America has forgotten hostages

In February 2003, American defense contractors Keith Stansell, Thomas Howes, and Marc Gonsalves were shot down over Colombia while conducting a counternarcotics mission. After 4½ years and promises that the United States would “never give up” until they were home, the three were believed to be dead –until video footage of them was recently released.
The footage, which also shows French-Colombian citizen Ingrid Betancourt, has stirred outrage and sympathy in France, with French officials leaning on the Colombian government for her safe release.
Their efforts for a woman who wasn’t even born in their country are contrasted with the current lack of outrage from the United States, which has three citizens still in captivity after almost five years.
Posted by Kristin Mehler

14 Comments

  1. Doug
    Posted December 11, 2007 at 1:16 am | Permalink

    And we’ll never give up:1. Hunting down Bin Laden2. Finding the people behind the anthrax attacks3. Finding the WMD in Iraq4. Making sure every vote is counted5. Making sure no child is left behind

    A promise under the Bush regime means absolutely nothing.

  2. Wiseman
    Posted December 11, 2007 at 3:21 am | Permalink

    You know we can get pretty serious with their captors if we really want too.I don’t think they really know what they are up against.Even if we negotiate, play their game and get our people back, it is afterwards what we will do to them that they will have to fear.A no win scenario for them absolutely not a challenge.

  3. Stu Meckle
    Posted December 11, 2007 at 6:22 am | Permalink

    GB and DC get a kick out of dead Americans. Something to do with being rich and powerful makes them treat American lives as if they are paper cutouts.

  4. outlander
    Posted December 11, 2007 at 6:33 am | Permalink

    Cool. Let’s invade Columbia.

  5. political_mom
    Posted December 11, 2007 at 7:12 am | Permalink

    Oh this is something that cannot stand. I didn’t even realize. There is no excuse for this!

    They should be front page news every day till they come home.

  6. littlejohn
    Posted December 11, 2007 at 7:26 am | Permalink

    I didn’tknow this either. Although I am a little confused. Is the government holding them? Or some sort of rebel group? I am sorry that I am completely ignorant about this. If it is the government, I say send in a c-130 troop transport. Behind it by about an hour, a B-52. Tell Colombia, you have your choices. Pick one. A bit drastic perhaps, but this hostage stuff has to stop. Iguess we could always do something peaceful and tell them we’ll quit buying their drugs.If it is some sort of rebel group. Send in a Seal team. With orders to bring back the hostages. Period. No quarter given. Bring them back

  7. hmmm ...
    Posted December 11, 2007 at 8:08 am | Permalink

    I wonder if the Columbians have a facility similar to Guantanamo. And, since waterboarding is OK I wonder if they are doing that to their ‘detainees’

  8. hmmm ...
    Posted December 11, 2007 at 8:09 am | Permalink

    http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2007/12/roberts-pelosi.html

  9. The Phantom
    Posted December 11, 2007 at 8:49 am | Permalink

    They might be waterboarding them just for the fun of it, since I doubt they have any useful info.

  10. ken
    Posted December 11, 2007 at 9:25 am | Permalink

    … and what of those 2 DEA agents still in prison for shooting a drug dealer in the ass …

  11. WAR
    Posted December 11, 2007 at 11:59 am | Permalink

    Thank you, Ms. Mehler, for finally producing a critically important piece of journalism. This situation is inexcusable. We all need to hear the specific reason that these people have been allowed to remain in the illegal custody of drug terrorists for as long as they have. We all need to rally and let our government know that it is imperative that these hostages be freed immediately – by force if not through negotiations.

  12. Pleefer
    Posted December 11, 2007 at 5:41 pm | Permalink

    Doug is funny. HAHAHAHAHAHA

    But, I don’t dig on the “Military Contractor” thing.

    If they were Blackwater, who knows what they were doing down there. The Sturmabteilung (SA or “Brownshirts”) were a Blackwater-type para-military organization too.

    Remember Blackwater helped disarm New Orleans.

    Here you go…http://scholarsandrogues.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/blackwater-flies/

  13. Eagle Beak
    Posted December 11, 2007 at 11:16 pm | Permalink

    SORRY FOR YOU LOSS. But we cannnot torture anyone to find out where your family member is. We do give out jelly beans and teddy bears. Begging for information has not been working, as you can see.

  14. political_mom
    Posted December 11, 2007 at 11:24 pm | Permalink

    Sounds like they’re not even trying to use NON torture techniques though.