An IISS Strategic Comment

The death of FARC rebel leader Alfonso Cano during a Colombian special forces raid on 4 November 2011 was the latest in a series of government successes against the country's largest left-wing insurgent group. A fascinating article republished here from local magazine Semana shows in rare detail how his death resulted from a well-planned and adventurous intelligence operation – involving officers infiltrating communities deep inside FARC territory, masquerading as shopkeepers, drivers and more.
The Semana article, which is based largely on interviews with some of the intelligence operatives involved in Operation Odyssey against Cano, may not tell the whole story. However, it shows in detail how intelligence, mostly human intelligence, built up over time and combined with well-planned military operations can transform counter-insurgency operations.
Link:http://www.iiss.org/publications/str...-alfonso-cano/