Colombia’s largest rebel group has said three US citizens taken from the scene of an aircraft crash are “prisoners of war”, and can only be freed along with other hostages if Colombia’s government agrees to release jailed guerrillas. The demand from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) came as the US played down reports that it was sending a significant number of extra troops to Colombia to search for the missing US citizens, whom the Farc claims to have seized after their aircraft crashed almost two weeks ago. Another US citizen and a Colombian were found dead near the wrecked aircraft. A “limited number of military personnel” would be sent to Colombia to support search and rescue operations, the US State Department said. Ari Fleischer, the White House press secretary, said the number was “far, far smaller” than the 150 extra personnel Pentagon sources had last week said were being sent. The kidnapping of the Americans – who were working under a Defense Department contract – is the first time that US citizens on official government business have been captured or killed by Farc rebels in Colombia. Full Story
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