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Details of hostage rescue operation clarified by source

Submitted July 4, 2008 - 1:33 pm by Bill Conroy

The source of information for the Narco News story published last night about the hostage rescue in Colombia this past Wednesday contacted us to clarify a few details about the operation.

A total of two helicopters were involved in the rescue mission; however, one of those helicopters, for logistical reasons, did not land at the meeting place where the hostages were being held, the source says. The second helicopter was held back, on the ground, at a nearby location.

The helicopter that did land at the site in Colombia where the 15 hostages were gathered under FARC guard contained a total of 13 people - one nurse, one medical doctor, and 11 crew and military personnel (all disguised as humanitarian workers). The source says some of those 13 people were Colombians.

However, the source still maintains that up to six of those 13 individuals were U.S. special-operations personnel, as reported previously, and that the entire operation was carried out with the active involvement of the U.S. military in cooperation with the Colombian government.

The source also clarifies that the cover for the rescue mission was a joint French and Swiss humanitarian group.

The source adds that for political reasons, in order to justify all the U.S. military aid now going to Colombia, the Bush administration has been steadfast in pushing a media narrative purporting that the rescue operation was carried out completely by the Colombian government.

The New York Times published a story yesterday revealing that its sources claim the Defense Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Special Operations Command did provide at least surveillance assistance in the effort to rescue the hostages. The Times story also states that the newspaper's sources requested anonymity "because they were not authorized to speak on the record and the Bush administration was adamant about giving the Colombians the credit."

 

 

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