence that their loved ones were recently alive, they also expressed exasperation about the chances of seeing them freed. bPresident ChC!vez should be permitted to reassume his mediation,b said Juan Carlos Lecompte, Ms. Betancourtbs husband. bHe was making progress, as one can now see.b [Jenny Carolina GonzC!lez contributed reporting from BogotC!.] Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company * ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us Our main website: http://www.blythe.org List Archives: http://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ Subscribe: http://blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr =================================================================