Defense Minister: We know the location of Tirofijo

Or the general area, that is.

Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos says that it's better not to reveal the particular location, in order to get him by surprise, and that it would still be a very difficult operation (well, duh).

Not that telling all this to the press is exactly going to help the "surprise", but...time will tell if this is just a bluff or not.

He also added that "Raúl Reyes" spends a lot of time in Ecuador (long suspected to be the case), and that "Iván Marquez" (the guy who showed up in public to talk with Mr. Chávez), "Timochenco"and "Grannobles" are in Venezuela.

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Colombian government says they have located leftist rebel leader
Posted : Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:25:03 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : America (World)
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Bogota - The Colombian government has located the leader of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), known by the alias "Manuel Marulanda" or "Tirofijo," an official said Wednesday. "The government knows the area where 'Tirofijo' is, but it is better not to say it. When we get him, we will get him by surprise," Colombian Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos told Colombian radio station RCN.

The minister said arresting the elderly guerrilla leader is no easy task and is "like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"These people move on roads they have built themselves over the past 40 years," he said.

Santos said arresting the FARC leadership has added difficulty because some of them hide in areas on the border with Ecuador and Venezuela.

Ecuadorian authorities recently announced the destruction of a camp, where FARC boss 'Raul Reyes' was a few weeks ago, he said.

Santos said the Colombian military is getting closer to FARC everyday, thanks to infiltrations into the rebel group.

"We have many more people infiltrated than (the rebels) imagine, and that is why bosses are starting to fall. They were men with a direct command of the organization," he explained.

He said control and communication among guerrilla leaders is lessening, noting the mistake made by FARC in announcing the release of Emmanuel, the 3-year-old son of former hostage Clara Rojas, conceived and born during her captivity, when he had actually been in state custody for over two years.

"We have been fighting these people for 40 years, and reversing that cannot happen from one day to the next, but we are on the right track," Santos stressed.

Copyright, respective author or news agency

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/177563,colombian-government-sa...

10:30 a.m.

"El Gobierno sabe dónde está
'Tirofijo'": Mindefensa

Santos1.jpg El ministro de Defensa, Juan Manuel Santos, reveló hoy en Radiosucesos RCN que el Gobierno sabe en qué área se encuentra Manuel Marulanda Vélez, alias "Tirofijo", máximo jefe de la guerrilla de las Farc. "El Gobierno sabe el área en donde se encuentra 'Tirofijo', pero es mejor no contarlo. Cuando lo agarremos, lo agarramos de sorpresa", señaló el funcionario.

Marulanda, de 77 años, fue uno de los campesinos que fundaron en 1964 las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc), tras declararse víctima de la época conocida como "la violencia" entre liberales y conservadores, que causó unos 200.000 muertos en las décadas de 1940 y 1950.

'Tirofijo' apareció en público con frecuencia durante la administración del presidente Andrés Pastrana (1998-2002), que intentó un proceso de paz con las Farc en la región del Caguán, en el Caquetá, donde se desmilitarizaron 42.000 kilómetros cuadrados.

El ministro Santos agregó que no es fácil la captura del líder insurgente y sus acompañantes porque tienen todo un dispositivo para eludir a la fuerza pública entre la selva.

"Esa gente se mueve en carreteras que han construido en los últimos 40 años. Eso es como buscar una aguja en un pajar, pero cada día estamos más cerca y ellos están más débiles", anotó.

Ratificó que jefes subversivos como Iván Marquez, "Timochenco" y "Grannobles" están en Venezuela, y que Raúl Reyes se la pasa en Ecuador sin el consentimiento de las autoridades.

"Eso no es ningún secreto. Eso se sabía, eso se había dicho muchas veces. Las propias autoridades ecuatorianas hicieron pública la destrucción de un campamento en el que estaba Raúl Reyes hace pocas semanas. Era un campamento muy sofisticado", reiteró. Agregó que la ubicación de los jefes de las Farc "son realidades que estamos viviendo en este momento".

"Debemos mantener el ojo avizor; la contundencia de la seguridad democrática y mantener la vigilancia de las fronteras con más cuidado", insistió Juan Manuel Santos.

En sus declaraciones a RCN, el ministro destacó las operaciones exitosas contra jefes subversivos como "El Negro Acacio", "Jota Jota" y "Martín Caballero".

"Nosotros los tenemos mucho más infiltrados de lo que ellos se imaginan y por eso están comenzado a caer cabecillas. Eran hombres con mando directo sobre esa organización. Ahí seguimos en una guerra en la que hay que tener paciencia, pero vamos bien", puntualizó.

http://www.rcn.com.co/noticia.php3?nt=23642

By juancegomez on Jan 23, 2008, 14:04 in Politics & the war.

Sr Tertius says on Jan 23, 2008, 16:23:

Has anyone heard of the story of the boy who cried wolf? It teaches an interesting lesson.

"When the finger points to the moon, the fool looks at the finger" (Chinese proverb)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

robi666 says on Jan 23, 2008, 16:26:

What an asshole...

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Sr Tertius says on Jan 23, 2008, 16:28:

Me or Mr Santos? Or both?

"When the finger points to the moon, the fool looks at the finger" (Chinese proverb)

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robi666 says on Jan 23, 2008, 16:29:

Oh... Sr T, you should have a better self confidence :-)
Anyway, really, what's the clever mind idea and intended message that leaded to this declaration?

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Neonovo says on Jan 23, 2008, 16:31:

Si el Señor Marín fuera un PBHer, respondería...

Un poquito más de respeto con los mayores, carajo! Sr. Marín para UDS!
Y es que acaso no siempre han sabido donde a vivido, trabajado, y luchado todas estas decadas? Mi último trabajo fue hasta con el gobierno nacional de inspector de carreteras por allá en los 50's, así que cual es el misterio?

Sr Marín

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Sr Tertius says on Jan 23, 2008, 16:50:

I'm kind of a nice guy personally, I think, but when I read what I write, I sometimes come through as kind of a dick. It's not something that I intend.

Anywho...

"what's the clever mind idea and intended message that leaded to this declaration?"

At this stage, unless proven otherwise, I assume that every action of this government is intended to score political points in the short run. Here's my metaphor: Colombia is like a car, we (the general populace) are like the kids in the back seat, and Uribe and his people are the parents. We're driving to a nice place called "peace." So the kids ask all the time "are we there yet? are we there yet?" We're really annoying. So Uribe has two options: Either be honest and admit that we're not even close and ask for patience, or pretend that we're almost there, that peace is just around the next curve. The second option makes everyone happy, of course, but it forces Uribe to come up with new stories after each curve. So Uribe uses all his twisted stats to show how close we supposedly are, or overblow military accomplishments, or make them up entirely. If everything else fails, he blames the road (i.e. FARC).

If the Defense Ministry knows the general area were Tirofijo is... why exactly do we need to know that? As Neonovo implies, we've known the "general area" for YEARS!! The military knows exactly where the FARC strongholds are located, and they know very well that they can't get there, no matter what military toys they use. Because it is not a military obstacle that's on the way, but a political one.

"When the finger points to the moon, the fool looks at the finger" (Chinese proverb)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

durito says on Jan 23, 2008, 18:24:

The US gov't also allegedly knows the area Osama Bin Laden is in.

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juancegomez says on Jan 23, 2008, 18:51:

SrTertius:

"If the Defense Ministry knows the general area were Tirofijo is... why exactly do we need to know that? "

Probably in order to score political points, or at least attempt to, as you mentioned.

"As Neonovo implies, we've known the "general area" for YEARS!! The military knows exactly where the FARC strongholds are located, and they know very well that they can't get there, no matter what military toys they use. Because it is not a military obstacle that's on the way, but a political one."

While this seems to be generally reasonable, it should be pointed out that FARC (including their leaders) have plenty of "strongholds" by now and aren't exactly sitting on their butts "enjoying the good life" in one location for too long, but actually have to run from one place to another on a semi-regular (or at least seasonal) basis.

I imagine some have stayed in one location for long periods of time, but it's probably not a
permanent luxury...even more so when there are more military operations nearby, I imagine, and when a few of their front commanders are actually being killed lately.

So I don't think this is just an issue of getting to one big hidden stronghold where "Marulanda" and his comrades have been hiding for years on end, but of countering the enemy's mobility, security rings and general capability to adapt. In that sense, it's clearly not just a matter of politics OR military (intelligence included) elements, but both.

Perhaps Santos is crying wolf by making this public, in part...but that tells us little else about the actual quality of the information he may indeed have about Marulanda's location (or not). He may know no more than others have known before him, or less, but he could also know at least a bit more. Will that even matter or will it be forgotten as just another in a long series of triumphalist statements? Time will tell.

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eywed says on Jan 23, 2008, 21:42:

Any farc stronghold would be protected by a human shield of hostages. You never Know what is misinformation is being put out for a reason none of of know or need to know.

Ay Hombe!!!!!

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Sr Tertius says on Jan 24, 2008, 07:11:

"Any farc stronghold would be protected by a human shield of hostages."

Sorry, eywed, but that's brutally simplistic.

"When the finger points to the moon, the fool looks at the finger" (Chinese proverb)

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Mr. Hollywood says on Jan 24, 2008, 07:34:

Just guessing, but I think it's a message to make a particular foreign government nervous that he's going to be detained on their soil, against all their declarations that they don't shelter the FARC.

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