Colombia Bombs Rebels Preparing Attack on Town

Tells you just enough to make you wonder what is up. The
last paragraph is very funny.

BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) - Colombian planes bombed Marxist rebels preparing to attack a jungle town near the Venezuelan border in retaliation for the capture of a guerrilla leader, officials said on Friday.

The air force hit rebel positions to try to keep the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, from advancing on Puerto Inirida whose 13,000 inhabitants make a living by fishing, farming or working in local gold mines.

"The guerrillas have the population surrounded," Colombian Defense Minister Jorge Alberto Uribe told reporters.

"We have enough troops in the area and the air force is on alert," he added. "We have the situation under control and we are ready to send reinforcements when necessary."

Reuters

going on for the last month or so. It hasn't made the news much.

The part about bombing the jungle to save it from FARC,
and FARC has the town surrounded, and we're in control,
it just sounds a bit made up.

where is my TV Guide!!

LOL Uribe never misses a photos op--a lot like TortureBoy in that way.

<clips>

..."Those terrorists will have to look for another planet, because we kicked them out of here," Uribe, a staunch Washington ally, told the town's 13,000 inhabitants.

The 52-year-old lawyer has increased defense spending in an effort to take control of Colombia's countryside from the Marxist rebels and their far-right paramilitary foes, both of which are linked to the Andean country's huge cocaine trade.

Businesses and schools in Puerto Inirida, near the Venezuelan border, were closed last week during a six-day siege by about 400 FARC members, who launched raids against government troops guarding the town's perimeter, killing two soldiers.

Luis Carlos Sandoval, mayor of the town, said the FARC was preparing an all-out assault in response to the capture of Gentil Alvis Patino, a FARC leader wanted by Colombia on charges of terrorism and drug trafficking. He was arrested in Venezuela last month by authorities there.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7818787

I have the feeling he's a bit off-balance with the renewed FARC
offensive, this supports that, he's looking for tough-guy photo-ops.
It would be nice to get a more objective view of what happened there,
but I don't expect we'll be so lucky. About all you can be sure of
is that FARC made a move there, and there was some fighting, and now
it's over.