Writer who was kidnapped then freed in Colombia plans Iraq trip

LOS ANGELES (AP) Robert Young Pelton, a writer recently freed after being kidnapped by a Colombian paramilitary group, said his next stop could be Iraq.

Pelton, 47, of Torrance was released along with two tourists last week after being held captive for 10 days along the border of Panama and Colombia.

He said he is writing a magazine article about the incident and preparing to go to Iraq in case the United States invades.

Pelton wrote ``The World's Most Dangerous Places'' and has built his reputation by visiting Afghanistan, Chechnya and other hot spots.

``I do it because it's an interest for me,'' he said. ``It's a great reward to bring attention to the plight of people who are abused and not focused on by the mainstream media.''

Pelton was working on an article for National Geographic's Adventure magazine when he was kidnapped along with Megan A. Smaker, 22, of Brentwood in Northern California, and Mark Wedeven, a 22-year-old student at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Smaker said she felt good but had been seeing physicians to make sure she is healthy.

``Basically, I've been poked, prodded and picked at by doctors,'' she said.

Pelton met the others in Panama and had been traveling with them for about a week when they heard gunfire on a trail on Jan. 14 and their guides ran off. Pelton suggested he and his companions keep walking into the area.

``If you run away, you're hunted after,'' he said.

They were captured by about 150 members of a right-wing paramilitary group. Pelton said he was confident they would not be harmed once it was clear that he was a journalist and the others were tourists.

``You don't fear for your life; you just want to know what's going on,'' Pelton said.

Pelton said they were fed well and occasionally marched through the jungle. They were told the group was protecting them from leftists guerillas.

They were released on Jan. 23 in a small town.

``I think most journalists who work in war zones are familiar with being detained, questioned and mishandled sometimes,'' Pelton said.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)