[R-G] Colombia Assassinates Raul Reyes of FARC

[Anthony Fenton]

Today's commentary:
http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2008-03/02podur.cfm

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ZNet Commentary
Colombia Assassinates Raul Reyes of FARC March 02, 2008
By Justin Podur

The second-in-command of FARC (Colombia's guerrilla group), and  
perhaps its most visible spokesperson, Luis Édgar Devia Silva, or  
"Raul Reyes" (the nom de guerre), was killed by the Colombian  
military in bombings yesterday. The Colombian military killed some 15  
guerrillas in the operation, according to their own reports,  
including Raul Reyes. The reports suggest that it was basically an  
assassination, of the type the Israelis have committed in recent  
decades and are most recently accused of committing against Hizbollah  
commander Imad Mughniyeh (indeed, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez  
noted the similarity, asking if Colombia was going to be converted  
into the Israel of the Americas).  From El Tiempo (Colombia's  
national newspaper): "Reyes was killed in an intelligence operation  
that included the Army and Air Force, which intercepted a satellite  
phone call from the guerrilla chief, in recent hours that made it  
possible to find his exact location."

Raul Reyes was assassinated on Ecuadorian territory. The Ecuadorian  
army took some of the bodies, but the Colombian army took Raul  
Reyes's and those of other FARC officers.

Ecuador has retired its ambassador from Colombia.

Venezuela has also closed its embassy.

Ecuador and Venezuela are both moving troops to their borders with  
Colombia.

The Ecuadorian President, Rafael Correa, called Uribe a "criminal,  
mafioso, paramilitary" leading a "narco-government".

"We do not want war, but we will not permit the Empire or its puppy,  
President Uribe, to weaken us." Those were Chavez's words on the  
Venezuelan radio program, Alo Presidente on March 2. Chavez called  
Raul Reyes a "good revolutionary" and his killing a "cowardly  
assassination". Further, he said "It is very serious that a country  
arrogates to itself the right to bomb the territory of a neighbour  
and commit an incursion to take bodies, violating many international  
laws. Think of the consequences, not just for Colombia, but for your  
neighbours."

The Venezuelan government's official communication noted that the  
assassination was "a very hard blow against the humanitarian accord  
and the possibility of negotiations, revealing the irresponsibility  
of those who privilege the military option and escalate the armed  
conflict, making more difficult political and negotiated solutions,  
without regard for the consequences."

The assassination was, literally, the answer to FARC's second  
unilateral release of four kidnap victims, former Congresspeople, an  
operation coordinated with help from Venezuela. There are, therefore,  
numerous parallels with Israel. First, the tactic of high-tech, long- 
distance assassination of high-profile leaders. Second, the killing  
of dozens of others around as 'collateral damage'. Third, the use of  
such assassinations to undermine the possibilities for dialogue and  
negotiated solutions.

In this case, as with so much else in the region, the target is  
Venezuela and the objective is to escalate to a regional conflict -  
or, rather, an intensification and internationalization of the  
military conflict that is happening in Colombia. Such a conflict  
would be incredibly destructive for everyone involved, for Colombia  
and Colombians, for Uribe and his regime, and of course for  
Venezuela's revolution. The US, however, would benefit. When US  
allies use the same tactics in the same sorts of political situations  
against US enemies, there is reason to suspect a US role.

The US/Israeli approach in the Middle East, from the invasion of Iraq  
in 2003 to the invasion of Lebanon in 2006 and the ongoing massacres  
in Gaza, has been to commit atrocities and acts of violence and,  
using their superior militaries, exploit the political and military  
opportunities that arise (this is a military counterpart of what  
Naomi Klein calls "the shock doctrine"). Even when they have  
backfired politically or strained military resources, these violent  
approaches have cost their victims much more than their authors, who  
continue to have reason to believe that more violence can work.

One of the political opportunities that Israel counts on after it  
commits an assassination is some random act of violence by the  
Palestinian armed groups, which it can then exploit, calling the  
Palestinians terrorists. The FARC have been told that if they  
unilaterally release kidnap victims, the response will be the  
assassination of their commanders. What should those who believe the  
only solution to the conflict is a political solution say to them?

It would be a major improvement in world affairs, especially in the  
Middle East but increasingly, perhaps, in the Americas as well, if  
assassination was not viewed as an acceptable instrument of policy.  
As it is, the best short-term hope for the region is if there is an  
outpouring of official and popular disgust at Uribe's regime (and  
those who call the shots for that regime) for what it has done,  
throughout the Americas.

Justin Podur is a Toronto-based writer.