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  Stop U.S. Aid It's Costing Colombians Their Lives
Posted by FoM on August 24, 2001 at 08:00:49 PT
By Sandra Alvarez 
Source: Houston Chronicle 

justice I've visited Colombia three times this year. One of my goals was to see how one unique community was faring, a community dedicated to peace.

The community is called San Jose de Apartado, and it consists of 17 settlements. In 1997 it declared itself a peace community -- opposed to Colombia's civil war and not affiliated with any of its armed factions. This stance has made it a target. The military, the paramilitary and guerrilla soldiers constantly harass citizens of San Jose de Apartado. The community is under siege.

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Comment #2 posted by observer on August 24, 2001 at 12:11:23 PT
textbook operation
At 6 a.m. on July 30, 300 paramilitary soldiers surrounded one of the settlements, La Union, while 15 heavily armed troopers invaded it. These men ordered all members of the community out of their houses and into the central square, threatening to kill anybody who did not obey.

Most complied, except for 17-year-old Alexander Guzman, who was killed while trying to escape. Before leaving, the soldiers warned that those who did not collaborate with their efforts were guerrillas and would be killed.

Ah ... this is what they teach the death squads in the School of the Americans. see: http://www.soaw.org (Was Lt. William Calley with the Colombian army to make sure the 17-year-old was shot right, and the hooches torched properly?)

Right out of the textbook: Sect 3.4.

Whenever it is necessary to use armed force in an occupation or visit to a town or village, guerrillas should emphasize making sure that they:

Explain to the population that in the first place this is being done to protect them, the people, and not themselves. . . .

If, for example, it should be necessary for one of the advanced posts to have to fire on a citizen who was trying to leave the town or city in which the [armed men] are carrying out armed propaganda or political proselytism, the following is recommended:

Explain that if that citizen had managed to escape, he would have alerted the enemy that is near the town or city . . .

Textbook on Psychological Operations In Guerrilla Warfare
Operaciones Sicologicas en Guerra de Guerrillas
http://www.tscm.com/CIA_PsyOps_Handbook.html



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Comment #1 posted by Sudaca on August 24, 2001 at 08:52:00 PT
The new gov't party line
is that testimonies like this one are part of a campaign by "narcotraffickers" to discredit U.S. policy. I wonder how much longer will that lie stand.

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