August 07, 2008	Thursday	Sha’aban 4, 1429

GENEVA, Aug 6: The international Red Cross said on Wednesday it deplored the apparent ‘deliberate misuse’ of its emblem by Colombian forces during the liberation of hostage Ingrid Betancourt last month.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that Colombian TV footage showed a member of the army was sporting the emblem before the operation to release Betancourt and 14 other hostages on July 2 had even begun.

“If authenticated, these images would clearly establish an improper use of the Red Cross emblem, which we deplore,” said the ICRC’s deputy director of operations, Dominik Stillhart.

The ICRC in a statement voiced its “serious concern over what appears to have been a deliberate misuse of the Red Cross emblem” during the operation.

“We are in contact with the Colombian authorities to ask for further clarifications as to exactly what happened,” Stillhart added.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe acknowledged last month that an army officer had used the emblem in the July 2 operation to rescue the hostages from Marxist FARC rebels, and said he had apologised to the ICRC.

The lawyer of the two members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), who were captured in the operation, said they had been tricked by the soldiers’ use of the Red Cross emblem.—AFP