ECUADOR Asks OAS to Probe Colombian Rebel Files

[magbana]

Ecuador asks OAS to probe Colombian rebel files
Sun Jun 1, 2008 8:12pm EDT


MEDELLIN, Colombia, June 1 (Reuters) - Ecuador on Sunday asked the Organization of American States to investigate claims by neighboring Colombia that linked Ecuador to left-wing rebels branded terrorists by Washington.

Ecuador denies the claims and asked the OAS to clarify the situation, which has increased tensions between the two countries since a Colombian military raid on Ecuador's side of the border in March killed top Colombian rebel Raul Reyes.

"Ecuador is officially asking the secretary-general of the OAS to launch an investigation," Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Maria Isabel Salvador told reporters on the sidelines of an OAS meeting in Medellin, Colombia.

Colombian and U.S. officials say files found on Reyes' computer indicate Venezuela's President Hugh Chavez and Ecuadorean leader Rafael Correa provided financial support or backing to the rebels. Both leaders deny those charges.

OAS chief Jose Miguel Insulza has said he is willing to look into the matter if a member country requests an investigation.

Interpol last month said its forensic tests showed the authenticity of the files but the international police agency could not vouch for the veracity of the contents of the computers found at Reyes' camp inside Ecuador.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is Washington's closest ally in the region while Correa and Chavez are fierce critics of the White House.

Colombia's four-decade-old guerrilla war often spills over into the neighboring countries. (Reporting by Nelson Bocanegra; Writing by Hugh Bronstein; Editing by Bill Trott)


http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN01441454

http://snipurl.com/2bz7r

[Zorro]

1. Sounds like a good idea to me

It's either a confident, calculated, or not-so-smart move on Ecuador's part if the OAS does decide to get involved and investigate the authenticity of the files.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Good news! Insulza said he would, now he needs to put up or shut up!

You have to admit, now's the time to "get 'er done," since they're in Colombia already! Strike while the iron is hot, etc.

Hopefully he'll remember to do more than to assert that no one screwed with the documents between the two dates, a couple of days AFTER the Colombian government claimed to have taken possession of the laptops.

This should be interesting. Thanks, magbana.

~~~~~~~~~~
OAS annual conference opens in Colombia

www.chinaview.cn 2008-06-02 13:39:03

BOGOTA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The 2008 conference of the Organization of American States (OAS) kicked off Sunday in the Colombian city of Medellin.

OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe inaugurated the opening ceremony, which was attended by officials and representatives from 94 countries and some international organizations.

During the three-day meeting, 34 members of the bloc are expected to discuss such issues as reinforcing democracy, improving the competitiveness of the young people, fending off the global food crisis and cracking down on terrorism and drug-trafficking.

The conference will also discuss some hot issues in the region, said Insulza.

More:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/02/content_8300179.htm

[Judi Lynn]

3. OAS Says Will Probe Colombian Rebel Computer Files

OAS Says Will Probe Colombian Rebel Computer Files
Reuters
MEDELLIN, Colombia


The Organization of American States said on Monday it will investigate claims by Colombia that computer files left by a slain guerrilla chief show that neighboring Ecuador had cooperated with the rebels.

Ecuador Foreign Minister Maria Isabel Salvador requested the OAS probe as a way to prove that her country does not have links with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

"We have to look into the contents (of the files). The minister is asking that we clarify precisely what is real and what is not," OAS chief Jose Miguel Insulza told reporters on the sidelines of an OAS meeting in Medellin, Colombia.

Regional diplomatic tensions have increased since a Colombian military raid on Ecuador's side of the border in March killed Raul Reyes, a top left-wing rebel commander.

Colombian and U.S. officials say files found on Reyes' computer indicate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Ecuadorean leader Rafael Correa provided financial support or backing to the rebels. Both leaders deny those charges.


http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=4981187