US embassy cable - 05DUBLIN983

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 000983 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KCRM, PTER, PGOV, EI, CI3 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES COLOMBIA THREE WITH GOI 
 
REF: A. DALY-OPS CENTER PHONE CALL OF 8/5 
 
     B. O'MALLEY-YOUNG E-MAILS OF 8/8 
 
Classified By: Ambassador James C. Kenny; Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  The Irish Government had no prior knowledge 
that the Colombia Three were in Ireland, nor had it discussed 
the case with Sinn Fein in recent Northern Ireland peace 
process-related exchanges, GOI officials told the Ambassador 
on August 8.  The officials noted that the case presented 
legal complexities, as Ireland did not have an extradition 
treaty with Colombia and did not recognize Interpol "red 
notices" as a basis for arrest.  The GOI wished to remain in 
close communication with the USG on the Colombia Three, given 
the ramifications for bilateral cooperation in the fight 
against terrorism and in the Northern Ireland peace process. 
End summary. 
 
2.  (C) The GOI had no prior knowledge that the Colombia 
Three (Martin McCauley, Niall Connolly, and Jim Monaghan) 
were in Ireland (ref A), nor had the GOI discussed the 
Colombia Three in recent Northern Ireland peace 
process-related exchanges with Sinn Fein, Michael Collins, 
Second Secretary General in the Office of the Taoiseach 
(Prime Minister), told Ambassador and Emboffs on August 8. 
Collins said that Prime Minister Ahern had instructed him to 
inform the Embassy, the UK Government, and the Colombian 
Government that the GOI and Irish police did not know the 
whereabouts of the Colombia Three and had not yet had contact 
with them.  The Colombian Government, moreover, had not yet 
made an extradition request, but had sent two inquiries 
through its Embassy in London regarding procedures for 
requesting legal assistance.  Collins noted that while 
Ireland was determined to fulfill its international legal 
obligations, there was no extradition treaty between Ireland 
and Colombia.  He added that if the three individuals had 
broken Irish law, the case would be pursued through the 
normal legal avenues, involving the courts and police.  He 
also remarked that Ireland enjoyed, and wished to maintain, 
friendly relations with Colombia and that the GOI aimed to 
establish ongoing contacts with the Colombian Government on 
the case through the Irish Embassy in Mexico. 
 
3  (C) The legal aspects of the case presented "great 
complexities," observed Ken O'Leary, Assistant Secretary in 
the Irish Department of Justice, who joined Collins in the 
discussion.  O'Leary pointed out that an Interpol "red 
notice" had been issued for the Colombia Three, which 
obligated Ireland to inform Colombia once the three 
individuals were confirmed to be in Ireland.  The GOI, 
however, did not recognize the notice as a basis for arrest. 
O'Leary also pointed out that there was no precedent in 
Ireland for extraditing criminals to other countries in the 
absence of an extradition treaty.  He noted that Ireland had 
in recent weeks become party to four UN conventions on 
terrorism, which included provisions on extradition as a form 
of legal assistance in terrorism-related cases.  He expressed 
doubt, though, that the provisions would come into play with 
the Colombia Three.  When the Ambassador asked whether the 
three individuals could be prosecuted for entering Ireland 
with fake passports, O'Leary said that this was a 
possibility, but he did not know the fine/sentence for such 
an offense.  He added that the GOI did not expect the 
whereabouts of the three individuals to be divulged by 
Charlie Bird, the RTE television reporter who interviewed Jim 
Monaghan on August 5; the GOI was confident, nonetheless, 
that the three would not leave Ireland. 
 
4.  (C) Collins stressed that he had contacted the Embassy 
because the GOI wished to remain in close communication with 
the USG on the Colombia Three, given the ramifications for 
bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism.  He 
said that (Northern Ireland) Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) 
Deputy Leader Peter Robinson's comments on August 5 to the 
effect that the GOI might be harboring terrorists in the case 
of the Colombia Three was an unhelpful instance of political 
grandstanding.  Collins asked that USG officials urge the DUP 
not to use the case as an opportunity for political gain.  He 
added that the USG should tell Sinn Fein President Gerry 
Adams that the Colombia Three should present themselves to 
the police.  Collins explained that the case had been harmful 
to the peace process earlier in the decade, and he did not 
want the case to ruin positive momentum in the process 
achieved in recent weeks.  He predicted that the IRA would 
follow through on decommissioning by the end of the month, 
partly in an attempt "to get back the microphone" after the 
bad press associated with the Colombia Three's return. 
 
5.  (C) Comment: Collins expressed exasperation when the 
Ambassador noted that Gerry Adams had called him on August 5 
as details began to emerge about the Colombia Three.  The 
implication was that Sinn Fein did not similarly communicate 
with the GOI as a heads-up on the news. 
KENNY