Today's update comes from two sources. First is an except from my usual
source CNN, but the balance of the story which was written in association with
AP adds nothing new so I am only repeating two of the paragraphs which might
be of interest. The other is a Reuters news story that was posted on one of
the other BB's to which I subscribe and I am reproducing it in full. Again,
these are copyrighted stories and our use should be strictly limited and
definitely not for any monetary gain.

Copyrighted CNN-AP

<<The Americans Fiore, Peter Shen of New York City, Louise Augustine, a
63-year-old retired teacher from Chillicothe, Ill., and Todd Marks were on a
bird watching expedition on a road known for rebel activity when they were
taken hostage March 23.

Paul Salaman, a British ornithologist who is a friend of the bird watchers,
said they had come to spot the Cundinamarca Antpitta, a rare bird discovered
ten years ago and found only in the Colombian region. >>

Copyrighted Reuters

US hostage said freed by Colombia rebels, not fled
02:57 p.m Apr 03, 1998 Eastern
CARTAGENA, Colombia, April 3 (Reuters) - An American taken hostage by
leftist rebels did not escape as reported but was set free to deliver a
message to the U.S. government, Colombian security sources said on
Friday.

At a news conference, U.S. ambassador Curtis Kamman appeared to confirm
the sources report by referring to the ``liberation'' of the American but
made no mention of a rebel message.

Thomas Fiori, 43, arrived in Bogota on Thursday, 11 days after being
kidnapped by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas on
a highway about 35 miles (55 km) east of Bogota. Three other Americans
were also captured and were still held on Friday.

A FARC regional commander threatened to kill the captives if they proved
to be undercover intelligence agents. The U.S. State Department said all
were bird-watchers and denied they were spies.

``It seems he (Fiori) ... was freed and is carrying a message for the
U.S. government,'' a senior security service source told Reuters at an
event in Cartagena to welcome 25 U.S. congressmen on a two-day visit to
Colombia.

``In reference to the liberation of a U.S. citizen, I had the chance to
speak to Thomas Fiori by phone and he is well,'' Kamman said in brief
comments in Cartagena.

He called for the prompt release of the three other Americans, identified
by immigration officials as Louise Agustine, 62, Todd Mark, 32, and Peter
Shen, whose age was not given.

Fiori has not been spoken to the media since his arrival in Bogota and
U.S. embassy officials declined to give any details of his whereabouts.

A Continental Airlines employee at Bogota airport told Reuters that Fiori
had a reservation on a flight to New York on Friday but could not confirm
if he had left the country.

Security service officials said the American would leave Colombia ``at
latest by Friday afternoon.''

In a brief conversation with local media on Thursday before he arrived in
Bogota, Fiori said he escaped when his rebel guards fell asleep. The
first people he met were a Colombian television crew.

Fiori had his passport in hand, wrapped in a small plastic bag, further
fueling speculation he had been freed since the FARC generally confiscate
the identification papers of their kidnap victims.

``It's very difficult (to believe) that he escaped,'' the Colombian
government's anti-kidnap ``czar,'' Ruben Dario Ramirez, told reporters.

Two Colombians seized on March 23 at the same as Fiori were picked up by
an army patrol on Friday a day after being released by the FARC, military
sources said.

According to a report in the leading El Tiempo newspaper on Friday, at
least 81 U.S. citizens have been kidnapped in Colombia since 1980.

In another development, 10 Colombian television and radio journalists
were snatched by National Liberation Army rebels in northeast Santander
province.

One of the reporters phoned the Radionet radio network shortly before
being led off and said they would be held temporarily and would be
released with a message for the government. >>


Great birding and find that next lifer,

John (One of Birders2)

John + Irma = 2, we are birders, too.

John C. LeVine
Birders2 at aol.com
Los Angeles, CA

Please put <To Birders2> in subject line when e-mailing us personally. I do
not open all of the 200-300 e-mails I receive each day, but I want to be sure
to read your e-mails to us. Thanks!

April 3, 1998
3:11 pm PDT