US to back Colombia offensive against rebels

The US will offer its full support to Colombian President Andres Pastrana's decision to call off peace talks with leftist rebels…

The US will offer its full support to Colombian President Andres Pastrana's decision to call off peace talks with leftist rebels and launch a military offensive against them, the State Department said today.

"We have always expressed our support for Pastrana and his decisions on how to move forward,'' State Department Richard Boucher said, adding that a formal statement on the matter would be issued shortly.

Colombia's military have launched a major offensive to reclaim a Switzerland-sized swath of territory controlled by the FARC rebel group after Mr Pastrana late Wednesday called off peace talks.

AFP