Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Friday ordered his military commanders to quickly take control of areas being abandoned by far-right paramilitary militias, amid fears that Marxist rebels are trying to gain a foothold. Uribe also appealed to residents in paramilitary fiefdoms to cooperate with security forces to help restore the rule of law. “Defending the civilian population in all these zones that the terrorists are abandoning requires a great alliance between the security forces and the population,” Uribe said in a speech at a military ceremony in Bogota. Full Story