Ingrid Betancourt held hostage by the Farc rebels in Colombia since 2002 was set free on Wednesday by the Colombian authorities. Former IDF officers and commanders from elite units trained the Colombian security forces who launched the bullet free operation to free three Americans and 11 members of the Colombian security forces along with Betancourt. It is a known fact that Colombia hired a number of former IDF generals and officers to advise on improving Colombia's intelligence and paramilitary capabilities. Colombian security forces have also undergone training in Israel. Shortly after her release Betancourt herself compared the successful operation to the Israeli army.07/03/08