1.   Rebel kidnappings often are for ransom or political reasons.

2.   But the royal visit comes amid growing European anger over rebel kidnappings of European citizens here.

3.   In some rural areas, landowners and businessmen fed up with rebel kidnappings and extortion see the AUC as the lesser of two evils.

4.   Pastrana has previously expressed willingness to open separate conversations with the landowner-backed militias, which arose a decade ago to combat rebel kidnappings and extortion.

5.   The AUC is a counter-guerrilla force formed by drug traffickers and landowners to combat rebel kidnappings and extortion.

6.   The agreement also calls for talks aimed at ending violence by a brutal right-wing paramilitary group and discussions toward the end of rebel kidnappings.

7.   The landowner-backed paramilitary groups arose two decades ago in response to rebel kidnappings and extortion.

8.   The rebel National Liberation Army has announced a unilateral Christmas and New Years truce, including a halt of rebel kidnappings and bombings of oil pipelines and electrical towers.

9.   The royal visit comes amid growing European anger over rebel kidnappings of European citizens here.

10.   The two sides said they would name a panel of respected Colombians to offer recommendations on ways to curb rightist violence, rebel kidnappings and recruitment of children.