Documents indicate that Chavez helped Colombia rebels

The senior Colombian official who showed the new documents to the AP said legal considerations -and a desire not to embarrass friendly governments -was behind the partial releases. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the documents' politically explosive nature.

The documents consist of messages to the FARC's seven-member ruling Secretariat penned by various of its members, and many discuss efforts by top Venezuelan officials to help the FARC obtain weapons.

In a January 2007 message, the rebels' main go-between with the Chavez government says Venezuelan military intelligence chief Gen. Hugo Carvajal and another Venezuelan general "are going to get us 20 bazookas next week."

The author, Ivan Marquez, also mentions "the possibility of taking advantage of Venezuela's purchase of arms from Russia to include some containers destined for the FARC." Among Russian arms Chavez has contracted to buy are Dragunov sniper rifles and Kalashnikov assault rifles.

A Venezuelan Defense Ministry spokeswoman did not return calls seeking comment from Carvajal.

FARC use of anti-aircraft missiles would seriously escalate a mostly low-intensity 44-year-old conflict. In a March 2007 letter, alias "Timochenko" writes that "intelligence officials from our neighboring navy" say it's very difficult to obtain "rockets" but that "they're disposed to help us get all the parts to build them."

And FARC leader Manual Marulanda suggests in a Jan. 11 letter that the rebels may have decided to begin using anti-aircraft missiles. He describes a "major action" being planned in eastern jungles against Colombia's military "where with one single blow we could down some 10 aircraft."

On that date, the FARC handed over in those jungles two hostages to Venezuela's interior minister, Ramon Rodriguez Chacin.

A Marquez message from the previous November describes a request by Rodriguez Chacin for rebel help in training Venezuelans in "asymmetrical warfare" in preparation for a feared U.S. invasion.

Rodriguez Chacin is also mentioned in discussions of an open-ended loan to the FARC. Rebel field marshal Jorge Briceno proposes asking Chavez "to help us get the weapons mentioned in the strategic plan and a loan of US$250 million to be paid when we take power."