TresSugar

After FARC Rescue One Says End Hate, One Says "Terrorist"

CitizenSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:00:28 -0700

After the stunning rescue last week of 15 hostages held by FARC rebels in Colombia, Ingrid Betancourt - the most well-known of those rescued after being held hostage for six years - has urged the end of a vocabulary of hate against her former captors.

She says:

I think we have reached a point where we must change this radical, extremist vocabulary of hate of very strong words that intimately wound the human being.

Though her sympathy for her captors sounds a little Stockholm Syndrome-y, she says she has no illusions as to the true nature of the group, but that a honey trap of kindness would be a better way to ensure more hostage releases.

And there are many more to be released from the group one American is calling "terrorist." To see the extent of the situation, read more.

Despite the high-profile rescue last week, the 14 saved are the tiniest portion of those being held. It's thought that at least 700 to 2,000 Colombians remain in the custody of the rebels, and the rescue has destabilized the group - whose main source of income is ransom money - endangering those left. One mother whose son was abducted ten years ago, feels the sting stronger now that rescues have been shown possible. She says, “I know my son isn’t a trophy, but I demand to have him back.”

In the US, the three Americans rescued echo that concern. Marc Gonsalves, one of those saved, says, “there are people in this exact moment who are being punished because we got rescued successfully.” He went on to call FARC "a terrorist group with a capital T." The three men are said to be in good health despite their concerns including Keith Stansell who has 5-year-old twin sons that he's just met.

Which is a better method to negotiate for the release of the hundreds of hostages left? Honey, or force? Was the rescue mission a good move given the number still held? How will they be rescued now that the "trick them" hand has been played?

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Front Page: A Perfect Rescue Operation, Mandela Not a Terrorist, Jobs and Airlines in Trouble

CitizenSugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:00:22 -0700

A Perfect Rescue Operation:
French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages freed from FARC rebels in a daring rescue mission has called her release after more than 6 years, a "miracle." She says, "there is no historical precedent for such a perfect operation." The mission was accomplished without a shot fired after the Colombian military penetrated the highest level of FARC and tricked them into handing over the hostages. Among those rescued were three American military contractors and 11 members of the Colombian security forces, all said to be in relatively good health. FARC has been trying to overthrow the Colombian government for 40 years, and still holds over 40 high-profile hostages, among up to 700 other captives.

Mandela Not a Terrorist:
US President George W Bush signed a bill removing Nelson Mandela and South African leaders from the US terror watch list. Mandela and ANC party members will now be able to travel to the US without a waiver from the secretary of state. The African National Congress (ANC) was labeled as a terrorist organization by South Africa's former apartheid regime.
Jobs and Airlines in Trouble:
The number of former workers signing up for unemployment insurance rose sharply last week. According to a Labor Department report, new applications jumped by 16,000 to 404,000, the highest level since late March. Meanwhile, the airline industry is predicting a $6.5 billion loss for the year, having been hit harder by fuel costs than expected.

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Need to Know: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)

LibertySugar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:00:00 -0800

Yesterday, the Organization of American States (OAS) declared last weekend's Colombian raid in Ecuador a violation of sovereignty. The US was the only state to support Colombia's decision to enter Ecuador and kill 24 rebels, including a top commander of the insurgency group FARC. So what's the deal with FARC?

FARC is the world's largest, and richest insurgency group, currently waging war with the Colombian government. A Marxist group, its mission is the redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor, and the end of foreign influence by multinational corporations, and the US government.

Taxes levied on drug-traffickers give FARC $300 million in revenue each year. Of course, drug use among the 10,000 - 15,000 rebels is forbidden. Ransom collected from FARC's 3,000 plus kidnappings a year, also bankrolls the group. FARC, which pulls most of its support from rural areas, was founded in 1964, as the military wing of Colombia's Communist Party.

Colombia, with the full support of the US, maintains that Venezuela and Ecuador are assisting the rebels. Colombia is an important US ally, receiving $600 million a year in aid. Leftist countries in the region see the government in Colombia as nothing more than a US puppet.

For more informative background resources, read more.

NY Times Topic Page

BBC News FARC biography page

FARC info from globalsecurity.org

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Headline: President Bush Condemns Venezuela

CitizenSugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:00:29 -0800

President George Bush condemned Venezuela yesterday saying, “We firmly oppose any acts of aggression that could destabilize the region." The statement comes amid growing border tensions in South America over Venezuela’s and Ecuador’s militarization along the Colombian border.

Venezuela and Ecuador have mobilized their armies in reaction to a Colombian incursion into Ecuador on a mission to assassinate a high level commander of FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia), Raul Reyes.

FARC is a militant organization currently waging war with the Columbian government from bases located within Ecuador. The Columbian government has caused a great deal of tension in the region by illegally entering Ecuador to attack FARC. At this point, both Venezuela and Ecuador are likely to back down since Columbia has the full support of the United States.

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Colombia Crossed Geneva Convention By Rescuing Hostages?

LibertySugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:00:21 -0700

Colombia violated the Geneva Convention when its military used the Red Cross' symbol to help free 15 hostages from FARC rebels last month, according to the International Red Cross. The first Geneva Convention prohibits using the Red Cross emblem in military operations because it could compromise the perceived neutrality of the group's humanitarian and medical missions.

The Colombia operatives posed as faux-humanitarian workers, and video shows that one soldier wore the Red Cross emblem. Colombia initially misrepresented its use of the emblem, but later apologized, calling the soldier's decision to wear the cross unauthorized.

While officials consider the details of their rescue, the most famous former hostage, Ingrid Betancourt, avoids discussing the details of her six-year captivity. To see what she has said however, read more.

Betancourt says her years of physical and psychological torture and humiliation taught her about the human capacity to be cruel, but she hopes to one day forgive her captors. While the Colombian and French citizen tries to move on from her ordeal in Paris, Ingrid is urging FARC to free the remaining hostages while cautioning against using a vocabulary of hate against her former captors.

Do you think the rescue of Betancourt and the other hostages jeopardized the work and safety of the Red Cross? Was it a risk worth taking?

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Diplomacy 2.0? State Department Turns to Online Groups

LibertySugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:30:06 -0800

What do Google, MTV, Facebook, Howcast, and the US State Department all have in common? They're joining forces to fight terrorism, political oppression, and crime. Inspired by a Colombian Facebook movement against FARC rebels, the US government wants to take advantage of online youth groups that promote stability, human rights, and democracy.

In early December, organizations fighting oppression and violence in places like Burma, Egypt, Uganda, Darfur, India, South Africa, Britain, South Africa, and Turkey will meet in New York City to get the Alliance of Youth Movements up and running. The US State Department has donated $50,000 to sponsor delegate travel. Observers from Iraq and Afghanistan will attend, and participants from Cuba will participate remotely.

While they're taking a break from discussing how to build online youth movements, they'll listen to guest speakers, including Whoopi Goldberg. MTV and Howcast will stream the event live. Are you happy to see the US State Department support international movements, started in the private sector, that favor US policy?

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She Said, She Said: RNC Rolls Out Obama/Celeb Quote Game

CitizenSugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:45:59 -0700

The game rolled out by the RNC today called "Who Said It? The Celebrity Edition" takes a quote, and makes you choose who said it between three Hollywood-famous types and Obama, my favorite quote being: "Who knows what a hitch ball is? This is a hitch-ball cover. We don't know what a hitch ball is. Anybody know?" It's harder than you'd think.

Given the prevalence of the big c-word this week (that's celebrity, dirty minders) and the fun-meaning yet controversial nature of the game, Liberty and I found ourselves at odds on what to make of it, so here we go: She Said, She Said: Obama vs. The C-Word.

Citizen: Perhaps the question is not what a celebrity is, but the behaviors we associate with someone seeking fame - rather than someone seeking service. Lest we forget, that's the essence of all of this. This game is designed to be a lark (and it is) but truth under it remains: famous is, as famous does. There are scads of people who behave as, and we follow as "celebrities" who don't follow any definition of celebrity - but because they act the part, and we respond accordingly. "Celebrity" is not tied to wealth, or fashion, or time on screen. Celebrity is the cultivation of adoration, plain and simple, and Obama has that in spades.

Anyone seeking fame knows they have to be seen by as many people, as often as possible, regardless of propriety - and the stunt of giving his nomination acceptance speech in the Thunderdome-setting of Denver's Mile-High stadium, affecting rock concert rather than party business, is an appalling display of hubris that completely circumvents the meaning of humbly accepting the nomination to serve one's country. There is a difference between political showmanship, and spectacle bordering on farce.

How many covers of Us Weekly and People has John McCain graced? None have crossed my desk, but I know of at least two Obama covers, (including the issue that hit the week before this ad was released) plus a fashion spread, plus debuting his kids' first interview on Access Hollywood. Not Meet the Press, not C-SPAN - but a show specifically designed and devoted to following celebrities. Ahem. I call your Maria Menounos and raise you a Scarlett Johansson. Obama is, and carefully curates, that very celebrated image.

Don't agree with me? You're in luck. To see what Liberty has to say, read more.

Liberty: With this quiz the GOP has invented its very own convenient definition of
celebrity: Barack Obama. As the celebrity narrative pushes on, the media happily turns away from the facts that: McCain is married to a blond heiress, wears shoes worth half a grand, has hosted Saturday Night Live, and had a movie made about his Vietnam experience. And today we have news reinforcing the notion that the GOP is the party of big business, but Obama is the elitist, arugula-eating celebrity, right?

What's even more disheartening? When you stop looking at Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, the facts in the celebrity ad are false. For example, Obama never said he wanted to raise taxes on electricity.

While the GOP tries to tell Americans that they should be skeptical of a
candidate that gets them, and other people around the world, excited about the US and their future (a pretty impressive feat after eight years of apathy and cynicism), it distracts voters from finding the candidate that has a better substantive plan for America. And that campaign tactic is more sizzle than substance.