[AU72]

I hope they don’t show “Romancing the Stone” on the flight home.

[tanuki]

Thanks so much for the translation. Wonderful news!

[Uncle Hal]

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

[marron]

She always struck me as essentially decent, and idealistic. She made a lot of enemies, but in a good way, the right kinds of enemies.

Still, I’m glad Uribe waited to get her out, doing it the right way. He didn’t trade for her, he liberated her.

Good to hear that our boys are coming home.

[marron]

I notice one thing. I’ve been saying for years that she was being held in Venezuelan territory. That apparently wasn’t the case, so I... was...

wrong.

[Coffee200am]

I bet Hugo cussed up a storm when he heard...

[marron]

From El Universal, Caracas, Venezuela:

http://www.eluniversal.com/2008/07/02/chcol_ava_rescatan-a-ingrid-be_02A1750241.shtml

“They were rescued in an operation in which they managed to infiltrate a FARC group, the same group that had kept a numerous group of hostages in their power. By various means they also managed to infiltrate the Secretariat. As the hostages were divided in three groups, it was arranged that they be brought to a single location and then they were transferred to the south of the country where they would be placed, supposedly, under the orders of Alfonso Cano”, explained Santos.

The Colombian minister reported that it was arranged that the hostages be collected at a predetermined spot by helicopter of a fictitious organization, and that (alias)Cesar and another member of his command staff would travel personally with the hostages to hand them over to Alfonso Cano.

He said that the helicopter, which was in reality from the army and crewed by members of intelligence, recovered the hostages in the area of Guaviare department and are being flown to San José del Guaviare where they will board a plane that will bring them to Tolemaida, Tolima department, some 190 kilometers from Bogotá.

“Alias Cesar and the other member of his group were neutralized in the helicopter and will be handed over to the judicial authorities for trial for their crimes. As for the members of the group that accompanied Cesar in the hand-over operation, some 15 more or less, as well as the rest who were found some kilometers away, we decided not to attack them and we granted them their lives so that FARC might reciprocate freeing the rest of the hostages”, he said.

[AmericaUnited]

Mario Montoya, commander of the army.

"My name is Mario Montoya, you killed my father. Prepare to die." :)

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

The Farc is a leftist terrorist group. Let’s see if the media report that.

[csvset]

Wow. Great news.

[WellyP]

The Colombian army did a great job getting Ingred and the others out. I don’t know anyone involved in this operation but I wish I could personally thank each and everyone of them. Now that they are free all Hell is going to break loose and the smart money is NOT with the FARC. (sorry Hugo)

PS: Nice this could happen while John McCain was in country!

[livius]

Betancourt, the three US contractors and the eleven soldiers will be brought later to Tolemaida air base, in Tolima department, less than 190 kilometers from Bogota.

That must have been quite a moment. Ingrid Betancourt has been a hostage since 2002 or so. The others have also been there several years. This is going to be a great 4th for the Americans (and probably a good Bastille Day for Ingrid!).

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

After being hostage six years, Ingrid Betancourt was rescued by soldiers

By soldiers? How can that be?

Not by journalists?

Not by "activists"?

Not by "community organizers"?

By soldiers! May we should give peas < /sic> a chance. Did they read them their rites? < /sic>.