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Tuesday 28 October 2008, San José, Costa
Rica
U.S. Admits Support For
Rescuing Colombia's
Former Senator
BOGOTA - The U.S.
ambassador to Colombia
Monday said his country
had offered logistic and
intelligence support to
Colombia in the rescue
of former Senator Oscar
Lizcano, who was
kidnapped by the
Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC)
some eight years ago.
"We offered some support
on transportation and of
course on intelligence,"
William Brownfield, the
U.S. ambassador, said in
a radio broadcast in
Colombia.
Washington has supplied
Colombian President
Alvaro Uribe with
billions of U.S. dollars
in aid to battle FARC
and the drug trade that
finances the rebels.
The ambassador hailed
the release of Lizcano
and urged other
countries to assist
Colombia in the battle.
Lizcano was listed among
FARC's "exchangeable"
hostages. Another 15
hostages of the same
type had been freed in a
surprise military
operation in July, in
which the United States
was also allegedly
involved.
The Colombian government
denied the U.S.
participation in July's
operation, saying it had
persuaded FARC
commanders to transfer
some hostages to an
international
humanitarian mission.
Three U.S. militaries,
11 Colombian soldiers
and former presidential
candidate Ingrid
Betancourt were rescued
in July. |
