France calls off hostage mission
From Times Wire Reports
France called off a humanitarian mission to treat and possibly free ailing hostage Ingrid Betancourt after Colombian rebels said they wouldn’t unilaterally release any more captives.
The French Foreign Ministry said there was no longer any reason to proceed with the mission by France, Spain and Switzerland in Colombia.
A French government plane has been waiting on a Bogota airstrip for days with doctors hoping to reach Betancourt, who was said to be depressed and suffering from hepatitis B.
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