February 23, 2002

The FARC said Friday it isn't interested in new peace talks with Pastrana as his government is not interested in peace, and whose term in office ends in August.

Colombia's largest guerrilla army apparently vanished into the tropical jungles of its former sanctuary ahead of the military offensive.

At least 10 right-wing paramilitary fighters were killed late Friday in combat with the FARC in western Colombia, said army Col. Edgar Cifuentes.

Many experts predict that the FARC was saving its heaviest retaliation. ``There will probably be an economic war, an urban war, a war against the oligarchy in the cities like we've never seen before,'' said Carlos Franco, a political analyst and CIA asset. In other words, the FARC-EP are here to stay.

The FARC says it fights in the name of Colombia's poor. Colombia's oligarchy, made up of drug traffickers well known by the DEA, military officials, paramilitaries leaders, and politicians, believe the rebels are "little more than terrorists, kidnappers and drug traffickers" as the corporate media trumpets.

The U.S. State Department said Friday that Washington would increase intelligence sharing with Colombia's military and accelerate deliveries of spare parts for military equipment. Colombian Ambassador Luis Moreno welcomed the announcement but said his government wants permission to use the U.S. equipment already provided for the "drug war" ``to prevent acts of terrorism.''