Home | China | World | Business Six Months to Take in the Retaking of Demilitarized Zone WED, FEB 27, 2002     It will take at least six months to reclaim the demilitarized zone from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the military announced on Tuesday. Colombian President Andres Pastrana announced last Wednesday the break-off of peace negotiations with FARC after it hijacked a Colombian plane and kidnapped a senator. After the announcement, Pastrana ordered the military to regain control of the demilitarized zone ceded to FARC three years ago. Colombia's warplanes began to bomb camps, warehouses, clandestine runways and other FARC positions last Thursday. The elite Rapid Deployment Force, backed by dozens of Air Force paratroopers, swept into the urban area of San Vicente del Caguan,the largest of the five main towns of the 42,139-square-kilometer neutral zone. "The arrival of troops into the municipal capital is an act of democracy, but it does not mean a total occupation of the area," military spokesmen were quoted by the Bogota-based daily El Tiempoas saying on Tuesday. The operation dubbed, "Operation Thanatos," named after the Greek god of death, is expected to end in July. The first phase of the operation against rebels' logistics positions alone will take six weeks. "This is one of the most complex and extensive operations in the history of the armed forces. That's why it is taking time. It is better to take slow but firm steps," a general said on condition of anonymity. "Operation Thanatos" is divided into three phases: the first, including bombing, is currently under way and is basically being undertaken by the Air Force, seeking to remove the rebels from the area. The second stage is aimed at retaking the territory and will last for 15 weeks and consists of the penetration of counter-guerrilla troops throughout rural areas occupied by the rebel group. The third will be a consolidation phase, which includes the permanent installation of battalions and counter-insurgency units in the five municipalities. Editor:Liu Hongji Source:Xinhua Recommend to your friend email:    China Central Television,All Rights Reserved