CBS/AP Fail to Call FARC Narco-terrorists Terrorists

Photo of Ken Shepherd.
By Ken Shepherd (Bio | Archive)
March 3, 2008 - 14:07 ET

Leftist Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez is threatening neighboring Colombia with war after that country successfully killed via airstrike FARC terrorists in a camp in Ecuador. Yet in reporting the story, CBSNews.com and the AP downplayed the terroristic nature of the leftist rebel movement.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has been on a Comprehensive List of Terrorists and Groups since November 2, 2001, yet in a March 2 AP filing on the CBSNews.com Web site, the Associated Press waited 30 paragraphs before hinting that FARC was an internationally-maligned terror organization:

[Venezuelan dictator Hugo] Chavez has increasingly revealed his sympathies for the FARC, and in January asked that it be struck from lists of terrorist groups internationally.

Instead, AP preferred to label FARC as a "rebel" force and put in dismissive quote marks the term "terrorists" to refer to FARC militants. For good measure, AP gave ink to former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, who insisted Colombia was acting as a puppet of Washington:

(CBS/AP) Venezuela and Ecuador ordered troops to their borders with Colombia, sharply raising tensions after Colombia killed a top rebel leader on Ecuadorean soil.

President Hugo Chavez on Sunday promised Venezuela would respond militarily if Colombia violates its border, where he ordered tanks as well as thousands of troops. He also ordered closed Venezuela's embassy in Bogota.

"This could be the start of a war in South America," Chavez said.

[...]

Chavez called the killing of rebel leader and spokesman Raul Reyes and 16 other guerrillas on Saturday an attack by a "terrorist state," saying it shows Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is a "criminal."

[...]

Colombia said after the assault that FARC "terrorists" including Reyes "have had the custom of killing in Colombia and taking refuge in the territory of neighboring countries."

Fidel Castro blamed the U.S. for the turmoil, writing on Monday that "genocidal plans of the Yankee empire" created tensions between the South American nations.

It wasn't until paragraph 31 of 36 that the AP mentioned activities that FARC is infamous for which easily fall under the definition of terrorism:

The leftist FARC has been fighting Colombia's government for more than four decades, and funds itself largely through the cocaine trade and kidnaps for ransom and political ends.

—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters


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Never met a communist they didn't like

March 3, 2008 - 14:19 ET by jefflebowski

The left has always supported bloodthirsty left-wing dictators and groups.

FARC has caused untold damage and pain to Colombia. I was in Colombia for one of the anti-FARC demonstrations and it was unbelievable to see the thousands upon thousands who demonstrated against this terrorist group.

They are narco-terrorists who are in bed with Chavez in Venezuela.

I congratulate Colombia on the death of Raul Reyes, the rolex wearing communist who has destroyed so many lives.

AP - Making news by

March 3, 2008 - 15:35 ET by kg

AP - Making news by omission and distortion for over 160 years.

"Forget change, I want improvement!"

I Noticed This Too

March 3, 2008 - 16:09 ET by deerjerkydave

I also noticed that the liberal media only refer to Chavez and friends as "leftists".  Right wing nut jobs however are labeled as "conservatives."

We wouldn't want to hurt the feelings of communist terrorists by calling them communists terrorists now would we?  We wouldn't want to take sides by calling a spade a spade.  This is how they think, or at least excuse their bias.

The sympathy for left wing, communist, liberal dictators by our liberal media is detrimental to freedom loving people.  The weird thing is that I'm a conservative and yet I have no sympathy for right wing dictators.  To me, a dictator is a dicator.  It seems odd that to a liberal they seem to have strong sympathetic feelings with the far left on the political spectrum.  I get the sense that our politicians and media only tolerate the freedoms individuals now have in our country and long for the day when such powers are seized upon by politicians.

Chavez comes from terrorists

March 3, 2008 - 16:31 ET by wizardjr

Recall, Chavez tried violent overthrow of his own government. He is directly tied to all these "Freedom Fighters". Anyone who does not know that FARC is a bunch of narco terrorists just isn't paying attention. I hope Chavez pulls the trigger. It would be good to see him get a spanking in public. From the day he ran for office it was said he's a sock puppet for the producers and smugglers of cocaine. How can you not believe it now?

Scary

March 3, 2008 - 22:54 ET by RESTLESS 1

I read about this in the local rag. As I scanned the online version, apparently some interesting things have been going on during the day. Here is a snippet:

"And this shocker: Colombia says some documents suggest the rebels have bought and sold uranium.

"When
they mention negotiations for 50 kilos of uranium this means that the
FARC are taking big steps in the world of terrorism to become a global
aggressor. We're not talking of domestic guerrilla but transnational
terrorism," Gen. Oscar Naranjo said at an explosive news conference.""

Scary stuff, and a far cry from the print version I read this morning.

The WSJ is carrying the

March 4, 2008 - 09:04 ET by dscott

The WSJ is carrying the story as well today on Chavez being in league with FARC. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120459178078409043.html?mod=djemEditorialPage   It seems a $300 million payoff for hostages demonstrates el Presidente's ability to negotiate, or rather a thinly disguised means to finance FARC in waging war against Colombia.  Chavez already declared war on Colombia years ago, but he did it like a coward in order to claim he was engaging in a humanitarian effort.

 Lord Sidious / Darth Vader 2008  Long Live the Empire!  Come to the Dark Side, it is your Destiny.

I had read about some of

March 4, 2008 - 12:28 ET by RESTLESS 1

I had read about some of that too. Of course, the name of the United States is always part of the rhetoric. But hey, we'll just leave the borders open and keep whistling past the graveyard.