AP. 19 January 2002. Colombian Rebels, Government Meet, but Renewed Bloodshed Undermines Talks.
LOS POZOS -- Colombia's military accused leftist rebels of killing 12 soldiers on Saturday as government and rebel negotiators met to advance fragile peace talks ahead of an approaching deadline. On Saturday, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, rebels blew up an army vehicle near Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, killing four soldiers who were trying to rescue rebel hostages, army Gen. Francisco Rene Pedraza said. Hours later, eight soldiers were killed nearby trying to fend off a rebel offensive, he said. In other violence blamed on the FARC, its fighters on Friday forced down a helicopter on a drug-destroying mission in southern Caqueta province and killed five anti-narcotics officers, police said. Rebels opened fire on the helicopter, forcing its crew to make an emergency landing, Col. Carlos Rivera of the anti-narcotics police said Saturday. About 200 guerrillas attacked 16 police officers who had stayed by the aircraft to protect it, killing five and wounding four. Authorities say the rebels killed at least 40 people in attacks in the past week, but did not detail the other deaths. The daylong talks in Los Pozos in a vast rebel safe haven in southern Colombia ended late Saturday without an announcement on an agreement. Negotiators said they would resume discussions Sunday morning. "We have achieved some advances, but a lot of work remains," government negotiator Camilo Gomez told reporters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews
