From: "Stasi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Peoples War] Colombia: President Labels Rebel Activities as "Terrorist" Colombian President Labels Rebel Activities as "Terrorist" ======================================= Xinhuanet 2002-01-27 09:45:33 BOGOTA, January 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Colombian President Andres Pastrana on Saturday urged the country's largest guerrilla group to show its will for peace and condemned its recent attacks on civilians and public works as terrorist in nature, instead of "revolutionary" as the rebels themselves declared. The president's statement came amidst the escalation of offensive attacks by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) despite a landmark agreement was inked on last Sunday to reach a cease-fire by April 7 between the government and the FARC under the U.N.-led international mediation. In the past weeks, alleged FARC members bombed bridges and roads, attacked government troops and police forces, set buses of passengers and cargo trucks on fire, and wrecked electricity towers throughout the country, which has led to energy rationing in at least three provinces. President Pastrana said these condemnable acts, from all pointsof view, have made Colombians and the international community realize that Colombia is facing up to terrorist attacks, which must be prohibited and punished by the whole world. "That's why we have told the FARC on different occasions that they should be defined through their own actions," said the president. He also accused the FARC of cheating the international community which urged the rebel group to stop attacking civilians,referring to Friday's bomb attack at a populous district of Bogota,the capital of Colombia, that killed four police officers and a five-year-old girl. Although nobody has claimed responsibility, all the blames pointed to the 16,500-strong FARC. Pastrana insisted that his government and the FARC be committedto define a truce before April 7. "Let's wait and see if they havea will for peace, if it is possible to reach a truce to prevent this. And, what we have to fight is terrorism," he concluded. Enditem _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
