3 U.S. Hostages, Colombian Pol Are Rescued

[RINOs Gotta Go]

July 2, 2008
AP

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia freed Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. military contractors from leftist guerrillas on Wednesday after military spies tricked rebels into giving them up without a single injury, the defense minister said.

In all, the operation freed 15 hostages including Colombian soldiers and police, Juan Manuel Santos said.

The rescue is the most serious blow ever dealt to the 44-year-old Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, who considered Betancourt and the three Americans their most valuable bargaining chips.

In Paris, the French-Colombian politician's son Lorenzo Delloye-Betancourt called her release after six years of captivity, "if true, the most beautiful news of my life." There was no answer at the homes of American families of the three U.S. hostages: Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell.

MORE.

[Terri]

McCain hails benefits of free trade for Colombians

By BETH FOUHY
Associated Press
July 3, 2008

CARTAGENA, Colombia (AP) -- John McCain hailed the economic benefits of free trade to Colombians Wednesday, raising the possibility of an eventual hemispheric-wide agreement even though a weak economy at home has soured many U.S. voters on trade agreements.

The GOP presidential nominee-in-waiting also toured Colombia's largest port by speedboat to review the country's U.S.-backed drug interdiction programs, a day after he praised President Alvaro Uribe for Colombia's anti-drug efforts but pressed him to improve the government's record on human rights.

[MrJLDoug]

McCain hails benefits of free trade for Colombians

That's great John but get your butt back home and campaign where there are some votes and stop Pi**ing off the workers in the Industrial areas of the country.

But he added: "I am committed to getting every single American displaced from his or her job because of foreign competition ... a new job and a better future."

But John, These people don't want to move to Mexico, China, India, Taiwan or Bogotá Colombia. I guess with the price of gas, they can hire out as rickshaw drivers.

[Terri]

I know it's easy to just be against anything that McCain does. .

But Columbia does have strategic importance to the US and unless you are the kind of paleoconservative who thinks we can just build a fence around the country and bring nothing in and send nothing out, then trade is also the concern of the next POTUS.

Columbia is probably the best friend we have in South America and was recently under threat of iinvasion from Hugo Chavez.

One purpose of this trip is to highlight the differences between McCain's experience with foreign policy and Barack Obama's total lack of experience.

The Bush administration has been trying to pass a new treaty with Columbia for the past year but it has been blocked by Democrats. It will be interesting to see if Obama has the moxie to pay them a visit after his Party has blocked the trade treaty.

Heres some interesting articles:

Colombia FTA Critical to U.S. Strategic Interests



Colombia and Mexico: Vitally Important U.S. Allies and Trading Partners

[FlaJim]

Interesting that FARC held Betancourt for so long since, philosophically, she's in sync with their alleged principles (not the narco-terrorism part).

Doug, take a deep breath and try to see things as they actually are. McCain was in South America to promote the actions of at least two governments in their actions to throttle the drug kings. He pointedly refused to respond to questions about US domestic issues regarding the upcoming election. This wasn't a campaign hop.

The comment about Americans finding a better job is pretty much boiler plate. Should he have asked, a la Carter, that everyone hunker down and accept less? American exceptionalism has always paved the way to our prosperity and stands as a shining example to the world. We're the only country that posts fences to keep people out.

[Tiberius]

I would have to agree with someone else above that said, perhaps McClown should be in the US campaigning instead of pandering to our southern neighbors and i have to question why a presidential contender has gone to Canada and is now in South America and what does that have to do with strengthening our party unity around someone like him which unless he picks a good VP iam not voting.

[FlaJim]

Tiberius, I don't have to tell you that your course of action or inaction is idiocy. You've defined that yourself.

Perhaps you might contemplate that of all the elected representatives we have on Capitol Hill, McCain is the only one actually trying to justify his salary while running for president.

[rangerrebew]

The score is now Columbia 3, Mejico 0 in the number of hostages held and freed with the cooperation of their governments. And the politburo would rather do business with the Mejican government.

[Terri]

Let's be clear that it is the Democrats who are blocking the treaty with Columbia.

Jim, thanks for your comments in this thread. I don't know nearly as much about this as I should but at least I do realize that FARC is the terrorist group closest to our back door. It has been working with support from Hugo Chavez.

We have sent a small number, I think about 400 troops and some civilians into Columbia to train government forces and it's been very successful. Stopping FARC and keeping Hugo Chavez from using them to help him invade Columbia is very much in our self interest.

Foreign policy is definitely something that presidential candidates must be involved in. Columbia was an important stop for McCain.

Colombian Kudos

Chalk up one more antiterror win for Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, the best U.S. ally in South America.

[...]Mr. Uribe refused to abandon the hard-won gains of his military over the past six years by surrendering territory to the rebels, which was their key demand. For this he was assailed by his political adversaries and Mr. Sarkozy. Democrats in Washington also got into the act, working behind the scenes to put pressure on the Colombian government.

[Cynical Pete]

Welding another country onto the USA may work out since there is a movement to make illicit drugs legal. We need another friend to add along with Germany, France, Turkey and Spain as we see in the war with al Quaida.