Israeli fight against terrorist pays dividends in Colombia, elsewhere

Judith Apter Klinghoffer:

Rescued hostage Betancourt said:

I am unaware of a precedent to such a perfect mission. Maybe only the Israelis...their wonderful commandos may be reminiscent of the mission that took place here.

She was clearly thinking about July 4, 1976 when Israeli commandos liberated 150 Israeli hostages in Entebbe (see the documentary bellow). She may also be well informed. The hands were, indeed, Colombian hands but the intelligence was American and the training Israeli. Haaretz reports that Israelis do not want to take credit away from Colombians. Still . . .

Israelis may not have taken part in the rescue, but they advised and guided, sold equipment and intelligence technology.

The Israeli involvement began a year and a half ago, when Colombia asked Israel for help in its struggle against FARC, which had become a militia specializing in kidnapping civilians and military figures for ransom and drug trading.

Israel has over the years sold Colombia planes, drones, weapons and intelligence systems. At the Defense Ministry's suggestion, Global CST won the $10 million contract to work with Colombia.

Infolive adds

It is a known fact that Colombia hired a number of former IDF generals and officers to advise on improving Colombia's intelligence and paramilitary capabilities. Colombian security forces have also undergone training in Israel. Shortly after her release Betancourt herself compared the successful operation to the Israeli army.

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She also has a video on the Entebbe operation. I noted in a post below how much the world owes the Israelis for developing a strategy for fighting the terrorist. They had little choice. It was a matter of survival, but the result can be seen in places like Iraq and Afghanistan as well as in the recent arrest in Indonesia of the bomb makers.