US embassy cable - 00BOGOTA6096

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 006096 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/12 
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, PREL, CO, PINS 
SUBJECT:  COLOMBIAN TERRORISM - DEFENSE OFFICIALS PAINT 
BLEAK PICTURE 
 
1.  CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR CURTIS W. KAMMAN.  REASON 
1.5(B). 
 
2.  (C)  SUMMARY:  COORDINATOR FOR COUNTERTERRORISM MIKE 
SHEEHAN AND ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (SOLIC) BRIAN 
SHERIDAN MET WITH COLOMBIAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE LUIS 
RAMIREZ, THE COMMANDER OF MILITARY FORCES FERNANDO TAPIAS, 
AND THE CHIEFS OF THE VARIOUS ARMED SERVICE BRANCHES. 
SHEEHAN AND SHERIDAN ASKED THE MILITARY LEADERS HOW THE USG 
COULD BEST SEND THE MESSAGE THAT THE USG WILL NOT TOLERATE 
FARC AND OTHER VIOLENCE WITHOUT SHOWING THAT THE USG IS 
FEARFUL OF FARC RETALIATION.  THE COLOMBIAN MILITARY 
LEADERS USED THE FORUM TO DESCRIBE THE MULTITUDE OF 
PROBLEMS THEY FACE IN TRYING TO ELIMINATE COLOMBIAN 
TERRORIST GROUPS, OFTEN VENTING THEIR FRUSTRATION.  THOSE 
AT THE TABLE CITED DISTURBING NEW TRENDS IN THE KIDNAPPING 
INDUSTRY AS THE FINANCIAL ENGINE OF THE TERRORIST GROUPS 
AND TROUBLING EVIDENCE THAT EVEN THE PARAMILITARY GROUPS 
WHOSE STATED MISSION IS TO FIGHT LEFTIST TERRORISTS ARE 
RESORTING TO THE SAME TERROR TACTICS USED BY THEIR ENEMIES. 
TAPIAS NOTED THAT THE PARAMILITARIES' STRENGTH EXCEEDED 
THAT OF THE ELN, AND WOULD EVENTUALLY ECLIPSE THE FARC AS 
WELL.  SHEEHAN NOTED THAT THE USG WAS INVESTIGATING WHETHER 
PARAMILITARIES COULD BE DESIGNATED AS A FOREIGN TERRORIST 
ORGANIZATION.  END SUMMARY 
 
 
LEGISLATION NOT STRONG ENOUGH; "JAILS ARE A JOKE" 
 
3.  (C)  SHEEHAN AND SHERIDAN LISTENED TO A LITANY OF 
COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE COLOMBIAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM, INCLUDING 
MINISTER RAMIREZ'S ARGUMENT FOR TOUGHER LEGISLATION AND 
PENAL CODES THAT WOULD ALLOW THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE A 
STRONGER STAND AGAINST TERRORISTS AND GUERRILLAS. 
SENTENCES ARE LIGHT AND TOO OFTEN COMMUTED.  TAPIAS 
CONFIRMED THIS POINT, STRESSING THAT THE JAIL SYSTEM WAS "A 
JOKE" WHICH DID NOT DETER CRIMINALS.  HE NOTED THAT THE 
INDIVIDUAL DETAINED AS A SUSPECT ON THE CALI CHURCH 
KIDNAPPING HAS ALREADY FLED PRISON. 
 
 
CRIME-TERRORISM LINK 
 
4.  (C)  RAMIREZ AND TAPIAS ALSO NOTED THE INCREASINGLY 
POWERFUL ARMS AVAILABLE TO THE TERRORISTS ON THE BLACK 
MARKET, WHILE OTHERS NOTED THE OUTSOURCING OF CRIMINAL 
ACTIVITY BY THE FARC AND THE ELN.  THEY ALSO NOTED THAT THE 
FARC IS BEGINNING TO ENCROACH ON URBAN AREAS.  SHEEHAN 
STRESSED THAT THE COLOMBIANS HAD TO TAKE A VERY STRONG 
STAND AND MAKE CLEAR THAT THEY WILL DEAL WITH TERRORISM AND 
VIOLENCE AS A CRIME, NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE.  ALL INVOLVED 
WITH TERRORISM - REGARDLESS OF WHETHER INVOLVED IN 
FUNDRAISING, HARBORING TERRORISTS, OR CARRYING OUT 
TERRORIST ACTS - HAD TO BE PUNISHED. GEN JORGE MORA, 
COMMANDER OF THE COLOMBIAN ARMY, NOTED THAT THEY FELT 
CAUGHT BETWEEN THEIR DESIRE TO WORK FOR TOUGHER LAWS AND 
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EUROPEAN AND OTHER PRESSURE NOT TO DO 
ANYTHING THAT WOULD MAKE THE GOC APPEAR TO BE VIOLATING 
INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED HUMAN RIGHTS.  HE ALSO STRESSED 
THAT THE TERRORIST AND REBEL GROUPS MUST RECEIVE THE 
MESSAGE FROM THE UNITED STATES THAT THEIR ACTIONS WILL BE 
SEEN AS TERRORISM. 
 
5.  (C)  SHEEHAN CONFIRMED THE UNITED STATES' CONCERN ABOUT 
TERRORISM IN COLOMBIA, NOTING THAT HE WOULD URGE OTHER 
PARTS OF THE GOVERNMENT TO PUBLICLY EXPRESS THEIR 
OPPOSITION TO TERRORIST GROUPS.  ALTHOUGH "PLAN COLOMBIA" 
WAS NOT THE MAIN TOPIC OF CONVERSATION, IT AND THE USG'S 
PENDING FINANCIAL RESPONSE WAS IMPLICIT IN THE EXCHANGE. 
THE COLOMBIANS OPENLY STATED THE NEED FOR INCREASED 
RESOURCES AND TRAINING. 
 
6.  (C)  COMMENT:  THE GOC OFFICIALS AT THE MEETING SEEMED 
TO GO OUT OF THEIR WAY NOT TO BLAME PRESIDENT PASTRANA OR 
EVEN TO MENTION HIS NAME. THIS OMISSION IS AT ODDS WITH 
LOCAL MEDIA AND EVEN STREET GRAFFITI IN WHICH PASTRANA'S 
"PEACE AT ANY COST" STANCE IS EQUATED WITH WEAKNESS AND AN 
UNWILLINGNESS TO CONFRONT THE THREAT REPRESENTED BY THE 
FARC, THE ELN, THE PARAMILITARIES, AND OTHER TERRORIST 
ORGANIZATIONS.  DESPITE STATING THEIR LACK OF RESOURCES, 
THE MILITARY LEADERS GAVE NO INDICATION THAT THEY WERE 
LOBBYING FOR AN INCREASE IN MILITARY SPENDING, CURRENTLY 
ABOUT THREE AND A HALF PERCENT OF GDP.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
KAMMAN 

 
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