McCain Says He Was Told Beforehand of Rescue
Posted on: Thursday, 3 July 2008, 06:00 CDT
Colombian officials briefed Republican Sen. John McCain on the eve of the dramatic rescue mission that freed 15 Americans and Colombians from years as hostages of a leftist rebel group, the presidential candidate said in a statement Wednesday.
The McCain campaign issued the statement soon after the news broke that the jungle rescue mission freed three U.S. defense contractors, a former Colombian vice presidential candidate and 11 other long-held hostages of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a rebel group.
The Arizona senator and former Vietnam era POW had left a visit to Cartagena and was en route to Mexico City Wednesday.
"Last night, President [Alvaro] Uribe and the Defense Minister did brief us that the operation was going to take place today," McCain's statement said.
He had traveled to Colombia with Sens. Joe Lieberman, an Independent from Connecticut, and South Carolina Republican Lindsay Graham.
Moreover, he added that he spoke to Uribe after the mission as well and the Colombian president "told me some of the details of the dramatic rescue of the people who were held hostage."
He congratulated Uribe, the Colombian military and "the nation of Colombia" for what he called "great news. Now we must renew our efforts to free all of the other innocent people held hostage."
At the Pentagon's Southern Command in Miami, Army Col. Bill Costello, declined to comment on what role, if any, the U.S. military had in the rescue.
"This was a Colombian operation," said Costello, the Southcom spokesman. "We have had a great relationship with the Colombian military for a number of years. But today's success was a Colombian success."
Source: The Miami Herald
Related Articles
- Sun Healthcare Group, Inc. Announces Rebranding and New Mission Statement
- Hands on Miami on a Mission to Beautify the Miami River Greenway
- What's the Use of a Mission Statement?
- Board Ponders Private-Property Rights The State Natural Resources Panel Wants It As Part of Its Mission Statement.
- Greuel Has Plan for Road Map for Traffic Transportation: City Council to Hear Commission's Mission Statement.
- Miami Group Commits $2.4M for Haiti Healthcare
- Importance of Student Social Behavior in the Mission Statements, Personnel Preparation Standards, and Innovation Efforts of State Departments of Education
- Earth Dropped From NASA Mission Statement
- Miami group charged with Sears Tower bomb plot
- City Staff to Refine Core Values List, Write Mission Statement: They Will Begin With a List of Core Values.
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds