US admits support for rescuing Colombia's former senator
28/10/2008 16:17
The US ambassador to Colombia yesterday said his country has offered
logistic and intelligence support to Colombia in the rescue of former Senator
Oscar Lizcano, who was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC) some eight years ago.
"We offered some support on transportation and
of course on intelligence," William Brownfield, the US ambassador, said in a
radio broadcast in Colombia.
Washington has supplied Colombian President
Alvaro Uribe with billions of US dollars in aid to battle FARC and the drug
trade that finances the rebels.
The ambassador hailed the release of Lizcano
and urged other countries to assist Colombia in the battle.
Lizcano was
listed among FARC's "exchangeable" hostages. Another 15 hostages of the same
type had been freed in a surprise military operation in July, in which the
United States was also allegedly involved.
The Colombian government denied
the US participation in July's operation, saying it had persuaded FARC
commanders to transfer some hostages to an international humanitarian
mission.
Three US militaries, 11 Colombian soldiers and former presidential
candidate Ingrid Betancourt were rescued in July.
Xinhua
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