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U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs Office
MIAMI - The men and women of U.S. Southern Command participated in a ceremony today to remember three U.S. defense contractors held hostage in Colombia for five years and express their commitment to work tirelessly towards their safe release.
Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes, and Keith Stansell were kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a narco-terrorist organization, shortly after their plane crash-landed on Feb. 13, 2003, in an area occupied by the FARC within Colombia's southern region.
The three contractors were taking part in a routine mission to detect cocaine crops. Following the crash-landing, FARC members murdered the aircraft pilot, U.S. citizen Thomas Janis, and Colombian Army Sgt. Luis Alcides Cruz.
"Five years ago yesterday, they got up in the morning like we all did today. They went to work. Their work was dangerous. It was work that matters deeply - it matters to the United States, it matters to Colombia, it matters to the region," said Navy Adm. James Stavridis, commander of SOUTHCOM, who presided over the ceremony. "Their work was primarily directed against illegal narcotics, against the FARC, an illegitimate terrorist group that seeks to undermine the democratically-elected government of Colombia."
"That day did not go well," he said.
The search for the three started that day, said Stavridis. Since then, the command has devoted 17,000 flight hours, pursued hundreds of leads, and has devoted a staff of 35 people who work full time to try to secure their safe release bring to justice the persons responsible for their kidnapping and the murder of their colleagues.
"[This] has been an enormous effort at U.S. Southern Command, at the U.S. Embassy and throughout Colombia. It is part of the enormous national effort in Colombia to seek the safe return of almost a thousand hostages that are held by the FARC," said Stavridis.
In the months following the crash, the men had no contact with the outside world until late July 2003 when a Colombian journalist made a videotape of an interview with the three hostages. Then, in the Fall of 2007, another videotape dated in January, 2007, surfaced showing Gonsalves, Howes and Stansell along with letters from the men.
"A ray of hope," said Stavridis of the latest proof of life.
"We continue to believe fervently that Mark, Keith and Tom are alive. We search for them, and their return is the top priority of the command," said Stavridis.
The ceremony included a short summary of their kidnapping, synopses of each of the waiting families, reading of Isaiah 61: 1-2, and a prayer for the hostages, their families and the ongoing release effort.
| Date Taken: | 02.14.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 02.14.2008 16:27 |
| Story ID: | 16359 |
| Location: | MIAMI, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 108 |
| Downloads: | 90 |
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