By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

          SAN VICENTE DEL CAGUAN, Colombia -- Colombia's largest rebel group admitted
          Wednesday that one of its officers kidnapped and killed three American activists found dead
          last week.

          A guerrilla commander in eastern Arauca state acted without the approval of his superiors, said Raul
          Reyes, a senior commander of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

          The bodies of Ingrid Washinawatok, 41, Lahe'ena'e Gay, 39, and Terence Freitas, 24, were found
          in a field just inside Venezuela one week after they were abducted in Colombia by armed men. The
          bodies were returned to the United States on Wednesday.

          The three Americans were in Colombia to help set up a school system for a local Indian group, the
          8,000-member U'wa nation.

          The local commander, identified as Gildardo, and three rebels under his command seized and
          executed the three Americans after discovering them on the U'wa reservation "without guerrilla
          authorization," Reyes told reporters near this rebel-controlled southern town. He gave no explanation
          for the killings.

          "We condemn the abominable assassination of the three Americans," said Reyes, in a stunning
          confession from insurgents not known for admitting responsibility for atrocities.

          Reyes, a member of FARC's ruling council, said the guilty rebel officer, a 6-year veteran squad
          leader, may face the firing squad for his role in the slayings, which provoked international outrage
          and endangered Colombia's fledgling peace process.

          Armed forces commander Gen. Fernando Tapias called the FARC confession "very positive for the
          peace process," but said the army believed that more rebels officers were involved.

          President Andres Pastrana opened peace talks with the FARC in January, kicking off negotiations to
          end the country's 34-year internal conflict.

          Many criticized him as being overly lenient with the FARC, a rebel group active since the 1960s. It
          finances its operations through kidnappings and "taxes" on farmers and drug traffickers involved in
          the cocaine trade.

          Reyes said killing foreigners was not rebel policy and requested forgiveness from indigenous peoples
          around the world, the United States, the Colombian people and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

          The peace process should continue despite the killings, Reyes said.

          The women were North American Indian activists. Freitas had worked with the U'wa during the past
          two years on campaigns to prevent Los Angeles-based Occidental Petroleum from drilling on their
          traditional lands.

          Assistant Secretary of State Peter Romero said the United States viewed the rebel admission
          cautiously.

          "We will be following up to be sure that justice is done either in Colombia or in the United States,"
          Romero said.

          Washington had initially blamed the killings on the FARC, and requested that the guilty parties be
          extradited to stand trial in the United States.

          Reyes said Gildardo would remain in Colombia. "We will not turn over our fighters to any state."

          In his remarks, Reyes implied the Americans might have avoided the nightmare had they reported
          their presence to the rebels.

          A former colleague of the slain activists questioned the rebel statement.

          "We don't accept their apology, and we need to know what happened" said Melina Selverston, a
          Washington-based Indian rights activist. "Why did they kill them?
 

                     Copyright 1999 The New York Times Company