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Colombia: Evidence suggests Chavez gave FARC $300M

(CNN) — Evidence found in computers seized in a raid over the weekend suggests that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez recently gave the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia $300 million, Colombia’s national police chief said Monday.

Speaking at a news conference, Gen. Oscar Naranjo also said evidence in the computers suggests FARC had given Chavez 100 million pesos when he was a jailed rebel leader.

FARC has fought to overthrow the Colombian government for 40 years.

Chavez had no immediate response to the allegations involving him.

Naranjo said other evidence in the computers suggests FARC purchased 50 kilograms of uranium this month.

Meanwhile, Colombia said Monday it won’t send troops to its southwest and northeast borders, where Venezuelan and Ecuadoran military forces were to be separately deployed after a Colombian raid into Ecuador. Watch what led to attack

The Saturday raid, which Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa said violated his nation’s airspace, left two Colombian rebels dead.

Correa said he was disposed to go to the ultimate consequences in response to the raid, and Chavez said he firmly stands behind Ecuador.

Colombia’s President Alvaro Uribe said his government reiterates its affection and respect for the neighboring countries, according to a statement on a government Web site.

Developments in the northern part of the continent have rapidly unfolded since Saturday, when the Colombian police and air force killed the FARC’s second-in-command, Luis Edgar Devia Silva, aka Raul Reyes. The Colombian government described it as the most significant blow yet to the rebels.

Colombia says its police and military attacked the targets after its forces came under fire from FARC rebels about a mile inside Ecuador.

Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos denied Colombia had violated Ecuadoran airspace, but Correa and Chavez assailed the raid as an infringement of Ecuador’s sovereignty.

Chavez ordered 10 battalions of troops to the Colombian border Sunday and closed Venezuela’s embassy in Bogota. He said Venezuela would have declared war on Colombia if its troops had attacked targets in Venezuela.

Chavez called the attack a cowardly murder and blamed the United States, a close ally of Colombia. He further called Uribe a criminal, liar and gangster.

We don’t want war, but we will not allow the North American empire — which is the master — and its sub-President Uribe and the Colombian oligarchy to divide, to weaken us, he said. We will not allow it.

In a televised address Sunday, Correa called the raid a massacre that killed numerous civilians.

Correa withdrew Ecuador’s ambassador to Colombia, expelled Colombia’s ambassador to Ecuador and ordered troops to the Colombian border. He said an apology alone from Colombia will not suffice.

We demand signed and formal promises made before the international community that will guarantee that these unacceptable actions will not be repeated, Correa said.

The attack killed Reyes and Guillermo Enrique Torres, aka Julian Conrado, a key ideologue.

Correa said Saturday that Uribe told him the incident occurred as Colombian troops were pursuing a FARC column. He later said his troops learned that Colombian planes struck the rebels as they slept in a camp about a mile inside Ecuador.

Colombian ground forces then crossed into Ecuador and retrieved Reyes’ body, leaving the others, he said.

We will not permit this outrage, he said. The situation is extremely grave, and the Ecuadoran government is disposed to go to the ultimate consequences.

Correa spoke Sunday with the presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Spain, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela to share with them the gravity of the situation, he said.

Venezuela is Colombia’s neighbor to the northeast, Ecuador to the southwest.

Correa and Chavez are two of several leftist presidents who have been elected in Latin America in recent years. Uribe is a rightist with close ties to the United States.

Chavez is an outspoken U.S. foe who relied on his leftist credentials to help secure the recent release of six FARC hostages. It is estimated the rebel group has about 750 hostages, many of whom have been held for years in harsh conditions in the South American jungle.

FARC justifies hostage-taking as a legitimate military tactic in a long-running civil war that includes right-wing paramilitaries, government forces and drug traffickers.

In Washington on Sunday, the White House said it was monitoring the situation.

This is an odd reaction by Venezuela to Colombia’s efforts against the FARC, a terrorist organization that continues to hold Colombians, Americans and others hostage, spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

The United States, the European Union and Colombia consider FARC a terrorist organization.
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Live from New York, it’s Hillary Clinton

(CNN) — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton met her match while appearing on NBC’s Saturday Night Live to deliver the show’s trademark opening line and provide an editorial response to a mock presidential debate.

During the opening sketch — which featured SNL actors playing Clinton, rival candidate Barack Obama and the debate moderators — Clinton complimented the performance of Amy Poehler, who regularly lampoons Clinton with her impersonation of the senator from New York.

I simply adore Amy’s impression of me, Clinton said, providing the cue for Poehler to enter the stage, wearing the same two-button brown jacket and sporting Clinton’s medium-length, layered hairstyle.

Poehler giddily thanked Clinton for appearing.

I love your outfit, the identically dressed Poehler told Clinton.

Well, I love your outfit, Clinton responded, putting her hand on Poehler’s shoulder, but I do want the earrings back.

The quip sparked a hyperbolic cackle from Poehler. Clinton asked, Do I really laugh like that? The two jokingly agreed she did.

Clinton appeared on the show ahead of several do-or-die primaries that will determine the fate of her campaign.

During the segment, Poehler — who also does impersonations of talk show host Kelly Ripa, American Idol judge Paula Abdul and pop star Michael Jackson — asked Clinton, who trails Obama in the Democratic race, how her campaign was going.

The campaign is going very well. Very, very well, the former first lady responded before earning some laughs with a deadpan: Why? What have you heard?

Clinton said she appeared on the show to just relax, have fun without politics, but she didn’t miss her chance to address voters in delivering the opening line.

Saying she was appealing to all Americans — whether they’re from Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, Vermont, Pennsylvania or any of the other states — Clinton opened the show with Live from New York, it is Saturday night! Watch Clinton open the show

Pennsylvania’s primary is slated for next month, while the other four states Clinton mentioned are holding primaries Tuesday.

Clinton’s appearance was a poorly kept secret. The media were tipped off when she failed to arrive for a campaign charter flight from Dallas, Texas, to Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday.

Her campaign would not say where she was, but an entertainment industry source confirmed she was set to appear on SNL.

The late-night skit show has been a popular spot on the campaign trail. Obama appeared unannounced in October, and GOP candidate Mike Huckabee did a bit on the show’s Weekend Update last week.

Also, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who dropped out of the GOP presidential race this year, appeared later in the show that Clinton opened.

During an MSNBC debate in Ohio on Tuesday, Clinton referenced an SNL skit in which the comedy troupe satirized the media for being too friendly with Obama.

Maybe we should ask [Obama] if he’s comfortable and needs another pillow, she said during the debate.

Clinton is scheduled to appear on Jon Stewart’s Daily Show Monday.
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Car bombs targeting Iraqi security forces kill 18

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — A pair of car bombings targeting Iraqi security forces killed at least 18 people and wounded dozens Monday in Baghdad, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said.

In the deadliest attack, a parked car exploded near an Iraqi army patrol in central Baghdad, killing 15 people, including one soldier, and wounding 40 others.

Earlier, a suicide car bomb hit an Iraqi National Police checkpoint in eastern Baghdad, killing three officers and wounding nine others — six police and three civilians, the Interior Ministry said.

The attacks came a day after another car bomb killed four Iraqi civilians and wounded six north of Baghdad in Salaheddin province, the U.S. military said. A child was among the dead.

The continued targeting of civilians by al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists shows their complete disregard for human life, said Lt. Col. Thomas Hauerwas with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division. They are trying to intimidate the citizens … who have chosen to stand against them.

Also Monday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, heading home from Iraq after a two-day visit, again touted the closer relations between Tehran and Baghdad and reiterated his criticism of the United States.

No one likes them, Ahmadinejad said. This is the wish of regional nations — that is the withdrawal of foreigners from this region.

Ahmadinejad’s visit was greeted warmly by Iraq’s Shiite Muslim leadership, who have had longtime links with Iran that predate Saddam Hussein’s toppling. At the same time, many Sunni Muslims in Iraq are opposed to the Iranian regime and have demonstrated against his visit.

Meanwhile, Jordanian Prince Hassan on Monday expressed outrage at last week’s kidnapping of a Chaldean Catholic archbishop in northern Iraq and the killings of three of the cleric’s guards.

It shocks us greatly to learn of these crimes against those men and women who carry the Abrahamic message of love, peace and brotherhood, said a statement from Hassan, who heads Jordan’s Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies.

A U.S. military spokesman said Sunday a great deal of effort was under way by the Iraqi police and army and American-led coalition to find Archbishop Paulus Faraj Rahho, who was abducted Friday in the northern city of Mosul.

These holy men must not be made victims of conflict, nor should they pay a price for political quarrels under any circumstances, Hassan said.

Hassan is a member of Jordan’s Hashemite royal family, which traces its roots to Islam’s Prophet Mohammed. Once in line to succeed his late brother, King Hussein, Hassan was recently awarded the 2008 Niwano Peace Prize for his work on Middle East peace and interfaith dialogue.

It’s unclear who may be behind the Christian leader’s kidnapping, but a massive coalition effort is trying to rid Mosul of al Qaeda in Iraq fighters.

Shortly after Friday’s kidnapping and killings, the Vatican released a statement saying Pope Benedict XVI was saddened by such a new deplorable act.

The pope invites the entire church to join him in his fervent prayer that reason and humanity might prevail in the kidnappers and [Monsignor] Rahho may be returned as soon as possible to the care of his flock, the statement said. He also renews his hopes that the Iraqi people may be able to find reconciliation and peace.

Christians are a tiny fraction of Iraq’s population. An estimated 1.2 million Christians lived in Iraq before the 2003 U.S. invasion, and about half have remained, according to the U.S. State Department’s 2007 Report on International Religious Freedom, citing a top Chaldean official.

Christian religious sites and religious leaders have come under frequent attacks.
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Els ends drought with Honda win

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (AP) — Ernie Els was part of another final-round blunder. Only this time, he was the beneficiary.

Ending nearly a four-year drought between PGA Tour victories, Els shot a 3-under 67 Sunday to win The Honda Classic. He finished at 6 under, one shot better than Luke Donald (71) and two ahead of Nathan Green (67).

But this final round will probably be best remembered for Mark Calcavecchia’s chip that wouldn’t stop, because that ultimately was the break Els needed to finally hoist a winner’s trophy once again.

It has to feel even sweeter, you know, losing so many tournaments and one now going my way, said Els, who snapped an 0-for-47 streak in PGA Tour events, dating to the 2004 American Express Championship in Ireland.

Els and Calcavecchia were tied for the lead, as the sun began setting on PGA National. Calcavecchia hit into a greenside bunker at the par-3 15th, and his shot from the sand looked fine when it hit the green.

Somehow, it never stopped rolling.

The ball came to rest on a rock ledge across the green. Calcavecchia walked over, tossed the ball into the water and made a double bogey to give Els the outright lead.

It just didn’t grab and just kept rolling and rolling and rolling, said Calcavecchia, a two-time Honda winner. And that was it.

Els made a cool par on the par-5 finishing hole, then waited to see if anyone would match his score. Donald made a 35-foot birdie at the 16th to get within one but got no closer, although his birdie chip on the last hole stopped just shy of the cup.

With that, Els stopping hitting balls and slipped on his watch, basking in a winning feeling again.

To win over here, it’s been really my goal, Els said. So it’s a great feeling.

Els got $990,000 for his 16th career PGA Tour victory, along with the huge shot of confidence that he’s sought for so long. Plus, he’ll jump a spot to third in the world rankings, passing Steve Stricker.

No, this isn’t enough for him to catch Tiger Woods.

But he’s at least a step closer in his three-year plan to challenge the world’s No. 1 player.

That’s as good as I probably could have played in the final round, Els said. So it was very satisfying.

Calcavecchia (73), Robert Allenby (70) and Matt Jones (73) tied for fourth, three shots back. Brian Davis, who was at 10 under earlier in the week and led at the midway mark, shot his second straight 73 and finished in a five-way tie for seventh, four shots off the winning score.

Didn’t go my way, Calcavecchia said. Wasn’t my time.

Els wasted a four-shot, final-round lead in a European tour event in Dubai earlier this year, when Woods roared past him for a victory. Els made a colossal mistake on the 18th hole that day, splashing his approach into the water after trying to pull off a spectacular finish.

At Hilton Head last year, he was denied when Boo Weekley chipped in twice in the final holes. And last year in his native South Africa, Els made a triple-bogey 8 on the finishing hole to blow what seemed like another cinch victory.

But this time, a smooth, steady finish — a Big Easy finish, if you will — got it done.

I think he’s one of the best golfers I’ve ever played with, Donald said. It’s surprising that he hasn’t won for so many years on this tour. You know, maybe this win will open up the floodgates a little bit.

There were 14 changes atop the leaderboard Sunday, and the winning score couldn’t have been much of a surprise; Mark Wilson won a four-man playoff at PGA National last year after finishing four rounds at 5 under, and this year’s Honda provided a similar cluster.

Even after a quadruple bogey Friday, Donald wound up as the last contender standing.

I take absolute positives from this week, said Donald, the 2006 Honda winner who was third this year at the Northern Trust Open. It’s not a disappointing week by any means.

Calcavecchia never recovered from 15, and Jones hit his tee ball into the water at the par-3 17th to end whatever chance the rookie had of snaring his first tour win.

Els was alone on the lead and the only player to have a bogey-free round, until he got to the 17th, the end of the famed Bear Trap at PGA National. He knocked his tee shot into a bunker, and his shot from there ran nearly 10 feet past the cup. The par putt missed, moving Calcavecchia and Jones both back into a share of the lead at 6 under.

They couldn’t stay there, and Els did.

Jones was tied for the lead entering the final round once last year on the Nationwide Tour. But the South Georgia Classic, this is not.

Still, the Australian hardly embarrassed himself. His finish at PGA National was the fifth top-30 in six starts, and the $227,333 check from the Honda vaulted him to 38th on the money list.

I can take from the week that I can compete with guys out here, which is good, Jones said.

Oddly enough, Els left the Honda thinking the same thing.

You know, this has been a really wonderful week, Els said. E-mail to a friend

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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New Russian president: I will work with Putin

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) — With preliminary results showing he would likely win Sunday’s presidential election by a landslide, Dmitry Medvedev vowed to work closely with the man who tapped him for the job, President Vladimir Putin.

I will work on this together with Mr. Vladimir Putin, as the future chairman of the government, Medvedev told supporters in Moscow.

He said the unprecedented high turnout — which he put at about two-thirds of eligible voters — was an indication that our people are not indifferent to the future of our country and gives him the mandate he needs to govern.

Medvedev, 42, said he would follow the foreign policy priorities set during the eight years of Putin’s rule, the essence of which is the protection of Russian interests around the whole perimeter.

Medvedev said Putin, who is to move into the role of prime minister, would have his constitutionally defined powers separate from those of the president, and nobody proposes to change them. Watch CNN’s Mathew Chance report on the election

He predicted their work together may bring interesting results for the country and become a positive factor in the development of our country.

His comments came shortly after Putin congratulated his protege on his projected victory, calling the results an affirmation of his own policies.

This victory is going to be a guarantee that the course that we have all chosen together, the successful course that we have been pursuing for the past eight years, will be continued, Putin told the crowd at a Red Square rock concert broadcast on Russian TV.

Putin praised Russians for demonstrating their society is becoming efficient, responsible and active, and thanked the candidates who ran against his choice to replace him — but added, The election is over.

I am very hopeful that the electoral passions will stay in the past, and all those who really do love our Russia will pool their efforts in work for the good of the citizens of our great homeland.

Independent observers called the campaign one-sided, with news outlets heavily biased toward the Kremlin’s choice.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the continent’s top election watchdog, refused to monitor the balloting because of what it called severe restrictions on its observers by the Russian government.

But Putin insisted last month that Russia has fully implemented all of its commitments to the OSCE.

And Medvedev had genuine appeal to many Russian voters. He is a wonderful, young, handsome, energetic man who will continue Putin’s work and be a shining example to our children, voter Tamara Razumova said.

With nearly 80 percent of the precincts reporting, Russia’s Central Election Commission said Medvedev was leading with 69 percent of the vote.

The commission said Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov was in second place with almost 18 percent of the vote, followed by populist nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky with 10 percent and a largely unknown Andrei Bogdanov with 1.3 percent.

Medvedev has publicly committed to promote democracy, fight corruption, and bolster the rule of law. But as Kremlin critics point out, Putin made similar promises when he ran, only to be criticized at home and abroad for cracking down on opposition groups.

His pronouncements were quite opposite to what he was doing, said Evgeny Volk, an analyst at the U.S.-based Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Many Russians credit Putin with leaving the country out of the poverty and uncertainty of the 1990s and is responsible for the current national economic boom — so his endorsement carried a great deal of weight.

Russian analyst Vycheslav Nikonov said it remains to be seen how much power Putin will wield as prime minister, but he is likely to remain a very influential political figure for years to come.

I don’t know what’s going to happen in half a year. It may all change, said Nikonov, the president of the Politika Foundation, a Russian think-tank.

Putin is still more popular, more trustworthy. As for Medvedev, he is the president of hope, and much will depend on whether he can deliver. E-mail to a friend

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