U.S. learned late of Colombian bid

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA — Although the U.S. government was supposed to have final authority on any plan to rescue three American contractors held by guerrillas, it was kept in the dark by the Colombian military until a week before the July 2 operation to lessen the chances the Bush administration would veto the effort, said a top official close to the operation.

"They wanted to wait long enough to make it difficult to say no," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was forbidden to discuss the topic for attribution.

A Colombian Defense Ministry official, who also requested anonymity, confirmed Sunday that his government had waited until shortly before the operation to inform the United States. However, he said Colombia delayed not because it feared the Americans would oppose the move but "to ensure with certainty that the plan would be executed successfully."

In early June, intelligence officials in the U.S. Embassy here intercepted communication among rebel leaders at the same time that they noticed the suspicious convergence of groups suspected of guarding the three Americans and other hostages. The officials were part of a 100-person team dedicated to securing the release of the American contractors, Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell, since they were captured in February 2003 when their plane crash-landed in remote jungle.

Suspecting that a rescue plan was in motion, U.S. officials asked Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos, who laid out the daring blueprint on June 25, the first official said.

On June 30, at a meeting of the National Security Council that included Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. gave the green light. American officials here believed chances of success were about 50-50.

Colombian and U.S. officials had long agreed that the latter would have a final say on any effort to rescue the Americans.

On July 2, a 13-member Colombian commando team posing as humanitarian aid workers fooled guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia into loading 15 hostages, including the three Americans and former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, onto a helicopter that they thought was taking them to meet the rebel group's new commander. The Colombian commandos instead overcame the two FARC guards and flew the hostages to safety.