rock on comrades
>From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Colombia. FARC train civilians against paramilitaries >Date: Sat, 03 Nov 2001 21:49:57 +0200 > > > > >From: Barry Stoller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Subject: [L-I] FARC train civilians against paramilitaries > > >[Alternative title: Good indication FARC relations with locals is based >on trust.] > >AP. 3 November 2001. In New Step, Colombian Rebels Train Civilians Amid >Paramilitary Offensive. > >ARAUQUITA -- Leftist guerrillas say they are showing peasant farmers in >the oil-rich plains of eastern Colombia how to fight and build bombs in >an effort to fend off an offensive by a feared paramilitary group. > >The guerrillas are teaching peasants military tactics, as well as how to >make homemade land mines and other crude weapons, Felipe Rincon, the >FARC commander in Arauca, told The Associated Press. > >He added that the FARC is "in the process" of acquiring more >sophisticated weapons for civilians. > >"We are developing 'people's weapons,' and providing training," Rincon >said. "Hundreds of people are coming forward." > >The FARC appears haunted by the loss 10 months ago of the central >Colombian oil boomtown of Barrancabermeja to the paramilitaries, and is >bent on preventing the same thing from happening in Arauca. > >"That experience demonstrated that people must prepare themselves to >defend what they have been building all their lives," Rincon said. > >The outlaw paramilitary group, known by its Spanish initials AUC, is >allegedly financed by landowners anxious to rid their areas of the >guerrillas and the coca trade. It regularly massacres civilians >suspected of aiding the guerrillas. >Despite government efforts to sever links between the army and the AUC, >some soldiers still secretly help the paramilitaries, who view the >rebels as a common enemy. > >The AUC heralded its push into Arauca last summer with a wave of >selective killings. In October, the AUC even shot dead a congressman and >a former congressman from Arauca, accusing both of being rebel >collaborators. > >One peasant farmer said he had taken 10 days' of military training along >with a dozen other men at a secret location in the sweltering plains. > >Sporting a mustache, the diminutive farmer - who for security reasons >gave his name only as Giovanni - said he planned to return for more >training "so that I am prepared to defend myself." > >Army Col. Gustavo Matamoros said he was unaware of reports that the FARC >was training campesinos, or peasant farmers, but made clear that anyone >picking up a gun would be fair game for security forces. > >"If the campesinos arm themselves, they are no longer civilians," >Matamoros said. "They become military targets." > >. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > >Barry Stoller >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews >with continuing coverage of WWIII > > > >_________________________________________________ > >KOMINFORM >P.O. Box 66 >00841 Helsinki >Phone +358-40-7177941 >Fax +358-9-7591081 >http://www.kominf.pp.fi > >General class struggle news: > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Geopolitical news: > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ________________ > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
