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 Read more

According to Variety, so far this has been a "sluggish summer marketplace for film material," so when 15 hostages in Colombia were freed last week, Tinsel Town lit up — and not just out of relief for the hostages. Already there are several book and movie deals in the works about various members of the hostage group. Most of the clamoring is for the rights to French-Colombian politician Ingrid Read more

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 Read more

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 Read more