Colombia's army chief resigns in fallout from scandal over killings of civilians

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Colombia's army chief resigns in fallout from scandal over killings of civilians
By FRANK BAJAK | Associated Press Writer
3:20 PM EST, November 4, 2008

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) _ The commander of Colombia's army resigned abruptly Tuesday in a widening scandal over the killing of scores of civilians, allegedly spurred by promotion-seeking officers to inflate rebel body counts.

Gen. Mario Montoya, who won wide acclaim for the bloodless hostage rescue of Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. military contractors on July 2, did not mention the scandal as a factor in his retirement after 39 years of service.

He did, however, ask his countrymen not prejudge soldiers who have been implicated in the scandal, to afford them "the right to defend themselves."

Montoya's resignation follows stinging criticism of an army policy he allegedly encouraged of promoting officers whose units kill the most leftist rebels.

Human rights groups say that policy encouraged soldiers in recent years to kill scores — perhaps hundreds — of civilians who were presented as guerrillas slain in combat. Prosecutors say they are investigating more than 90 army officers in such cases.


Read more: http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/sns-bc-lt--colombia-armykillings2ndld-writethru,0,1654799.story

[Joe Chi Minh]

1. Investigation. Good! You can be sure it was at least hundreds.

[texshelters]

2. News gets out after years of atrocities.

Colombia is so violent and corrupt and this murderous corporogovernment has been allowed to get away with war crimes for too long. I am glad it is finally coming out, like the Central American war crimes.

The United States needs to take away their funding (nearly 3 billion a year) and trade status until they clean up their military and government.

Obama said he voted against trade with Colombia because of the violence against union leaders. Let's hope he follows up with sanctions or other measures when elected.

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[struggle4progress]

3. Death squad scandal claims Colombia army chief

Chris Kraul, Bogota
November 6, 2008

On guard: Colombian soldiers watch over a cocaine seizure this week. General Montoya was seen as an ally in the US war on drug cartels. Photo: AFP

COLOMBIAN army commander Mario Montoya has resigned in a widening scandal surrounding the alleged practice of inflating body counts by shooting civilians and claiming them as guerillas killed in combat.

General Montoya is the highest-ranking official yet to lose his job over the "false positives" controversy, which last week forced President Alvaro Uribe to dismiss 20 senior officers from the army.

The army chief was a favourite of Washington, which saw him as an able caretaker of the US war against Marxist rebels and cocaine cartels. But General Montoya had long been dogged by allegations that he was linked to right-wing death squads.

A paramilitary fighter testified in court in August that General Montoya had funnelled arms to paramilitary groups, and human rights groups said he encouraged policies that led some army units to kill peasants and count them as rebels killed in combat to win favour with commanders ...

http://www.theage.com.au/world/death-squad-scandal-claims-colombia-army-chief-20081105-5ij6.html