FARC Release 8 More Hostages

The especially good news about this release, the story explains, is that it was arranged exclusively by the Red Cross. Their effectiveness and safety had been brought into question after the rescue of Ingrid Betancourt and 14 others, including three Americans who'd been held since 1993, earlier this month. During that mission one of the rescuers wore a Red Cross jacket - a breach of international law that could endanger other Red Cross workers around the world.

The freed American hostages, mostly unknown to Americans all these years, were drug-war civilian contractors Keith Stansell, Marc Gonsalves, and Thomas Howes, who were captured on February 13, 2003, after their small plane crashed in the Columbian jungle.

Severed Fingers of Western Hostages Received

Hopefully this means they're alive.

Mar 12, 2008 9:44 pm US/Central Severed Fingers Of Hostages Sent To U.S. In Iraq (WCCO) U.S. officials say authorities in Iraq received five severed fingers belonging to four Americans and an Austrian who were taken hostage more than a year ago, according to newspaper reports

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More than a year ago. Damn. Haven't heard a damn thing about it in the news.