Colombian rebels appear to be stepping up their defiance of the US following the kidnapping of three Americans whose aircraft crashed while on an intelligence mission. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) are thought to have seized the trio after their US government plane made an emergency landing in a rebel-controlled area of southern Colombia last week. Two other passengers, a US citizen and a Colombian, were found shot to death near the wreckage, according to the Colombian military. Efforts to find the missing passengers, described by the US state department as specialist contractors, have failed. The incident presents a setback for the US on one of the more forgotten fronts of its war on terrorism. The US has given Colombia $1.8bn in aid since 2000, and recently agreed to allow its funds to be used against the Farc and other groups involved in Colombia’s long-standing guerrilla conflict. Washington considers the rebels and rival paramilitaries as terrorist groups allied to drug trafficking, and has requested the extradition of various Farc and paramilitary members. Full Story
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