Anyone know any good links about Columbia?

D

Dangus

New member
There seems to be a lot of focus on Columbia lately, but the mainstream press is lousy at offering any real details. They always just show tidbits of news. I despise this half-assed reporting. I wished more reporting was done like NPR does it where they actually look at an issue for more than 3 minutes.

Anyway, does anyone have a good link or two that really explain what's going on down there? From what I understand there are three main factions. The FARC, the AUC, and the government. The FARC is communist right? The AUC is conservative, and anti FARC? Both of them are at war with the government?

Details would be great. Thanks

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The Alcove

I twist the facts until they tell the truth. -Some intellectual sadist

The Bill of Rights is a document of brilliance, a document of wisdom, and it is the ultimate law, spoken or not, for the very concept of a society that holds liberty above the desire for ever greater power. -Me
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Colombia's paramilitary organizations can trace their roots to the 1960s when the nation adopted a new counter-insurgency (COIN) strategy. The strategy was based in part on recommendations made by the U.S. military and the Central Intelligence Agency to arm civilians to help confront the threat posed to the stability of the country by guerrilla armies. These civilian paramilitary groups worked directly with their military counterparts in fighting the rebels.[/quote]

Oh wait a damn second. Our federal government was suggesting that citizens of a foreign land be armed because it would help improve stability against criminal forces???

Yeah, ok, and so here we're supposed to disarm and live with instability?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Human rights groups routinely denounce paramilitary for the atrocities they commit in the course of fighting the nation's rebel groups. It is commonplace for paramilitary troops to enter a village or town and drag citizens from their homes and workplaces after consulting a list of rebel sympathizers. Those guilty of aiding the rebel cause are almost always executed, either immediately or later somewhere in the jungle. U.S. drug policy coordinator, retired General Barry McCaffrey, has accused Colombia’s paramilitaries – like the guerrillas – of profiting from the narcotics trade.[/quote]

Members of the US military, and the CIA have been guilty of some of the aforementioned things. It would help a lot more if they would cite examples or more importantly, cite frequency and if it is in conflict with regular rebel policy or not. Some of the comments made on this site seem a bit biased.

Sounds overall like Columbia is one hell of a mess. Keep your eyes on it folks, it's a mess that could lead to another Vietnam, it has all the tell-tale signs. I imagine some "peacekeeping" warfare might take place in the future.

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The Alcove

I twist the facts until they tell the truth. -Some intellectual sadist

The Bill of Rights is a document of brilliance, a document of wisdom, and it is the ultimate law, spoken or not, for the very concept of a society that holds liberty above the desire for ever greater power. -Me
 
The last couple of issues of Soldier of Fortune magazine have had articles about the situation there.

I used to think SOF was for crazed camo-wearing military wannabes. That was impressions from the mainstream press only, I had never read one. My bad, which has been remedied.

I picked one up a couple of month ago and was really impressed. They've got reporters on the ground in places where said reporter is likely to get shot at (and I'm sure sometimes does), reporting in an unfiltered style that I really like. They are on the ground / in the choppers with the troops wearing the web gear and carrying the AR's, M60's, etc.

Recent issues have covered Columbia, Sierra Leone, Rhodesia, etc. The Columbia articles have been very interesting, and look like they will continue as a monthly item for now.
 
Well apparently according to a very reliable source. The Russians are running cargo ships of weapons to Colombia and returning with drugs, you know they don't have cash but they sure do have something they want: guns. It seems that the US is sending advisors down to Colombia and as we all know so very well where it goes from there?

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"Guns don't kill people the government does", Rusty Shackleford.
http://www.fair.org
 
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