Ecuador, Venezuela send troops to Colombian border! War?

Ecuador, Venezuela send troops to Colombian border! War?

Chavez warns of war with Colombia

CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez ordered tanks and thousands of troops on Sunday to the border with Colombia, accusing it of pushing South America to the brink of war by killing a top rebel leader on Ecuadorean soil.

Denouncing Colombia's slaying of the rebel commander in a cross-border raid into Ecuador, Chavez said Venezuela will respond militarily if Colombia violates its border. He ordered Venezuela's embassy in Bogota closed.

"Mr. Defense Minister, move 10 battalions to the border with Colombia for me, immediately — tank battalions. Deploy the air force," Chavez said during his weekly TV and radio program. "We don't want war, but we aren't going to permit the U.S. empire, which is the master (of Colombia) ... to come divide us."


Chavez called Colombian President Alvaro Uribe "a criminal" and branded his government a "terrorist state," likening it to Israel for its U.S.-backed attacks on militants.

In protest, Ecuador withdrew its ambassador from Bogota, ordered Colombia's top diplomat expelled and ordered the mobilization of troops to the border with Colombia.

Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, said Colombia deliberately carried out the strike beyond its borders. "There is no justification," Correa said Sunday night, snubbing an earlier announcement from Colombia that it would apologize for the incursion.

Colombian officials have long complained that Ecuador's military does not control its sparsely populated border, allowing rebels to take refuge.

The same holds true for Venezuela, where rebel deserters say the guerrillas routinely rest, train, obtain medical care and smuggle drugs.

Chavez denies that his country provides refuge to the FARC.

In a statement, Colombia said FARC "terrorists" including Reyes "have had the custom of killing in Colombia and taking refuge in the territory of neighboring countries."

Correa said the rebels were "bombed and massacred as they slept, using precision technology." He said Colombia violated Ecuador's airspace when it bombed the rebel camp, which the Colombian military said was located 1.1 miles from the border.

Ecuadorean soldiers recovered the semi-nude bodies of 15 rebels in their jungle camp. Soldiers stood guard at the site, saying they also found three wounded women, who were evacuated by helicopter to be treated.

One was a Mexican philosophy student injured by shrapnel, while the other two wounded guerrillas were Colombians, an Ecuadorean army officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to journalists.

Ecuadorean officials found that there were two bomb attacks on the camp early Saturday, Lt. Col. Jose Nunez told reporters in the remote village of Angostura, where the bodies were found.

Colombian commandos removed the cadavers of Reyes and one other rebel.

Chavez called the raid "cowardly murder, all of it coldly calculated."

"This could be the start of a war in South America," Chavez said. He warned Uribe: "If it occurs to you to do this in Venezuela, President Uribe, I'll send some Sukhois" — Russian warplanes recently bought by Venezuela.

The situation tested already tense relations between Venezuela and Colombia, though cross-border trade has not yet been seriously affected.

Chavez did not specify how many troops was sending to the border. A Venezuelan battalion traditionally has roughly 600 soldiers.


"Undoutedly the recent actions on the part of Colombia and Venezuela's response raise the risk for armed conflict," said Miguel Tinker Salas, a Latin American studies professor at Pomona College in Claremont, California.

"Although it is unlikely we will see military confrontations, what is clear is that Colombia has been pursuing a military solution to its own internal problem, ... drawing in Ecuador and Venezuela."

Chavez has increasingly revealed his sympathies for the FARC, and in January asked that it be struck from lists of terrorist groups internationally. But he has denied

The leftist FARC has been fighting Colombia's government for more than four decades, and funds itself largely through the cocaine trade and kidnaps for ransom and political ends.

Reyes was the FARC's key interlocutor with journalists and with foreign governments trying to mediate in the conflict, and thus the member of its leadership most vulnerable to being located, though eavesdropping or other intelligence.

Chavez said that with U.S. support, Colombian troops "invaded Ecuador, flagrantly violating Ecuador's sovereignty."

U.S Embassy spokeswoman Suzanne Hall, in Bogota, declined comment on the possibility of U.S. involvement, saying it was a Colombian government operation.

In Texas, U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said of Chavez's latest moves: "This is an odd reaction by Venezuela to Colombia's efforts against the FARC, a terrorist organization that continues to hold Colombians, Americans and others hostage."

How exactly Reyes was killed was not immediately clear.

Colombia's defense minister, Juan Manuel Santos, said Colombian commandos, tracking Reyes through an informant, first bombed a camp on the Colombian side of the Ecuadorean border. He said the troops came under fire from across the border in Ecuador and encountered Reyes' body when they overran that camp.

Colombia and Venezuela have been locked in a diplomatic crisis since Uribe sought in November to halt Chavez's efforts to mediate a prisoner swap. The FARC has since freed six hostages to delegates of Chavez, including four released last week.
The FARC has demanded that a safe zone be created in Colombia to negotiate a swap of some 40 high-value captives, including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. defense contractors, for hundreds of imprisoned guerrillas.

Chavez Warns of War... Says Colombia Is "Israel of South America!"



"The Colombian government has become the Israel of Latin America."

Hugo Chavez
March 2, 2008

Colombia announced Saturday that a top FARC leader along with 15 other rebels were killed in combat in the southern provinces.
FARC second in command Raul Reyes was killed in the raid.

Police officers stand around the body of Luis Edgar Devia, known as Raul Reyes, a senior commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, inside the plane that transported his body from southern Colombia to Bogota, Saturday, March 1, 2008. (AP)

Hugo Chavez was very upset over this attack on FARC.
Raul Reyes was decribed as being the most severe military blow to the FARC terrorists ever.

Colombia's defense minister said that a leading FARC commander, who was the rebels' official spokesman, known as 'Raul Reyes' was killed on the morning of Saturday, March 1, 2008, along with other rebels. Reyes, whose real name was Luis Edgar Devia Silva, was considered a contender to take over the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. (AP Photo/Paul White)

Hugo Chavez is moving troops to the Colombian border after Colombian troops killed top level FARC terrorists yesterday.
The AP reported:

President Hugo Chavez on Sunday ordered thousands of troops to the border with Colombia after Colombia's military killed a top rebel leader.

Chavez told his defense minister: "Move 10 battalions for me to the border with Colombia, immediately." He also ordered the Venezuelan Embassy in Colombia closed and said all embassy personnel would be withdrawn.

The announcements by Venezuela's leftist leader pushed relations to their tensest point of his nine-year presidency, and Chavez warned that Colombia could spark a war in South America.

Chavez called Colombian President Alvaro Uribe “a criminal,” and branded his government a “terrorist state,” likening it to Israel for its U.S.-backed attacks on militants.

Chavez closed the Bogota Embassy after the terrorist deaths yesterday.

Let's hope Hugo cut back on his coca leaves for awhile.

The body of FARC leader Raul Reyes was flown back to Bogota after the clashes.

Police officers carry the body of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC's senior commander Luis Edgar Devia, known as Raul Reyes, upon his arrival to a military airport in Bogota, Saturday, March 1, 2008. Colombian security forces killed Devia and 16 other guerrillas in neighboring Ecuador, near the border with Colombia. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Hmm... Don't you think it is about time that US democrats started to support the Colombian Government and quit denying assistance to America's South American ally?

TENSIONS RISING-- Documents Link Ecuador's President to FARC



Tensions are rising--

-- Top FARC terrorist leaders are dead
-- Venezuela and Ecuador are massing tanks at the Colombian border
-- Chavez is raging about Colombia being Israel of South America
-- Ambassadors are called home
-- Hugo Chavez warns of war

Now... Colombia announced that captured documents from the terrorist raid this weekend show links between FARC and Ecuador's Leftist President Rafael Correa.

Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa delivers a speech during a press conference at an air base in Quito on March 1. (AFP)

Colombia said that the raid about one mile inside Ecuador was "indispensable".
The BBC reported:

Colombia has said documents found in a cross-border raid suggest links between left-wing Farc rebels and Ecuador's President Rafael Correa.
Colombian troops had entered Ecuador in a raid that killed a Farc leader, Raul Reyes, and 16 other rebels.

Ecuador has expelled Colombia's ambassador following the attack and is sending troops to the border.

Earlier Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he was sending thousands of troops and tanks to its border.

A spokesman for Colombian President Alvaro Uribe told reporters the documents provided information that "Correa has a relationship and commitments with Farc".

Police commander Gen Oscar Naranjo said one document showed Reyes had met Ecuador's minister of internal security and that they discussed Mr Correa's "interest in making official relations with the Farc".

** It was already well known that Hugo Chavez was offering support to FARC.


Following Venezuela's lead, Ecuador moved troops to the Colombian border and ordered the expulsion of their Colombian ambassador.

Hugo Chavez threatened Colombia and called the Uribe government "The Israel of South America" today in what the US State Department called a strange response to the news that the FARC terror leaders had been eliminated.


Colombian President Uribe gave a talk yesterday after the Colombian troops had killed top rebel commander of the FARC, Raul Reyes, in an attack on a jungle camp. (Reuters)

Meanwhile... US Democrats continue to deny financial support to the pro-American Colombian government. This is an important story that you probably missed in the mainstream media.

Previously:
Top FARC Dog Raul Reyes Killed By Colombian Forces
Chavez Warns of War... Says Colombia Is "Israel of South America!"

France Comes Clean... Admits Holding Talks With Dead FARC Terrorist Raul Reyes



Who would have guessed that dead FARC terror leader Raul Reyes was such a computer geek?

My... That dead FARC terrorist sure had loads of info on his two laptops:

-- Connections with Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa
-- Records of $300 million offerings from Hugo Chavez
-- Thank you notes from Hugo Chavez dating back to 1992
-- Uranium purchasing records
-- Directions on how to make a Dirty Bomb

Maybe that explains why France came clean?
The dead FARC second in command was holding talks with France, too.
Reuters reported:

A rebel commander killed by Colombian forces was France's contact in negotiations aimed at winning the release of hostage Ingrid Betancourt, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Monday.

"It is bad news that the man we were talking to, with whom we had contacts, has been killed," Kouchner told France Inter radio. "Do you see how ugly the world is?"

Colombia's military said on Saturday its troops had killed Raul Reyes, considered by analysts to be number two in the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), dealing a severe blow to Latin America's oldest guerrilla insurgency.

The killing came days after a former FARC hostage said Betancourt had been mistreated and kept in chains, had a serious liver problem and was mentally exhausted.

Yes, it certainly is difficult to negotiate with dead men.

** Daniel at Venezuela News and Views has a delightful recap of the shameful regional reaction to the death of the FARC terror leader.

Including... Hugo Chavez was so distraught that he even held a moment of silence today for his dead ally.

Meanwhile... It was anounced that a Mexican female philosophy student was injured in the raid.
Maybe she was working on some extra credit project with FARC?

Jonathan Winer at Counterterrorism Blog adds this on Hugo's terrorist funding:

Meanwhile, a provocative, and to date, unconfirmed, posting by World Check, a financial intelligence service, alleges that the U.S. Treasury Department has found billions in laundered funds involving senior Venezuelan officials and their associates hidden overseas "on the express orders of President Hugo Chavez," which in turn has also been available for use by some terrorist organizations. World Check has also alleged that the FARC is financially supported by the current Venezuelan Government, and that "captured documents" show that Venezuela has sent millions of dollars to the FARC, the most recent payment having been made in February, 2008, in the amount of $300m.

Hat Tip Nora

Previously:
Top FARC Dog Raul Reyes Killed By Colombian Forces
Chavez Warns of War... Says Colombia Is "Israel of South America!"
TENSIONS RISING-- Documents Link Ecuador's President to FARC
EXPLOSIVE NEWS-- Chavez Paid $300 Million to FARC!
Colombia: FARC Has Uranium-- Working On Dirty Bomb!

CAPTURED FARC COMPUTERS NAME BARACK OBAMA!



Captured FARC computers name Obama

The computers captured this past weekend by Colombian soldiers at the campsite of FARC #2 Raul Reyes contained loads of damning information on FARC sympathizers and allies.

FARC Leader Raul Reyes was killed this weekend by Colombian forces. (LePoint)

The Colombians captured two FARC terrorist laptop computers at the terrorist camp. The Colombians discovered a treasure trove of information on the laptops including:

-- FARC connections with Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa
-- Records of $300 million offerings from Hugo Chavez
-- Thank you notes from Hugo Chavez dating back to 1992
-- Uranium purchasing records
-- Directions on how to make a Dirty Bomb

But, no one expected this---
The FARC Terrorists were hoping and expecting that Barack Obama would win the US elections in November because he was most aligned with the Colombian Marxist group.
This document was posted at Martha Colmenares (in Spanish) and Free Republic:

"6. Los gringos pedirán cita con el ministro para solicitarle nos comunicara su interés en conversar estos temas. Dicen que el nuevo presidente de su paÃs será Obama y que ellos están interesados en sus compatriotas. Obama no apoyara Plan Colombia ni firma de TLC. Aquà respondimos que nos interesan las relaciones con todos los gobiernos en igualdad de condiciones y que en el caso de Estados Unidos se requiere in pronunciamiento público expresando su interés en conversar con las Farc dada su eterna guerra con nosotros.

Es todo, Abrazos, Raúl."

(translated)
6. The gringos will ask for an appointment with the minister to solicit him to communicate to us his interest in discussing these topics. They say that the new president of their country will be Obama and that they are interested in your compatriots. Obama will not support "Plan Colombia" nor will he sign the TLC (Colombian Free Trade agreement). Here we responded that we are interested in relations with all governments in equality of conditions and that in the case of the US it is required a public pronouncement expressing their interest in talking with the FARC given their eternal war against us.

Hat Tip BG

You've got to hand it to dead FARC terrorists...
Their analysis of Barack Obama is spot on.
The leading socialist Democrat is against free trade and is open to holding talks with terrorists without reservations.

CHAVEZ PHONE CALL DOOMED RAUL REYES!! ...Video Released of Ambush on FARC Leader



HERE IS VIDEO OF THE FARC CAMP AFTER THE AMBUSH ON FARC LEADER RAUL REYES ON SATURDAY MARCH 1, 2008:
(Note the captured computers of the dead terrorists)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4l...el-ataque_news

:45:


Gateway Pundit

Where Hope Finally Made a Comeback.

Thursday, March 06, 2008

CHAVEZ PHONE CALL DOOMED RAUL REYES!! ...Video Released of Ambush on FARC Leader



HERE IS VIDEO OF THE FARC CAMP AFTER THE AMBUSH ON FARC LEADER RAUL REYES ON SATURDAY MARCH 1, 2008:
(Note the captured computers of the dead terrorists)

Revelan el ataque
by frankib2
Thanks to Babalu and The Real Cuba for the link.

A phone call from Hugo Chavez to his freind FARC Leader Raul Reyes allowed Colombian forces to locate the terror leader at the Colombian border.
The Real Cuba reported:

Remember when the King of Spain, Juan Carlos, told Chavez during a summit late last year to "shut up"?

If he had listened to the King, his terrorist ally who was killed by the Colombian army last Saturday would still be alive.

A high Colombian military official has told RCN Radio that a call that Chavez placed to the satellite phone of the narco-terrorist, allowed the army t find the exact location where he was hiding.

Chavez called Reyes on February 27, after the 4 hostages were released, to let him know that everything went well.

That allowed Colombia's intelligence services to know that Reyes was at a location very close to the Ecuadorian border. He later crossed the border where he was killed by the Colombian Air Force.

"It is ironic that it was a call from Chavez what allowed us to find and get rid of Reyes," the official told RCN.

Chavez had sworn "by God" that he had never supported the FARC earlier this year.

El Universal has more on the phone call from Chavez to his FARC buddy:

"Chávez was thrilled by the release of the hostages, and called (Luis Edgar Devia, alias Raúl) Reyes to tell him that everything went well," said RCN, quoting "senior (Colombian) military sources."

Intelligence agencies detected the call and uncovered that Reyes was in Colombia, near the border with Ecuador. He crossed the border and "then the raid was launched" late February 29 and early March 1, when the FARC leader and other 20 rebel troops were killed.

That was a big mistake.
NOTE TO TERROR LEADERS: When Chavez calls- Don't pick up.

This Aint Hell has a roundup of the latest action.

Suzie sends this article from The Miami Herald that describes more on the information captured on the FARC computers at the ambush site.

Previously:
Top FARC Dog Raul Reyes Killed By Colombian Forces
Chavez Warns of War... Says Colombia Is "Israel of South America!"
TENSIONS RISING-- Documents Link Ecuador's President to FARC
EXPLOSIVE NEWS-- Chavez Paid $300 Million to FARC!
Colombia: FARC Has Uranium-- Working On Dirty Bomb!
France Comes Clean... Admits Holding Talks With Dead FARC Terrorist Reyes
CAPTURED FARC COMPUTERS NAME BARACK OBAMA
FARC Retaliates-- Bombs Oil Pipeline in Colombia
Colombia Crisis Continues-- Chavez Busted in Pack of Lies