Colombia three trial: Explosives find 'invalid'

Traces of explosives and cocaine found by US Embassy officials on the belongings of three Irish men accused of training FARC rebels in Colombia were invalid, a defence lawyer said at their terrorism trial in Colombia.

James Monaghan, Martin McCauley and Niall Connolly were arrested in Bogota’s airport in August 2001 after they flew out of a sanctuary of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in the steamy jungles and pasturelands of southern Colombia. Authorities said the men had been in the safe haven to train the rebels in explosives and terrorist tactics.