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U.S. Honors Colombian Government, Military

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The Associated Press

Published: July 21, 2008

MIAMI - The U.S. Army honored the Colombian government and its military for rescuing hostages held by terrorist groups in a ceremony in Miami on Sunday.

Sunday was the Colombian Independence Festival.

Fifteen hostages were rescued this month, including kidnapped French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans. Keith Stansell of Sarasota was one of the three U.S. military contractors held in captivity for more than five years by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

The three men had been held by the FARC since their drug-surveillance plane went down in the jungle in February 2003. They were rescued when Colombian spies tricked their rebel captors into handing them over. The men were employees of a Northrop Grumman Corp. subsidiary.

U.S. soldiers marched to the stage holding a boxed American flag that was flown previously on Capitol Hill. Both the Colombian and American flags were raised during their anthems.

U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Ballart was presented with a flag, which then went to the Colombian consul, Luis Ignacio Guzman.

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