Front Page: "An ally betrayed"

David Horowitz's Front Page Magazine discusses today the American hostages in Columbia who were miraculously rescued last week and the role of America in that rescue. In an article by Jacob Laksin, questions are raised about the role of Democrats in working with allies within that country.

Mr. Laksin wrote in An Ally Betrayed:

Last week’s daring rescue of 15 Colombian hostages held by the Marxist FARC has been universally hailed as a triumph of military strategy. But at least one group besides the gulled guerrilla jailers looks diminished in its aftermath: Congressional Democrats.

How have Democrats alienated our allies to the south?

Last year in particular saw an upsurge of anti-Colombian agitation on Capitol Hill. Goaded on by Vermont’s Patrick Leahy, head of the Senate subcommittee overseeing foreign aid, Democrats froze $55 million in military aid in April 2007. Al Gore, adding insult to injury, refused that same month to appear at an environmental conference with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. Why a respected head of state would even wish to be seen alongside a political washout and global warming hysteric was unclear. Nonetheless, Gore’s no-show was a stinging insult to Uribe. It was not the last.

Nancy Pelosi, fresh from an April 2007 sit-down with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, threatened to withhold an audience with the democratically elected and widely popular Uribe during his May visit. Eventually agreeing to a talk with Uribe, Pelosi didn’t conceal her contempt.

The revealing back-story of D.C. politics in the months leading up to the rescue is here.