No, Americans are not responsible for the brilliant rescue of 15 hostages from the FARC rebels in Colombia Wednesday.
Although American eyes in the sky and signals expertise may have been involved, this was a Colombian operation on the ground, and a grandly successful one.
But Americans can be encouraged that their 500-million dollars in annual aid and the technical expertise given to the Colombian Army have been largely responsible for the huge turnaround in Colombia's 40-year battle with the FARC. Once all but a failed state--a lawless drug haven memorialized in Miami Vice episodes--Colombia risked being toppled by the FARC and other narcoterrorists.
Today, Colombia's U.S.-trained armed forces are picking the FARC apart, piece by piece. Many of the FARC's leaders are dead, and its troop strength is half of what it was a decade ago.
Colombia's economy is now fairly robust, growing at 5% a year. The national homicide rate has been cut in half since 2002, and the pro-American President Alvaro Uribe has enjoyed approval ratings in the 80s.
Were you surprised to see that Colombia was listed this week as the 3rd happiest nation in the world? I was. Perhaps we shouldn't be.