Uribe Cautious on Talks to Free Captives

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe speaks during an interview, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007, at the Colombian ambassador's residence in New York. (AP Photos/Bebeto Matthews) (Bebeto Matthews - AP)

NEW YORK -- Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said Wednesday he was grateful Venezuela's leader is seeking to win the release of three Americans and other hostages in Colombia, but seemed cautious about raising hopes on the negotiations with leftist rebels.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Uribe stressed that a meeting expected next month between President Hugo Chavez and rebel leaders would be only the latest of many efforts to free the captives. He was steadfast in refusing key rebel demands including a New York City-sized demilitarized zone and the release of two Colombian rebels imprisoned in the U.S.

"It's difficult because everyone wants the release of hostages," said Uribe, who was in New York for a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. "I hope the rebels free the hostages at President Chavez's request. But we will express all of our gratitude to President Chavez ... whether or not the effort proves successful."

Families of the kidnapped are optimistic Chavez could sway the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia because of the rebels' affinity for his leftist ideals. The Venezuelan president met Tuesday with relatives of three American defense contractors held by the FARC and the mother of former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian citizen.

"We're the closest we've ever been to getting our son back," Lynne Stansell, mother of U.S. hostage Keith Stansell, said in Bogota on Wednesday. "Chavez told us he was doing this as a humanitarian gesture, not for political reasons."

Chavez faces difficult negotiations.

On Tuesday, he hinted at the idea of a U.S. presidential pardon for a FARC fighter convicted in a U.S. court of exporting cocaine and a second, higher-ranking rebel, convicted of conspiracy in the seizure of the three American contractors after their plane crashed on a surveillance mission.

Uribe has ruled out including the two in any prisoner swap.

He emphasized that his government has made several concessions, including releasing a high-ranking rebel in June at the request of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has made securing Betancourt's freedom a priority. A day after being freed, however, Rodrigo Granda said the FARC would only release hostages if government troops withdraw from a large swath of western Colombia.

Uribe said he discussed the hostage situation with Sarkozy this week and was to meet Thursday with relatives of Stansell and the two other U.S. captives, Marc Gonsalves and Tom Howes.

The Colombian leader was reticent when asked if the negotiations between Chavez and the FARC might lead to a wider peace process with the rebels, who have been fighting the government for more than four decades. He insisted that his hardline security policies have significantly reduced murders and kidnappings.

"For us, the military path is just as valid as the path of negotiation," Uribe said. "We will not allow anything to break our will to pursue a firm policy of saying 'no more terrorism.'"

Since Uribe and Chavez announced the mediation effort last month, Washington has been cautiously supportive. The U.S. ambassador to Colombia, William Brownfield, said last week that "we look upon favorably the participation of any leader, public servant, politician or important person" who might help secure the hostages' release.

Success by Chavez in mediating a humanitarian swap could expand his influence. The United States accuses Chavez of being a threat to democracy but many Latin Americans laud him for using Venezuela's oil wealth to help the region's poor.

Uribe, a strong U.S. ally who has cordial ties with neighboring Venezuela, said he was not concerned Chavez would get the credit for any release of prisoners.

"I don't make those calculations," he said. "What motivates me to make decisions _ to support the efforts of President Chavez _ is the suffering of kidnap victims, the grief of the families."

However, he said a delegation of U.S. lawmakers should accompany Chavez at the Oct. 8 meeting with rebel leaders. On Tuesday, Uribe said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice raised no objections to the idea during a meeting.

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Associated Press writer Joshua Goodman contributed to this report from Bogota.