Pubdate: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 Source: New York Times (NY) Copyright: 2001 The New York Times Company Contact: 229 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036 Fax: (212) 556-3622 Website: http://www.nytimes.com/ Forum: http://forums.nytimes.com/comment/ Author: Juan Forero REBEL TO MEET COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT BOGOTA, Colombia. The leader of Colombia's largest rebel group today accepted President Andres Pastrana's offer of a face-to- face meeting aimed at thawing frozen peace talks. In a letter to Mr. Pastrana, Manuel Marulanda, commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, agreed to meet, but no earlier than Thursday, said Alfonso Cano, a top rebel leader. Security arrangements will take several days, he said. Mr. Marulanda suggested that the two speak about the government's efforts against right-wing death squads, the state of the peace talks and the large United States aid package aimed at curtailing Colombia's coca crop, Mr. Cano told reporters. There was no immediate response from Mr. Pastrana, who had called for a meeting before Sunday. The men have met two other times, in 1998, when Mr. Pastrana was running for president, and in 1999. In a televised speech on Wednesday, Mr. Pastrana offered a four-day extension of the safe haven that the government provides to the rebels in southern Colombia so he and Mr. Marulanda could "decide once and for all if we are going to continue the peace process." The territory, twice the size of New Jersey, was ceded to the rebels in 1998 as a refuge for peace talks. A top Colombian Army commander announced today that the rebels' second-in-command, Jorge Briceno, had been killed, either shot by a fellow rebel or in an accident. Mr. Briceno, known as El Mono Jo-Joy, is considered FARC's military strategist and a hard-line rebel figure. Mr. Cano, speaking to reporters inside the demilitarized zone, denied the report of Mr. Briceno's death. - --- MAP posted-by: Andrew