July 4, 2008 – PenguinSix

Natasha's Story – A long journey from Korea

It tells the story of Natasha, an Amerasian girl born in Korea and eventually adopted by a couple in the US. The story is one of a movie, so much so that I understand Francis Ford Copella’s Zoetrope studio has purchased the rights.

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Operation Jaque Helicopters

Operation Jaque Helicopters
Originally uploaded by penguinsix

This is the MI-17 helicopter used in the Ingrid Betancourt rescue operation. I found these photos deep in a Colombia military document that was released as part of the coverage of Operation Jaque. The paint looks pretty new. It’s a good thing FARC rebels aren’t that aware of aircraft up close, or they might have realized something odd was up. These don’t look like helicopters that have been flying around in the jungle filled with bugs and whatnot.
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Was a ransom paid for Betancourt?

The London Times and others are asking whether the Ingrid Betancourt rescue was actually staged to cover up a $20 million ransom payment. Swiss Radio is citing ‘reliable sources’ as saying a ransom was paid. Not entirely sure why the Swiss are so up on Colombian events, but we’ll see this story play out over the next few days]]>