IF this article is true (and it's not clear to me that it is - "well sourced" isn't all that meaningful to me if you don't tell me your sources, sorry random Swiss radio station), one thing that's not made completely clear is whether the money went to FARC itself, or if it was paid to members of FARC to betray their organization. I can very much see the money being spent for the second purpose, but given Uribe's absolutely inflexibility on the FARC issue I find it hard to believe that he would have actually given the money directly to FARC. Possible, but highly unlikely. The issue would have simply been far, far to politically damaging for him if it ever came out, because he's built his entire political career on beating FARC down.

Is anybody else bothered by the fact that they supposedly posed as journalists? I didn't see much mention as posing as humanitarian workers at the meet up site, other than to act as if the helicopters were owned by some charity group, so I don't think that is an issue. I think if they were you would have groups like the International Red Cross going nuclear.

I thought it was generally a social gauche to disguise a combatant as a journalist? I'd hate to be a war correspondent in the future and trying to get these shifty people to trust you so you could do your job.

On another note, I wouldn't be surprised if it comes out that they simply bribed some high up FARC commander to make this happen. After it happened I saw on CNN some reporter talking about how the Columbians and US claimed to still have embedded operatives in the FARC leadership. Right now. When did it become policy to announce what groups had been infiltrated? That just seems moronic. I imagine it was more likely that all the operatives had already made it out or there were none there to begin with and they simply want to have some psychological fun with the FARC.