Chatters

Again this is a copyrighted story by CNN and Reuters pick up from CNN website
located at http://custom news.CNN.com. How I am getting these stories is I
have set up a custom news clipping service on CNN which is free and under one
of my three own personal selections I have put "birding and birdwatching" and
this is where these stores are popping up.

Please see my comment at the end of the story, if you are inclined not to read
the whole story. Thanks.


Rebels Say Colombia May Become another Vietnam

Reuters
29-MAR-98

BOGOTA, March 29 (Reuters) - A jailed Marxist rebel chief was quoted on Sunday
as saying Colombia could turn into another Vietnam if the United States became
more deeply involved in the country's long-running civil conflict.

``If the United States gets involved then there will be a generalized
action,'' Felipe Torres, a National Liberation Army (ELN) leader, told the
respected El Espectador newspaper.

``(Colombia's) insurgent groups will become true armies and this will become
another Vietnam,'' he added.

Latin America's largest rebel force, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC), said two weeks ago it would begin targeting U.S. military
advisers in Colombia, accusing them of heading covert counter-insurgency
operations.

One FARC unit is holding hostage four U.S. citizens whom it kidnapped a week
ago at a roadblock on a main highway just east of Bogota.

In comments to reporters over the weekend, a regional FARC commander, known
only by his alias ``Romana,'' said he would kill the Americans -- three men
and a woman -- if they proved to be undercover U.S. intelligence agents.

The U.S. State Department said last week that the four -- identified by
Colombian media as Thomas Fiore, Peter Chen, Todd Mark and Louise Agustine --
were on a bird-watching trip to Colombia, where guerrillas have been fighting
for more than 30 years to topple the state.

The State Department warned visitors to travel to Colombia only if ``strictly
necessary.'' The Colombian government said the warning was unnecessary.

Foreign Minister Camilo Reyes urged the FARC to release their hostages
immediately. The FARC has said even if the Americans do not have intelligence
agency links, they will be released only after the payment of a hefty ransom.

The Colombian military has found itself increasingly outgunned by the
country's estimated 15,000 guerrillas. Earlier this month, the FARC's Southern
Bloc division decimated an elite army counter-insurgency unit.

The rebels' growing military might is causing mounting concern in Washington.
When incoming U.S. ambassador Curtis Kamman presented his credentials 10 days
ago he described the guerrillas as one of the greatest threats to Colombian
democracy and vowed to lobby for a boost in military aid.

The United States has about 200 advisers -- ostensibly engaged in anti-drug
activities -- in Colombia.

Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.All rights reserved.

It looks like these birders unfortunately got themselves into a big bag of
political worms which is going to make their release a lot more complicated.
Again, I hope it works out for the best.

I have one question: How many chatters, tweeters, etc have heard about this
story in their local TV, radio news or papers? I know it made the New York
papers, but except on the net I have not heard anything else about it. And I
listen to an all news radio station here in Los Angeles and several hours of
TV news each day. I am going over the next few days to try and call, e-mail
the various media stations and try to get some media attention to this matter.
If corporate executives can get coverage when they are kidnapped I think
birders should also be able to get some attention, too. A thought.


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!


March 29, 1998
12:42 pm PDT