Response to NPR's interview about the FARC

Dear All Things Considered,

I am usually very impressed and informed by Robert Siegel's reporting, but I was disappointed with his recent interview with Professor Marc Chernick concerning the FARC rebel group in Colombia. Although the guest showed little to no bias, I felt that Mr. Siegel lost his journalistic impartiality and was painting the issue as FARC = bad guys and US-allied Colombian government = good. In this kind of ugly struggle, no side is purely the victim or purely the righteous.

Mr. Siegel could have also mentioned or asked the guest about the FARC's social motivations, positive contributions to the Colombian people, or the many atrocities that the Colombian government and its henchmen have inflicted on nonthreatening FARC supporters or rural peoples. By no means do I condone the FARC's terroristic activities, kidnapping, or drug trading, but I also disapprove of the US-backed Uribe regime violating Uruguay's sovereignty to assassinate a FARC leader and almost provoking a regional conflict. I don't approve of the billions of US taxpayer dollars funneled into Plan Colombia, an anti-narcotics program supposedly protecting our kids from smack, but actually a marginally effective, corrupt campaign against the FARC. Right-wing groups in Colombia also participate in the drug trade, but are much less targeted. The audience might also like to learn about how ultra-right the Uribe government is on some issues, and how they contributed to Mrs. Betancourt's kidnapping by derailing the peace process (probably at Washington's behest). "We don't negotiate" with terrorists, communists, and drug dealers I suppose, and would rather continue a tragic conflict than work towards a diplomatic settlement.