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Bravery lives
Posted By katie allison granju
Wow. The details of the rescue of the FARC hostages in Colombia reads like a James Bond plot. Can you imagine the smarts and bravery it took to trick these guerillas into walking right into the trap?
Betancourt, 46, was airlifted to freedom Wednesday in an audacious operation involving military spies who tricked the rebels into handing over their most prized hostages — including three U.S. military contractors — without firing a shot.
The stunning caper involved months of intelligence gathering, dozens of helicopters on standby and a strong dose of deceit: The rebels shoved the captives, their hands bound, onto a white unmarked MI-17 helicopter, believing they were being transferred to another guerrilla camp.
Looking at the helicopter’s crew, some wearing Che Guevara shirts, Betancourt reasoned they weren’t aid workers, as she’d expected — but rebels. This was just another indignity — the helicopter “had no flag, no insignia.” Angry and upset, she refused a coat they offered as they told her she was going to a colder climate.
But not long after the group was airborne, Betancourt turned around and saw the local commander, alias Cesar, a man who had tormented her for four years, blindfolded and stripped naked on the floor.
Welcome words: ‘You’re free’
Then came the unbelievable words: “We’re the national army,” said one of the crewmen. “You’re free.”The helicopter crew were soldiers in disguise. Cesar and the other guerrilla aboard had been persuaded to hand over their pistols, then overpowered.
“The helicopter almost fell from the sky because we were jumping up and down, yelling, crying, hugging one another,” Betancourt said.
Jul 3rd, 2008
this was a daring and courageous raid carried out by president uribe’s commandos.of course red nancy who supports the narco terrorists will say nothing about this execpt to try and cut funding for colombia