Ex-AUC chief links Uribe with paramilitaries in 'Convivir' formation

[Judi Lynn]

Ex-AUC chief links Uribe with paramilitaries in 'Convivir' formation
Monday, 05 December 2011 14:12
Tim Hinchliffe

The extradited commander-in-chief of the AUC, Salvatore Mancuso, testifies that his paramilitary organization formed the anti-guerrilla group "CONVIVIR" with the help of Colombia's ex-President Alvaro Uribe when he was governor of Antioquia.

Mancuso claimed that he met with the former government secretary of Antioquia under Uribe's governorship, Pedro Juan Moreno, as well as AUC founder Carlos Castaño to form the CONVIVIR.

"Moreno met with me and Carlos Castaño so that we could create the CONVIVIR in Uraba," a region in the north of Antioquia, the former AUC chief declared. "We created 12 there."

The CONVIVIR, whose creation was promoted by Uribe, were legalized by the Colombian government in 1994 in response to increased violence from guerrilla groups like the FARC and ELN. Because of their links to the illegal AUC and its atrocities, the Constitutional Court banned the self-defense groups in 1997.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/20889-ex-auc-commander-links-uribe-with-paramilitaries-in-convivir-formation.html

~~~~~
http://newsbusters.org.nyud.net:8090/static/2008/05/2008-05-11-CBS-60M-Kroft.jpg http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com.nyud.net:8090/images/2008/05/13/image4091149g.jpg

http://cache.daylife.com.nyud.net:8090/imageserve/0bDn3kC7lr2qy/610x.jpg

Salvatore Mancuso

Salvatore Mancuso was interviewed by Steve Croft on CBS's 60 Minutes. The interview, and the show are linked in the article below: ~snip~
Kroft felt Mancuso, who was also convicted of smuggling 17 tons of cocaine into the U.S., would make a very credible witness:

KROFT: Has anyone come down here from the United States, from the US Justice Department, to talk to you about Dole, or to talk to you about Del Monte or any other companies?

MANCUSO: No one has come from the Department of Justice of the United States to talk to us. I am taking this opportunity to invite the Department of State and the Department of Justice so that they can come and so I can tell them all that they want to know.

KROFT: And you would name names?

MANCUSO: Certainly, I would do so.More:
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kyle-drennen/2008/05/12/cbs-s-kroft-chiquita-banana-s-reputation-splattered-blood

[Peace Patriot]

1. My, my, what a tangled web this is!

Interesting how much the U.S. State Dept. and the U.S. 'Justice' Dept. don't want to interview Mancuso.

I don't think it's so much about Dole or Del Monte (or Chiquita, or Drummond Coal, or Monsanto) and the corporate death squads, as it is about Uribe leading to Bush Jr and Bush Junta crimes in Colombia--that is, official U.S. government crime. Suspicions: U.S./Bush Junta use of the "war on drugs" to consolidate the cocaine trade into fewer hands and better direct its trillion+ dollar revenue stream to certain beneficiaries. U.S. military and/or U.S. military 'contractor' participation in massacres and "turkey shoots" in "training" sessions for Iraq and Afghanistan. U.S. ambassador direct involvement with Uribe's vast, illegal, domestic spying operation (accused of drawing up 'hit lists" of trade unionists and others for the rightwing death squads, and of spying on judges and prosecutors) and other crimes and coverups.

I think that the Obama administration has as much Bush Junta crime to cover up in Colombia as they do elsewhere--and that's saying something. It must keep the Obama team (and Panetta) quite busy.

We can also see why the Bush Junta wanted Mancuso in U.S. custody--on mere drug charges--and placed out of the reach of Colombian prosecutors, something that was accomplished by the same U.S. ambassador (Wm Brownfield--Bush Junta appointee) who was recently accused (in Colombia) of having had a direct liaison to Uribe's illegal domestic spying operation. The recent Colombia Reports article does not say what forum Mancuso is speaking in. It describes his statements as "testimony." Were Colombian prosecutors given access to him? Thanks for digging up the 2008 "60 Minutes" program where he signaled what he knew. That may be why he was extradited (by Uribe and Brownfield) and buried in the U.S. federal prison system over the objections of Colombian prosecutors.

Obama administration collusion in the Brownfield and Bush Junta cover up has likely been a sore point in U.S./Obama relations with Colombia and Latin America in general. Are they backing away from that cover up? Are they sacrificing Uribe? Are they playing a double-game--appearing to protect Uribe but actually helping Colombian prosecutors get at him?