Colombian rebels kidnap American, British journalists
By The Associated Press
01.28.03
BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian rebels kidnapped an American photographer and a British reporter traveling on assignment for the Los Angeles Times, marking the first time in recent memory that foreign journalists have been abducted in Colombia's long-simmering civil war.
Scott Dalton, a native of Conroe, Texas; and Ruth Morris, a British citizen, have been "retained" by the National Liberation Army, or ELN, the guerrilla group said in a statement Jan. 23 on a clandestine rebel radio station.
Rebels stopped the two Jan. 21 on a road south of the town of Saravena, 200 miles northeast of Bogota, in one of Colombia's most embattled regions. Their driver, who was also briefly held, said the rebels placed hoods over the heads of the two journalists and lead them away from the taxi.
The driver, Madiel Ariza, told The Associated Press that the journalists were told they were being taken to meet with a rebel commander and would be released to the Red Cross to deliver a message to the international community.
In their statement, the ELN said they would free the journalists "in due time ... when the political and military conditions permit."
The rebels added that the journalists had entered a rebel stronghold without permission.
"You must take into account that Arauca state has been declared a war zone by the American government and the Colombian state," the rebel statement said. "For that reason, the National Liberation Army is on a war footing and is (acting) in the defense of the dignity of all the people of eastern Colombia."
The United States has given Colombia almost $2 billion in mostly military aid in the past three years. Last week, dozens of U.S. special forces troops deployed to Saravena and nearby towns to train Colombian troops to protect a key oil pipeline. The rebels have long considered Washington's support for the Colombian government an act of aggression.
The ELN said it was "prepared to guarantee the lives and security of these journalists," and did not issue any demands for their release.
The U.S. Embassy in Bogota was following the situation.
"We are concerned about the individuals who have been reported missing," an embassy spokesman said. "We continue to monitor the situation closely with the Colombian government and State Department in Washington to obtain the most accurate information."
Both Dalton and Morris are veteran journalists with experience in Colombia.
Dalton, 34, is a freelance photographer based in Bogota. He had been a photographer for the AP for about nine years, based in Panama, Guatemala and then Colombia, until the summer of 2002. He left to pursue video projects while freelancing for Bloomberg News, The New York Times, The Miami Herald and other media.
Morris has written articles as a freelancer for the Los Angeles Times, Time magazine, the Sun-Sentinel in south Florida and other publications. She previously was a staff writer for Dow Jones Newswires in Bogota.
"The situation is very fluid, and our primary concern is for Ruth and Scott's safety," the Los Angeles Times said in a statement.
The kidnappings come just days after three other foreigners were reported missing and believed taken by a Colombian paramilitary group in Panama, just north of the Colombian border.
Robert Pelton, Megan Smaker and Mark Wedeven were reportedly seized by the right-wing United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia. They were turned over to church officials Thursday. Pelton gained worldwide attention with an interview of American Taliban suspect John Walker Lindh while covering the war in Afghanistan for CNN.