An Inability to Leave Well Enough Alone

Not satisfied with playing a role in the release of the two FARC-held hostages, Hugo Chavez manages to make himself look like an ass again:

During his televised State of the Union speech, Chavez -- an outspoken enemy of the Bush administration -- insisted Europe includes the two groups on its terror list only because of "pressure" from the United States, which also names them on its list of foreign terrorist organizations.

"I request from the governments of the continent that they will remove the FARC and the ELN," Chavez said.

[...]

"I will ask Europe to remove the ELN and the FARC from the list of terrorist groups in the world, because that only has one source: the pressure of the United States," Chavez said.

He argued, "I say this even though somebody might be bothered by it: the FARC and the ELN are not terrorist groups. They are armies, real armies ... that occupy a space in Colombia."

He added that the two groups' "insurgent forces" have a goal, "a project," that is "Bolivarian" and that "we respect."

What would Chavez call this? Bolivarian?

On the night of Saturday, February 25, members of the FARC reportedly stopped a passenger bus that was traveling in the state of Caquetá. The group shot up the bus and then, with civilians still on board, set it on fire, killing nine people and injuring at least 11 more. On Monday, February 27, in the nearby state of Huila, FARC members broke into a meeting of the Rivera town council, shot and killed nine council members, and injured three other people. 

Over the weekend, in an attempt to take control of the town of Montebonito, in the state of Caldas, FARC guerrillas launched gas cylinder bombs into the town. One of the bombs fell into a civilian residence, killing a man and his six-month old baby. Other civilians were also injured in the attack. 

How about this?

Amnesty International today called on the Colombian guerrilla groups Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) to immediately and unconditionally release all civilians they have abducted.

The call comes after the FARC published a press release in which the guerrilla group claimed that 11 of the 12 deputies from the Valle del Cauca departmental Assembly, kidnapped by the FARC in April 2002, were killed in crossfire on June 18.

"If true, the deaths of the 11 deputies are tragic and outrageous," said Renata Rendón, Amnesty International USA Advocacy Director for the Americas. "Like all of the armed actors in Colombia's conflict, including the paramilitary AUC and the Colombian security forces, the FARC and ELN are unwilling to respect the fundamental right of civilians not to be dragged into Colombia's long-running armed conflict."

This acts are completely and utterly indefensible. So is calling an organization that traffics in drugs and targets civilians deliberately a "real arm[y]." What an ass. Bolivar is probably spinning in his grave.

Comments

[Chris M]

WELL IF THAT'S THE WAY YOU FEEL ABOUT MY APOLOGY RANDY, I JUST TAKE IT BACK INSTEAD. ALSO, I WILL SAY, WITHOUT MAKING MYSESLF LOOK LIKE AN ASS HERE, THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING AT ALL WRONG WITH MY VISCLOSKY POST, EITHER

[Randy Paul]

Chris,

I have no idea what you´re talking about. Honestly.