FARC kidnaps 3 Americans: Bush sends more troops

[DuncanK]

That is a US government source. I just put it there for people to reference. I wasn't using it to make a point. If you have a better one, hopefully not biased, then provide it instead of just getting exited. Getting excited doesn't do anything.

btw, the US has supported terrorism in the past too in civil wars. We can't just start calling leftist groups in Latin America terrorists when we have a history of supporting rightwing groups who have also commited acts of terrorism.

edit: Oops, I thought it was a government site. It's actually a bipartisan think tanks website

[Lefty Scaevola]

Originally posted by Azazel
I hope that everyone agrees that these are CIA operatives, right?

They are the agency normal handling that sort of surveilance mission when there is not a combat force deployed, but sometimes they will be done by military personel, Atmey ir Air Force.

[Lefty Scaevola]

FARC has been on the USA list of terror forces to exterpate for some time, the only limitation thus far on USA forces doing so is how much USA involment the Columbian goverment is going to allow.

FARC first of second financial source has been kidnap for ransom.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Lefty Scaevola
FARC has been on the USA list of terror forces to exterpate for some time, the only limitation thus far on USA forces doing so is how much USA involment the Columbian goverment is going to allow.

Despite the constant lying about narco-terrorists, I think most Americans would be extremely unhappy about the US getting more involved in fighting the FARC and ELN. Too much like Vietnam for comfort.

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by DanS
Also, I think we should take the administration at face value on this. The US will give help anywhere that it is needed and wanted in order to curtail the threat of global terrorism.

Sorry DanS. The US does nothing about the rightwing terrorists in Columbia either does the Columbian government who is supported by the US.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by DanS
Also, I think we should take the administration at face value on this.

We should never take the US government at face value. It lies to us whenever it feels its necessary. The US government is not a credible source.

[DuncanK]

Besides the fact that the US is ideologically opposed to FARC, there is also oil there that the US companies would like to get to. We could see much more US involvement in Columbia if Bush decides that we need more oil coming from Latin America.

[chequita guevara]

Actually, it's just a pipline.

[JCG]

Colombian potential oil reserves are known to have been overestimated over the years, and in any case they are lower than Venezuela's, for that matter.

Further DuncanK, notice how calling the AUC terrorists comes so naturally to you, but it's incredibly hard to get you to call the FARC terrorists. It's not only the U.S. government that can use different standards, you know...

And saying the Colombian government does "nothing" against the paramilitaries is not exact. They may do much less, after all the AUC is not trying to bring it down and they are smaller than the guerrillas, but they do kill, arrest and prosecute some of them when there's a chance.

Even HRW, of all people, admits that the government *is* going after more paramilitaries now than it did in earlier years, when they were much closer associates. Of course there are still officers within the military that consciously cooperate with the AUC, but then again corruption is a common thing among all sides, including the FARC.

(And yes, I've got family living there, in case anyone else is wondering).

[DuncanK]

Oh, right Che. They want to protect the current flow or make more flow.

[DuncanK]

JCG,

From what I have read the AUC executes more civilians than the left wing groups. They are more easily defined as terrorists because they are not fighting for freedom. They just terrorize. On the other hand the left wing groups (and I've already admitted that they have committed acts of terror) have committed less acts of terror and are infact fighting for freedom.

The AUC is just acting in the Columbian and US governments interest. Of course the governments will do nothing to oppose them, or God forbid, put them on the list of terrorist organizations.

[DanS]

Of course the governments will do nothing to oppose them, or God forbid, put them on the list of terrorist organizations.

Own goal.

http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~delacova/auc/auc-list.htm

[JCG]

They already are on the list and the U.S. has requested that Castano be extradited, more for drugs than for anything else.

So if I kill 100 or 200, threaten some leftists, and I'm heavily involved in narcotics that makes me a terrorist. Okay, fine.

But if I kill let's say 40 or 50, use indiscriminate mortar attacks that affect the civilian population and their homes, threaten the life of more than 200 elected local mayors, use car bombs that kill more bystanders than intended "legitimate" targets, use bombs against public transportation buses, blow up pipelines causing environmental damage, kidnap 3 brothers and use them as unwilling kamikazes with car bombs, blow up electricy towers and infrastructure that affect the poorest regions of the country more than anyone else, kidnap an independent presidential candidate, threaten indigenous populations, use land-mines that may affect anyone who uses certain roads, protect coca and drug crops and laboratories, also deal with drug traders, and conform urban gangs of mobster-like militias it's all fine and dandy because I'm supposedly fighting for freedom?

I didn't know that, until now.

[DuncanK]

JCG,

Revolution is not a dinner party. Mao said that. I agree they go over the line. The point is that the US has a bias here, and the only reason they are involved here is because the hate communism and they want to protect the oil. It's got nothing to do with terrorism and you know it.