BOGTA, July 9, 2008 (AFP) - The United States plans to ask Colombia for the extradition of the two rebels captured during last week's rescue of 15 hostages, and President Alvaro Uribe said he would agree, a top official said Tuesday.

General Freddy Padilla, the head of the military, said the extradition request will officially be presented on Wednesday, but that Uribe had already been made aware of it by US Ambassador to Bogota William Brownfield.

Uribe told the envoy he would support the request, Padilla added.

'The president authorized me to disclose this situation, and said that once all legal requirements are met he would be willing to extradite (the two rebels),' Padilla told reporters.

On July 2, Colombian commandos posing as rebels tricked FARC guerrillas into handing over 15 hostages including three Americans, French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and 11 Colombian soldiers.

Two rebels, Alexander Farfan and Gerardo Antonio Aguilar, were arrested during the rescue operation.

The Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) kidnapped Americans Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell in February 2003 while they were carrying out an anti-drug mission for the US Department of Defense, and held them until their dramatic rescue.

A Bogota court on Tuesday turned down a Habeas Corpus request by the two detainees' lawyers that would have allowed the men to go free on grounds their arrest was 'illegal,' since they did not appear before a judge to make them aware of their rights.

The two captured guerrillas have been described by former hostages as 'merciless jailkeepers' and 'executioners.'