Finally, a good use for a Che t-shirt

The story of the Colombian army’s daring, flawlessly executed, rescue of hostages held by the FARC terrorist group has an interesting detail:

The stunning caper involved months of intelligence gathering, dozens of helicopters on standby and a strong dose of deceit: The rebels shoved the captives, their hands bound, onto a white unmarked MI-17 helicopter, believing they were being transferred to another guerrilla camp.

Looking at helicopter’s crew, some wearing Che Guevara shirts, Ms. Betancourt reasoned they weren’t aid workers, as she’d expected — but rebels. This was just another indignity — the helicopter “had no flag, no insignia.” Angry and upset, she refused a coat they offered as they told her she was going to a colder climate.

But not long after the group was airborne, Ms. Betancourt turned around and saw the local commander, alias Cesar, a man who had tormented her for four years, blindfolded and stripped naked on the floor.

Then came the unbelievable words: “We’re the national army,” said one of the crewmen. “You’re free.”

I noted just earlier this week the morally repugnant idiocy of Che fashion, a vile, and way too long-lived, trend — which Bureaucrash, among others, has countered with irony to turn the famous Alberto Korda photo on its head.

The Colombian army’s feat, of course, goes way beyond that — they used Che Guevara’s likeness to help a group of people regain their freedom. What better way to dishonor a totalitarian thug? (Thanks to Margaret Griffis for the news link.)