World News 14-08-2001 IRA Suspects Arrested In Colombia who: IRA what: Instructed guerillas in bomb-making techniques where: Colombia when: Last month snippet: "Three Provisional IRA suspects have been arrested in South America following a secret police surveillance operation," reports The Mirror this morning. "The men are being held in Bogota, Colombia. Forensic tests have been carried out on their clothes for traces of explosives." "As news of the arrests spread, it was assumed in Northern Ireland that the men must have been on a weapons-buying mission," reports The Guardian. "But last night the Colombian army said the trio had spent nearly two weeks in a remote rebel-held part of the country where they were teaching bomb-making techniques to guerrillas." "Two of the men were named as Martin John McCauley and Williams Monaghan," says The Independent. "The third speaks Spanish with a coastal accent and is using the alias David Bracken." All three were said to be travelling on false passports. The men are thought to have been instructing members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC), which "controls 40% of the countryside and is involved in drug-running," says the BBC. [... more]

What The Papers Say is delivered to thousands of readers every morning by web, WAP and email. Sign up today!