Also: Colombia's Body Counts
U.S. Reactivates Colombian Death Squads
Keeping Up the Colombian Lie
"FARC losing luster, military dominance" by Chris Kraul, Los Angeles Times | January 20, 2009
VILLARRICA, Colombia - .... The surrender of Ernesto and 2,900 other fighters and urban supporters didn't make headlines like those generated by the Colombian military's more dramatic successes last year: the killing in March of the FARC's second in command, Raul Reyes, and the rescue in July of three US subcontractors and onetime presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.
How you like the lies and deceptions, folks?
But military officials say the 20 percent increase in desertions last year from the 2007 level is equally compelling evidence of their increasing battlefield dominance over the FARC, which the military has been fighting for more than 40 years.
That success, substantially underwritten by US taxpayers through the Plan Colombia aid program, should not be confused with victory. The FARC has demonstrated its resilience time and again.
Yeah, like white supremacist organizations kept alive by government provocateurs here in AmeriKa!
And isn't it nice to know that ONCE MORE U.S. TAXPAPEYRS are shipping $$$ OUT of the COUNTRY for a FAKE WAR?!!
Hey, our treasury is phat, right?
Colombian and US military specialists say desertions such as Ernesto's lead to better intelligence, more battlefield success, and a weaker enemy....
Notice how they NEVER GO AWAY though?
Ernesto.... a fear heightened by the recent scandal of "false positives," in which the Colombian army killed innocent civilians and later reported them as battle casualties....
Yeah, I LINKED THAT ABOVE!
called and agreed to meet an army patrol at a predetermined location. He later surrendered his machine gun and was promised a $500 reward. For providing intelligence that led to the capture of an extortion specialist known as Chucho, he was promised a second sum of $25,000. He said, he was still "patiently waiting" for the government to pay up.
Fool! Governments are experts at the double-cross!
"The FARC treated its people well. They taught me how to read," Ernesto said. "But it was time to start a new life. I want to be an engineer."
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