Freedom after all these years.

It has been stunning to see the sudden liberating of a large number of hostages in Colombia. It looks like tight operation, where the military slipped in in disguise and took 15 hostages away to freedom, convincing their captor that they were to be moved to meet the supreme commander of FARC (Yeesch, makes the guy sound like Cobra Commander.). Included were 3 Americans held for 4 years. Also a presidential candidate who was kidnapped while she campaigned, Ingrid Betancourt. Six years of captivity have ended for her. Many have been worried about her health, and many world leaders have tried to intercede to help. She seems far better now that she is out of captivity and able to be with her mother and speak her mind and stand unafraid.

But, thankfully, these people are out now. 100's are left in the hands of the FARC. But with the strike killing one leader. Another leader killed by one of his own for a bounty. More bounties are being offered for more leaders and for the freeing of more hostages. US satellites are spotting their camps. Their communications are being tracked. Plus the Colombian government is infiltrating the camps. And now these people who were being used as pawns, left in the jungle to suffer are out of the FARC's hands. I know right now many many Colombians are celebrating the hope restoked.

One can only hope that this is a sign of the soon to come end of the FARC. It would be a great day for Colombians if this nearly 50 years of warring could be brought to a quick and peaceful end. Listening to the families of the Americans react to their loved ones returning, and to Betancourt sharing her thoughts, it would be hard to not be moved.

I am glad to see CNN giving this extra coverage tonight, instead of running reruns. Three Americans returning from half a decade of captivity used to be a bigger deal.

AP report:


CNN: