US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA7727

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 007727 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2015 
TAGS: KJUS, PTER, PREL, EI, CO, UN, FARC 
SUBJECT: COLOMBIA WANTS IRISH THREE BACK 
 
REF: DUBLIN 983 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood; reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d) 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Colombian Foreign Ministry officials say 
they are in the process of requesting that Ireland extradite 
three Irish citizens convicted of aiding Colombia's 
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas. 
GOC officials have stressed that, although Ireland does not 
have an extradition agreement in force with Colombia, Ireland 
should return the three as a part of its responsibility to 
the global war on terror.  End summary. 
 
2. (C) As of August 5, James Monaghan, Niall Connolly, and 
Martin McCauley, three Irish citizens charged with entering 
Colombia with false documents and training the Revolutionary 
Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas, had returned to 
Ireland.  Colombian officials reacted with surprise and 
dismay upon learning that the so-called "Irish three" had 
returned undetected (reftel).  In particular, local press 
questioned the Department of Administrative Security, an FBI 
equivalent, about how the three had managed to leave while 
under court orders to remain in Colombia.  Last December, the 
men were sentenced to 17 years in prison for training the 
FARC in guerrilla warfare tactics during 2001.  They were 
awaiting the result of their appeal when they fled.  Although 
Colombia plans to request extradition, the GOC has not yet 
filed the paperwork. 
 
3. Over the last week, Colombian officials have spoken out 
about the escape and urged Ireland to return the men.  Vice 
President Francisco Santos initially told the Colombian media 
that the three should be extradited, but has not ruled out 
the possibility of them serving time in Ireland.  On August 7 
he said, "PM Ahern should show his commitment to the global 
war on terror." 
 
4. (U) While on an official visit to Guatemala on August 9, 
Foreign Minister Carolina Barco told press that Colombia was 
petitioning the Irish police to return the three on the basis 
of their Interpol arrest warrant.  Colombia's newly-selected 
Prosecutor General Mario Iguaran acknowledged that Colombia 
does not have an extradition treaty with Ireland, but 
asserted that the legal means were in place to bring the 
three back.  As ranking Colombian cabinet members underscored 
their preference for the Irish Three's immediate extradition, 
leading daily "El Tiempo" was less optimistic; its August 10 
headline predicted that extradition would not go through 
anytime soon. 
 
5. (SBU) COMMENT: We read Security Council resolution 1373, 
adopted under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter and voted 
unanimously when the Irish were on the Council, as precluding 
the provision of safe haven and obliging all UN member states 
to "afford one another the greatest amount of assistance in 
connection with criminal investigations or criminal 
proceedings relating to the financing or support of terrorist 
acts."  End comment. 
WOOD