Yes...this was a great ending and everyone is safe and sound but there are still other hostages that we can't forget! So to say that the prosecutors have free reign to prosecute the FARC isn't really so. They still hold many hostages that they can harm or even kill. Just because they aren't American hostages doesn't mean that they matter any less.

Cindy...Ga.

Well the government really took a gamble with these people’s lives. I can see how it’s important to not yield to terrorists but at the same time how do you value one person’s life over another. If these hostages had been more than Northrop Grumman contractors I am sure this prosecution could have been postponed. Glad the hostages made it out alive though, someone was watching out for them even if our government wasn’t.

Kudos to everyone involved in freeing the hostages. But let’s not forget there are still others held captive. I hope and pray that they stay safe.

Lilibeth
Edmonds, Washington

WHY did we let them sit there this long? Rotting in a camp while the world waits is unacceptable. This was the first time I even heard of this situation. It sickens me to think that our government with all it's capabilities allowed this to go on, and on, and on...

WHY are we allowing some hostages and captors to remain?

FARC thugs could easily retaliate by killing many or all of the remaining hostages...We/the rescuers (READ: U.S. and Columbians) let the thugs get away. LET THEM, by admission. So when or if they kill more hostages or retaliate with terrorism, we let them go!

While it is touching to see the many comments about this incident, it is very evident that the American people need to be educated about what FARC really are and about their history, intentions and real threat to freedom.

This war has been going on for forty years and it is amazing that only now the American public realizes that is it for real. Don't be fooled: FARC is active in seeking more hostages, even after being severely weakened by the actions of the Colombian military. FARC is not interested in negotiating and no, they are not simply a group of thugs. They are (or were until recently) a very organized, well-armed and well-funded terrorist group. They are battle-hardened and now their areas very well and sometimes better than thte Colombian Armed Forces.

It blew my mind to see the US Media speaking on and on about Colombia after the war there had been neglected for the longest time. If the American public wants to see results against an organization that helps bring drugs into this country and kills thousands of innocent people every year, they must demand information. Being awed about what happened and voicing your opinion about it, only to forget it tomorrow does not help

I strongly support the government´s policy and principles of never yielding to terrorist acts of horror imposed to civilized societies worldwide. We need to stand tall and take a step forward and exterminate these insignificant roaches from the face of this earth. People need to start coming to terms with this new concept as a way of life, or else, you will be a captive and the problem to an easy solution. Keep those prayers coming.

My hat is off to the Columbian military who pulled the ruse off to perfection as no shots were fired. This operations was a true success all the way around. But the fact is, the odds of success in these types of "missions" is very small, especially when you have to go onto the bad guys backyard to pull it off. As some perhaps missed, this tactical operations had been in the planning stages for several years. Sadly a basic axiom in Hostage Negotiations involving military operations and terrorists is that hostages are to be considered dead or expendable unless almost 100% of success is guaranteed. Thats not to say you don't look at ways to pull it off. This one ended successfully, yet look at the many hostages situtations where some got out alive, while others were executed by their captures. God and good luck often come into play. This time the good guys won one. Cudos to all who took part.

While I am happy to see the hostages freed, I have a question about their mission in Colombia in the first place. "Government defense contractors" is often a code-word for mercenaries. Happy as everyone, especially their families, are about their release, it's worth questioning the U.S. government's use of private security firms in military and quasi-military operations around the world. I've not heard any news coverage about this aspect of the story. It's worth reporting. We've got scary companies like Blackwater doing our dirty work in Iraq–what else are these types of firm up to around the globe? Surely not advocating American priniciples. The War on Terror and the War on Drugs may be good causes most of the time, but if Americans condone the use of (possibly illegal) force outside of U.S. law, then what are we saying about ourselves to the rest of the world, already teeming with those who hate us? Drug lords and terrorists are patently evil, but we still have our own ideals to uphold.