FU to the FARC

The BBC has the story of the dramatic hostage rescue in Colombia: "We are at the end of the end of the FARC," said Admiral Guillermo Barrera, the head of the Colombian Navy. Colombian authorities described it as "an unprecedented operation that will go down in history for its audacity and effectiveness". General Padilla said that a disgruntled member of FARC, trusted by the rebels' high command, had agreed to spearhead the operation. He convinced Cesar that commanders wanted the 15 hostages moved to a rallying point in southern Colombia, the general said, adding: "The FARC's communications are medieval." If things had gone wrong, the Colombian military had a Plan B for 39 helicopters and 2,000 troops to encircle the hostage-holders and try to persuade them to surrender peacefully. The general said the turncoat was now free and likely to receive a sizable reward. Hailing the rescue mission's success, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said: "It was an intelligence operation comparable with the greatest epics of human history, but without a drop of blood being spilled, without one weapon being fired."

Rico says it'll surely be a movie of the week, if not on the big screen; it's as exciting, and as clever, as the Israeli job at Entebbe…