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Haaretz Reports "dozens of Israeli security experts" Involved in Betancourt Rescue

Posted by Okke Ornstein - July 5, 2008 at 8:42 pm

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that Israeli security experts working for a private security firm, Global CST, owned by former General Staff operations chief, Brigadier General (res.) Israel Ziv, and Brigadier (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, were involved in the operation to rescue high-profile hostage Ingrid Betancourt from the FARC rebel group:

"It's a Colombian Entebbe operation," Ziv said Thursday when he returned from Bogota. "Both regarding its national and international importance. Betancourt has become a symbol of the struggle against international terror. This is an amazing operation that wouldn't shame any army or special forces anywhere in the world."

Asked about the Israeli involvement in it Ziv said there is "no need to exaggerate."

"We don't want to take credit for something we didn't do," a company source said. "We helped them prepare themselves to fight terror. We helped them to plan operations and strategies and develop intelligence sources. That's quite a bit, but shouldn't be taken too far."

Israelis may not have taken part in the rescue, but they advised and guided, sold equipment and intelligence technology.

The Israeli involvement began a year and a half ago, when Colombia asked Israel for help in its struggle against FARC, which had become a militia specializing in kidnapping civilians and military figures for ransom and drug trading.

Israel has over the years sold Colombia planes, drones, weapons and intelligence systems. At the Defense Ministry's suggestion, Global CST won the $10 million contract to work with Colombia.

Note that although Ziv denies taking part in the actual rescue, he also mentions planning of "operations and strategies" and "develop intelligence sources". The downplaying of actual involvement is consistent with what the Americans are doing as one may conclude reading The New York Times story and comparing it to Bill Conroy's article based on an inside source.

So, could it be that we have here an Israeli designed and US executed "counter-kidnap" operation with Colombians offering a helping hand?

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