Did the Mossad help free the Columbian hostages?
Vanguardia's Tel Aviv correspondent said the Mossad operation consisted of two agents unknown to each other separately infiltrating FARC.
The pair managed to penetrate the Marxist guerrilla group so effectively that they ultimately controlled what FARC did or didn't know, the Catalan newspaper said.
All the more reason, of course, for the left to hate the "Zionists."
Well, that does explain why they pulled it off flawlessly...
Why would the Mossad be involved with a Colombian revolutionary drug army in the first place?
According to the article: . . . in order to maintain good bilateral relations with Colombia and the US.
Sorry, this doesn't pass the BS detector test and smells more like a PR plant. Somehow I think they've got bigger fish to fry very close to home.
Seems unlikely. I've heard better, like that FARC was on the verge of releasing the hostages, but got preempted by the Columbian government's rescue. Claiming that the Mossad was involved seems more intended to generate outrageous gossip (and I imagine the Mossad rumors will get back to FARC membership). But if Mossad were involved, it'd probably be due to either to threats against Israel interests in the region, some sort of connection to Israeli foes back in the Middle East, or even doing a favor for some big favor. No way they do that sort of work for charity.
...some sort of connection to Israeli foes back in the Middle East...
You mean like Hugo Chavez' alliance with Iran?
Yes Rand. Exactly what I was thinking about. But there's a big difference between heads of state hobnobbing and Iranian intelligence (or an opportunistic terrorist group) funneling weapons to FARC via Venezuela. So far, I don't see evidence of the latter.
"No way they do that sort of work for charity."
Question how much is it costing Israel? We don't know, I could see a person wanting to be come an agent for Israel in such a situation, because Israel doesn't have pressing issues in the area, you are less likely to get used up in some operation by politicians.
Such a person might be working comparatively cheap.
Israel and Columbia have long had a close relationship.
Mossad (God bless them) are plenty capable of screwing up. There are other sound (as opposed to politically rabid) examples but I don't remember their names (thinking about it I seem to remember one other example from another part of Operation Wrath of God --possibly after the hiatus).
There's more than "elite" hobnobbing going on between Venezuela and Iran. Jews have been leaving Venezuela for a reason. FARC & Chavez have a mutual admiration society. I don't see how one can conclude that Israel wouldn't or shouldn't have an interest (however that doesn't mean that the story is true).