Colombia and the WaPo revisited

earlier in the month, in keeping with my tradition of wapo-bashing, i nailed them on an op-ed they published assailing the negativity that surrounded colombia's president álvaro uribe's visit to the white house (here)... i then followed up with another post on why uribe shouldn't be painted as the glorious hero (here), standing side-by-side with the u.s., and saving colombia from the drug cartels, to which a commenter responded...

You didn't answer the questions of whether or not Uribe has any ties to the paramilitary groups. This is the argument that WaPo is making, and if you don't dispel this argument you haven't convinced me. Please help me out here.

so, i did a little more research and found some background that supported the colombian government's complicity in the on-going violence and death in that country (here)... what i DIDN'T expect was for the wapo's news arm to refute their own op-ed... this is on page one of today's edition...

Paramilitary Ties to Elite In Colombia Are Detailed

Commanders Cite State Complicity in Violent Movement

By Juan Forero
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, May 22, 2007; Page A01

MEDELLIN, Colombia -- Top paramilitary commanders have in recent days confirmed what human rights groups and others have long alleged: Some of Colombia's most influential political, military and business figures helped build a powerful anti-guerrilla movement that operated with impunity, killed civilians and shipped cocaine to U.S. cities.

The commanders have named army generals, entrepreneurs, foreign companies and politicians who not only bankrolled paramilitary operations but also worked hand in hand with fighters to carry them out. In accounts that are at odds with those of the government, the commanders have said their organization, rather than simply sprouting up to fill a void in lawless regions of the country, had been systematically built with the help of bigger forces.

so, are we going to see a clarification of the op-ed and, if not, why not...?

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