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Let Colombia Win

Let Colombia Win

Terror: Some city in the world owes thanks to Colombia, which on Saturday blew away a terrorist seeking uranium for a nuclear bomb. Instead of thanks, we see only fury at Colombia over its incursion into Ecuador.

Colombia's armed forces and national police performed one of the most spectacular anti-terror strikes in history, taking out FARC chieftain Raul Reyes, the No. 2 terrorist in the Marxist cocaine-trafficking guerrilla group.

Using American training and satellite technology, the hit took out a member of the FARC's inner circle for the first time, ending all illusion of safety at the top. Identified by his Rolex watch, the Marxist thug had a $5 million price on his head.

Better still, Colombia's well-trained armed forces seized three of his computers with some surprising contents: A FARC plan to buy 50 kilograms of uranium to expand into international terrorism.

Colombia's victory followed a series of powerful blows against other FARC leaders. As defections from the group rise and the terrorist leadership is decapitated, a picture emerges of a war being won after nearly 50 years of fighting.

But outside Colombia, do we hear "congratulations"? No.

We hear complaints from nations such as France, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile and Italy that Colombia's forces went into Ecuador chasing a terrorist, violating its "sovereignty" -- even though, as documents show, Ecuador helped Colombian guerrillas make themselves at home in that country.

Colombia apologized for the incursion, and had every right to expect understanding. But instead of a spotlight on Ecuador for harboring terror camps, critics focused on Colombia's trespassing.

Those who've trumped up this false charge have much to answer for in their involvement in the FARC. Foremost among them, Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez screamed outrage, calling Colombia a "criminal" state for rubbing out the Rolex revolutionary. He then advocated the overthrow of Colombia's democratic government and sent 10 tank divisions and 6,000 troops to the Colombian border. He ordered Ecuador to do the same, raising the specter of war.

That's bad enough. But Reyes' computers tell an even worse story -- that Chavez has been a state sponsor of terror, secretly funneling $300 million to the FARC. Ecuador, too, was surprisingly neck-deep in "commitments" to the FARC. These are acts of war.

This changes the idea of Venezuela and Ecuador as upstanding members of the international community. We have no illusions about what they've done to their own democracies, but those who criticize only Colombia happily preserve the fiction.

More specifically, to countries such as France and Argentina, Chavez has masqueraded as a neutral "mediator" in Colombia's conflict, persuading them to think he was an honest broker whose only interest was in freeing FARC hostages.

In fact, he's the FARC's banker, safe-haven provider and advocate, urging Europe to take the FARC off the internationally recognized list of terrorist groups in exchange for the release of hostages.

Europe has bought into Chavez's pretense of neutrality because it has always favored appeasement and payoffs over risky fighting as a means of winning wars and freeing hostages. It never works.

And yet, at the exact moment of Colombia's victory, Europe suddenly seems interested in mediating a peace process between the FARC and Colombia, as if the two were moral equals and victory were impossible without concessions to terrorists.

Chavez's involvement shows just how morally questionable that approach is. Colombia's critics in Europe, Latin America and elsewhere are playing a discredited peace game at the very hour of Colombia's victory. In so doing, they negate the only solution likely to free hostages and bring peace, which is fighting for it.

In light of its success -- and the nuclear threat to the world the FARC poses -- Colombia deserves the right to give victory a chance.

By DodgerDogs on Mar 4, 2008, 12:42 in Politics & the war.

DodgerDogs says on Mar 4, 2008, 12:44:

If they built a bomb, where do you think they would use it Colombia , USA, Europe ???

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.Martin Luther King:

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durito says on Mar 4, 2008, 12:47:

Even if they had uranium, it'd be impossible to build a nuclear bomb.

It be almost as impossible to transport and deliver it anywhere.

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DodgerDogs says on Mar 4, 2008, 12:59:

I do not support Uribe as he has a Para back ground, but if the Farc had plans to build a bomb, then I salute Uribe for taking Raul Reyes out of the picture and dealing a severe blow
to the FARC.... There is no doubt Raul Reyes has had his hand in lots of blood shed, and
by taking him out, maybe Colombia saved thousands of lifes. Who knows time will tell.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.Martin Luther King:

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donmia says on Mar 4, 2008, 13:23:

I think it's a bit naive to think that these other countries don't have agendas hidden from the world stage. France likes to sell weapons. It's a big industry. But somehow they have a reputation for peace I don't think they particularly deserve. Maybe it's all the moral stances they take on sovereignty. But that's a great way to sell more arms. Defend your customers.

However, they are far from alone. Standing from the sidelines of this, I think this is part of the death blow to FARC that has been coming fast these last weeks. Probably seizing on some of the popular support of late inside Colombia, the government was willing to take the chance and attack inside Ecuador. I also doubt that they only learned of this camp just moments before it happened. They probably just didn't have the will to incur an international incident.

someone recently said to me that America's Blackwater was slated to move into Colombia to act out on the military's behalf to eradicate FARC. Can't prove it. But they are hired to "get a job done" and to not "care about borders" and stuff like that.

sounds like that may or may not come out also. it's so hard to tell with these things because the people who gather the facts also decide what facts we do and do not need to know.

As for Chavez, he seems to be hastening his own departure. There is only so much hollering and ranting one can do before no one can stand you anymore.

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DodgerDogs says on Mar 4, 2008, 13:29:

buggy, In your opinoin what good has Raul Reyes done. He went from working on a Dairy farm to the ranks of the Farc very fast. He use to wear Armani suits to his peace talks.
He ordered many women soldiers of Farc to perform sexual services, also when pregnant it was his direct orders for Abortas. I have spoken first hand to many ex-farc and know first hand many active farc. The main cause for a Equal Colombia justice system and education system the Farc once faught for, was replaced by Athiest Marx type ideas, and most of Farcs worst massacures occured while he was a commnader.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.Martin Luther King:

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nine inch nails says on Mar 4, 2008, 14:03:

The "bomb/nuclear" they were planning to build was more than likely a dirty one which is a lot more easier to make (using even medical wastes). It may not blow down buildings but the havoc from radioactive fallout would be more than enough to cause severe economic disruptions to the financial districts of any of the large cities which is exactly what they want.

get down, get down. are you afraid of the boogie monster?

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tomtom33 says on Mar 4, 2008, 16:59:

Hey Buggster, ask the Kurds and the Iranians about Saddam's WMD. You want proof? Count the bodies.

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fecherklyn says on Mar 4, 2008, 18:00:

DD, did you write the OP or is it a quote from somewhere?

If a quote would you please give the source....I think it is particularly well written and may wish to repeat it elsewhere ( I contribute to a number of other forums).

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DodgerDogs says on Mar 4, 2008, 18:10:

fecherklyn,
It was emailed to me. here is the link.

www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=20 -

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.Martin Luther King:

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manINred says on Mar 4, 2008, 18:35:

Colombian troops should not have breached the border.

That being said, the Ecuadorian and Venezuelan governments should be ashamed of their refusal to help fight the FARC.

But then again why would they? It's not their countries that are being ravaged by such an evil terrorist entity.

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cali373 says on Mar 4, 2008, 19:47:

Why do you people even bither commenting that post.

manINred you make good points.

Smile if you are a thinker!

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chrispej says on Mar 4, 2008, 19:58:

Great post Dodger....

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suizo says on Mar 5, 2008, 00:43:

Excellent post Dodger...spread the word.

Italy and France should be ashamed, although I understand France's fear in relation to Betancourt. Switzerland will most probably not officially comment on the crisis as they act as an intermediary for the release of FARC hostages. Surprisingly, the crisis is being discussed in online newspaper forums in Switzerland: 90% are applauding for what Colombia did.

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kalder says on Mar 5, 2008, 02:38:

I agree- excellent post DD.

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

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borat says on Mar 5, 2008, 07:37:

the colombian government have refused to release any of this evidence to the press, there is so far NO independent conformation that there is any truth in these claims.

what you believe is not important, it's what you do that counts

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jorgegdiaz says on Mar 5, 2008, 10:15:

50 kilos of U is a respectable amount. Still, it depends on what purity they have.

North Korea`s nuclear bomb (Oct `06) was believed to be about 10 kilos of Pt 239. Only a few companies (not goverments) have the extremely high-precision centrifuges to enrich Uranuim for Pt-weapons grade (up to 5% no Pt 239 content allowed to keep continuos fission in the simplest atomic bomb, an implosion bomb). And yes, they wouldn`t be able to move it a mile w/o the snnifer planes localizing it. Especially now that Brazil announced the contruction of a nuclear sub.

Colombia has some Uranium-ore mines in the border of Santander and Boyaca departments. Extraction is done to obtain radioactive material for medical reasons and for measurement devices that use a radioactive source (Geology, some x-ray devices, etc).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_bomb

http://www.zamandayolculuk.com/cetinbal/atomicbombs.htm

Man with hole in pocket feel cocky all day.

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jorgegdiaz says on Mar 5, 2008, 10:35:

excellent PPT:

http://orgs.unca.edu/nonproliferation/UNCANWTech.ppt

Man with hole in pocket feel cocky all day.

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