In the age of non-stop stories of military incompetence, botched operations and last-minute political wussitude, it’s seldom that we get to celebrate the triumph of manliness on the battlefield. But today we can. Military intelligence officers in Columbia have successfully freed French-Columbian Ingrid Betancourt; Americans Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes, Keith Stansell; and eleven Columbian police and soldiers without having to fire a single shot.
The MI agents infiltrated FARC and arranged for a fictitious prisoner transfer, fooling the local FARC leader “Cesar.” With the prisoner transports all piloted by agents of the Columbian government, and Cesar lying naked and blindfolded on the floor, Columbian forces flew the prisoners to freedom.
As Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said, “The operation will go into history for its audacity and effectiveness.” Or as Ms. Betancourt put it more bluntly, “God, this is a miracle.”
Perhaps the most insightful commentary came from our very own Angry Immigrant, “What is the necessary lift rating for a helicopter built to transport dudes with balls that big, and made of pure steel?”
In honor of their Manly Victory, we pledge a beer to each member of the Columbian MI team involved in the rescue, payable at any official lunch gathering of the 12 Angry Men.
The 12 Angry Men Blog 
July 5, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I’d love to be a fly on the wall during the next FARC staff meeting, is all I’m saying.
July 5, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Brooks says:
“I’d love to be a fly on the wall….”
I suspect it’s going to involve explaining the fact that they were the on the receiving end of some serious http://tinyurl.com/6cxe5t.
Hopefully their good pal Ugo Chavez will die from a fit of apoplexy, but I fear that’s too much to ask.
July 6, 2008 at 11:25 am
As a passing note, these guys were almost certainly trained at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (formerly the School of the Americas) (or its current incarnation). Despite its villification by the Left as a proving ground for torturers, the training there is essential for transforming Latin America’s militaries into professional organizations.
The reality is that any military is only as good as its generals and its cultures, and even the best training can only have so much effect. But over time, that training will make a difference.
Something to keep in mind as we celebrate the heroism and skill of Columbia’s elite!
July 7, 2008 at 3:24 pm
I heartily enjoy that the Columbian MI dudes actually wore Che Guevara t-shirts as part of the “disguise”.
reason.com
bloomberg.com
July 11, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Not to rain on the parade, ANM, but you may want to hold on to your beer money. If following “Rockwell’s Law” — if the government says something, the opposite is probably true — which is usually prudent, you may want to check out this story (below the fold, scroll down to “Notes In The Margin”). Seems it’s possible the Columbian government may have paid off the kidnappers to release the hostages.
Just sayin.