Ingrid Betancourt has travelled to the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin at Lourdes in France to give thanks for her liberation from years of captivity as a hostage of the FARC. Alongside her mother, son, and daughter, Ms. Betancourt also offered prayers on behalf of those prisoners who are still held hostage by the FARC guerrillas.
The hand-made beads Ms. Betancourt used to pray the rosary during her captivity.
Previously: Reunited | Gaudium magnum
very nice pictures, Mr. Cusack. Betancourt’s is a very inspiring story
Very nice pictures and story. As others have pointed out, it would be quite becoming for Mme. Betancourt to extend her thanks in another direction as well, i.e., to the US military and intelligence personnel whose work assisted in her liberation.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/10/AR2008071002262.html
Krathammer’s rant shows what a bore he is.
Also, he creates a hard-power/soft-power dichotomy which is inappropriate in this situation. The rebels are in Colombia, therefore it’s for the government of Colombia to fight them. Why should the City of Paris or the Italian Republic do anything more than offer moral and spiritual support? Does Krauthammer think Italy or other EU countries should’ve sent brigades to Colombia? Does he think the EU has a legitimate right to run the internal affairs of Zimbabwe? How ridiculous, not to mention dismissive of the sovereignty of nations and inherently supportive of instability and disorder.
Thank God President Uribe seems to be doing a fine job down in Colombia. If only we had a president in America who would apply “hard power” to real problems rather than going off on crusades to spread the evils of liberal democracy around the globe.
Saw this on ABCTV.es:
http://www.abctv.es/#frontaleID=F_RC§ionID=S_UHINTE&videoID=752