Uribe admits Red Cross emblem used in hostage rescue

[struggle4progress]

BOGOTA (AFP) — Colombian President Alvaro Uribe acknowledged that his army used the Red Cross emblem in its bloodless July 2 rescue of 15 hostages, a move the humanitarian agency swiftly denounced as "abusive."

Uribe allowed Wednesday that one army official wore a vest with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) emblem but said that it was because the official was nervous about the operation and there were many leftist rebels on the scene ...

CNN television reported that it had viewed unpublished photos and video of the rescue in which a military official is seen using the emblem of the international humanitarian organization, in what some said could be deemed a "war crime" ...

In Geneva, ICRC spokeswoman Florian Westphal said: "The respect of the emblem is crucial so the ICRC can bring help to people affected by the conflicts in Colombia or elsewhere" ...

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jhyOkh9rX1tcj-aGRbmdB0FokoPw