WaPo: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) spoke repeatedly Tuesday and early Wednesday about how he would work as president to free three American hostages held by leftist guerrillas in Colombia, but he declined to reveal one key fact: Colombian President Álvaro Uribe and his aides had briefed him Tuesday evening about the plan to rescue the Americans, along with 12 other captives.
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"It was really a brilliant plan," Lieberman said. "I think the timing was fortuitous. They just felt they had it ready to implement."
While in Washington a shake-up in McCain's campaign organization focused attention on the doubts many Republicans have voiced about his strategy and message, Lieberman said the fact that Colombian officials chose to disclose their rescue plan in advance to McCain testified to his colleague's international standing.
"I think it was a sign of confidence of President Uribe and the defense minister in Senator McCain, and maybe in the two of us, that they were prepared to share this information last night, which was highly classified."
All kinds of conflicting reports on the hostage rescue today. On NPR, Colombians involved in the rescue said the U.S. had nothing to do with the rescue. Another report later in the day said the U.S. did play a part in the rescue and this report from CNN has John McCain saying he didn't know:
McCain had earlier said he would do everything he could to help Colombia secure the rescue of the hostages.
"I would leave the modalities to the government of the country of Colombia. It is a sovereign nation. But I intend to do everything I can to support and increase their capabilities and continue their success against FARC and bring about as quickly as possible the release of all hostages," he said in Colombia, before he said he knew about the rescue.
McCain learned of the mission's success as his plane was departing Colombia for Mexico, he said. An aide showed him news of the report on his Blackberry. McCain then talked to Uribe while on the plane.
Asked if he thought it was unusual that he was told of the plans beforehand, McCain said, "I have been informed as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee of plans for years and years and years about plans that are going to be carried out either by the United States or our friends and allies."
Barack Obama was not told about the plans in advance, Obama's campaign said.
Lieberman said he thinks it was a "sign of confidence" that Uribe and the defense minister shared the classified information with McCain.
