Colombian rebels to release hostages' bodies

Bogota, July 27: Colombia's biggest rebel army offered to turn over the bodies of 11 kidnapped provincial lawmakers, a move that might allow authorities to determine the circumstances of their deaths last month.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, says the politicians were cut down in cross fire during a June 18 rescue attempt by an unidentified military force.

President Alvaro Uribe, popular for his US-backed crackdown on the FARC, accuses it of murdering the hostages captured in 2002 from the western city of Cali.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, relatives of the victims and former government minister Alvaro Leyva, who has acted as a go-between for possible hostage swap talks, were invited to the site where the remains are being held, according to a rebel statement.

''They can contact one of our units in the western part of the country and go immediately to the location,'' it said.

The rebels seized the 11 lawmakers more than five years ago by pretending to be soldiers and escorting them out of their provincial capital building and onto a bus, saying there was a bomb scare.

The FARC is also holding French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, captured in 2002, and three American defense contractors taken in 2003 during an anti-drug mission.

Reuters>