"We can't let this appear as a massacre. That would be a problem"

[struggle4progress]

SEMANA/RevelationOn September 14th, the Army major and commander of the ELN alias “Ernesto” had a long conversation in which the guerrilla tells the major that he needs for him to take his troops out of the town of Pueblo Nuevo so that they can take advantage of festivities taking place there and assassinate several FARC militants. The official agrees to move Army members out, but asks the guerrilla to try to avoid that the murders appear as a massacre and that it is preferable to have the murders occur outside of the town limits in order to avoid problems.

January 19, 2009

Ernesto: It turns out that this weekend there are festivities there in Pueblo Nuevo. So, I will, I’m thinking about putting a few men there so that they can take care of some business there. The guys are going to square up some accounts with some militants and we already have them in our aim ...

Major: That is the business. Wait and I will organize it this afternoon. I don’t think that it is a problem. And for how many is that mission? For how many people? Because we can’t have it look like a massacre or something like that because that is a problem ...

Ernesto: Look in any case, if it is possible, it will be done out of town ...

http://www.semana.com/noticias-print-edition/we-cant-let-this-appear-as-massacre-that-would-be-problem/119825.aspx

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[Judi Lynn]

1. Thanks for posting this. Damned sad.

As time goes by, finally we are going to see more discussion of what these scums have been doing all this time our tax dollars were getting hauled off by the boatloads, funneled into filthy regimes like Uribe's, while our reeking, putrid right-wing lied its ass off about what kind of people we were supporting, and why.

I did benefit from seeing your post, however, in an unrelated-to-the-story way. Now I have saved the link and can use it for checking Semana's International edition, regularly, which will be a big help. Very grateful for this tool.