15 Hostages Rescued from Colombia

15 Hostages Held by Colombian Rebels Are Rescued - NYTimes.com

15 Captives held by the FARC rebel group were rescued today announced Columbia. Ingrid Betancourt a former Columbian presidential candidate, and three American military contractors were among the 15 captives rescued.

The United States was involved in the planning and provided "specific support," but officials would not go into detail on what they actually helped with.

The FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia) held the captives for more than 4 years in Columbia. The U.S. contractors were spotted in the jungle about 4 months back, but the troops that spotted them did not have the right window of opportunity to take action.

The United States is saying that a rescue plan has been in the works for nearly five years now. The Colombians conceived and led the operation and the United States supported their mission.