US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA8157

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MEDIA REACTION: DETAINED AMERICAN SERVICEMEN

Identifier: 05BOGOTA8157
Wikileaks: View 05BOGOTA8157 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Bogota
Created: 2005-08-30 11:54:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: KMDR KPAO OPRC PREL SNAR PGOV CO
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

301154Z Aug 05

 
UNCLAS BOGOTA 008157 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR, KPAO, OPRC, PREL, SNAR, PGOV, CO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: DETAINED AMERICAN SERVICEMEN 
 
 
Leading editorial in weekly Semana (8/29) entitled: "A Happy 
Ending For The 'Narcosoldiers'," states: 
 
"Taking advantage of their presence in Colombia... the 
(American) soldier and the three sergeants... had built up a 
cocaine distribution net. Ironically, they trained Colombian 
soldiers to fight against drugs... In contrast, the 
Colombian " mules" who arrive in civilian airplanes, usually 
with smaller amounts (of cocaine) and without criminal 
records, receive an average of 12 years of jail in the 
United States... That is what is so discouraging about this 
case. It is obvious that the crime of the American soldiers 
is more serious than that of the Colombian civilians." 
 
WOOD 

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