US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA9276

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 05 BOGOTA 009276 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, SNAR, MASS, PREF, EAID, KJUS, CO, Demobilization, FARC 
SUBJECT: PLAN COLOMBIA MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS - AUGUST 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood 
Reasons: 1.4 B & D 
 
1. (U) The following is an update of Plan Colombia activities 
reported during August 2005. 
 
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE/JUDICIAL SECTOR REFORM PROGRAM 
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2. (U) The Department of Justice Judicial Sector Reform 
Program (JSRP) provided training to police officers, judges, 
and prosecutors in the following courses: 
 
--Prosecutor Training for 120 prosecutors in Paipa and Cali. 
This two-week course is designed to prepare prosecutors for 
the new criminal procedure code and an accusatory system.  In 
addition, the course focuses on developing the necessary 
technical skills for making charging decisions, trial 
preparation, presenting evidence, and trial techniques. U.S. 
and Colombian prosecutors served as instructors. 
 
--Police Instructor course for 30 National Police in Tunja 
and Yopal.  The two-week course is designed to prepare the 
participants as instructors, and they will then train other 
patrol officers on the accusatory system and the new Criminal 
Procedure Code. They were instructed in how to handle crime 
scenes and deliver testimony in court. 
--Police Officer course for 60 additional police officers in 
Bogota and Yopal.  The two-week course is designed to prepare 
patrol officers for their role in supporting the new 
accusatory system. 
 
--"Investigator As a Witness" training for over 800 police 
officers in eight cities: Bogota, Villavicencio, Bucaramanga, 
Medellin, Ibague, Cali, Tunja, and Yopal.  This intensive 
two-week course provides training in handling crime scenes, 
writing police reports, and testimony in court.  Classroom 
training is combined with practical exercises, including mock 
courtroom proceedings.  Colombian prosecutors participate in 
the mock court proceedings as both defense attorneys and 
prosecutors. 
 
--The one-week "Judge Training" course on the new Criminal 
Procedure Code and the accusatory system for 50 judges from 
Cali, Buga, Valle de Cauca, and Medellin.  The course is 
designed to prepare judges for the new criminal procedure 
code and an accusatory system.  The training was based on a 
series of practical exercises, including mock courtroom 
proceedings.  U.S. and Colombian judges served as 
instructors. 
 
3. (U) The Anti-Corruption seminar was provided to 60 
directors and assistant directors from National Police (CNP), 
Department of Administrative Security (DAS) and the 
Prosecutor General's Office Technical Investigative Corps (in 
Spanish, "Cuerpo Tecnico de Investigaciones" or CTI) in 
Barranquilla and Medellin. 
 
4. (U) "Intellectual Property" training was provided to 30 
police investigators and forensic examiners in Barranquilla. 
The course offered instruction in the forensic methodology 
used to investigate cases involving piracy and intellectual 
property violations. 
 
5. (U) The one-week course on "Expert Witness Testimony" was 
offered to 25 forensic laboratory experts from the CNP, DAS, 
CTI, and Legal Medicine.  Participants were trained on how to 
testify and present complex forensic data in criminal trials. 
 U.S. and Colombian forensic experts served as instructors. 
 
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MILITARY GROUP 
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6. (C) Military Group (MilGroup) Commander visited Apiay 
Forward Operating Site (FOS) on August 10. The visit 
coincided with the initial deployment of the first U.S. 
Army/Southern Command (USARSO) FOS Commander, who is 
completing a site survey.  The deployment is intended to 
initiate a more integrated approach to coordinating garrison 
issues by joint users stationed at the FOS, as well as 
establishing a more organized and deliberate coordination 
effort with the Colombian Air Force.  The approach has become 
increasingly important as Apiay is the hub of the U.S. 
Intelligence, Search, and Rescue (ISR) effort.  As the number 
of platforms increases, so have associated support and force 
protection concerns.  The FOS Commander will play an 
important role in providing MilGroup and U.S. South Southern 
Command (SouthCom) components a central point of contact 
(POC) for managing garrison issues at the FOS. 
7. (C) MilGroup met with the Colombian Military (ColMil) 
Joint Command for an initial planning meeting.  Future 
meetings in this series will more closely examine and define 
what phase Two C or "IIC" of Plan Patriota will look like, 
since such definition is critical to U.S. planning and 
out-year budgetary efforts. 
 
8. (S) In a meeting with Joint Command Chief, MilGroup 
discussed efforts to do training on site exploration 
following destruction of a FARC camp and verify tactics, 
techniques, and procedures (TTPs). ColMil officials and the 
MilGroup Commander agreed verbally to request official orders 
to be sent to Joint Task Force (JTF) Omega.  The JTF Omega 
Commander continues to cause problems.  There is considerable 
concern that the Commander, General Fracica, is not willing 
to work with US trainers. 
 
SECURITY ASSISTANCE DIFFICULTIES 
 
9. (U) The ColMil expressed concern over the delay in 
processing Security Assistance (SA) Letters of Request (LOA), 
Amendments, and Price and Availability (P&A) Requests. Slow 
processing is causing the ColMil significant frustration. 
The period of time officially allowed for processing these 
documents is 120 days for LOAs, 90 days for Amendments, and 
45 days for P&A requests. U.S. Army Security Assistance 
Command (USASAC) is currently not processing within the 
official time allowed for 38 percent of LOAs and 50 percent 
of P&A requests.  Air Force Security Assistance and Training 
(AFSAT) is currently not processing within the official time 
allowed for 66 percent of LOAs and 100 percent of P&A 
requests.  Navy International Program Office (NAVYIPO) is 
currently not processing within the official time allowed for 
87 percent of LOAs. Southern Command J5 continues to work on 
this issue. 
 
10. (S) The ColMil Commander reportedly convened a two-day 
conference for flag-officer joint staff and the service 
commander.  The conference sought to chart the way ahead for 
Plan Patriota phase IIC, specifically the identification of 
general operational parameters. MilGroup is engaging the 
ColMil to determine requirements to Plan Patriota. The 
Minister of Defense (MOD), in a meeting with the MilGroup 
Commander on August 25, emphasized that the next six to nine 
months will be critical to the ColMil effort.  He has asked 
for a meeting with the SouthCom Commander during his next 
scheduled trip to Colombia to discuss future plans. 
 
11. (S) In a meeting on August 24, the ColMil Chief of Staff 
requested that SouthCom assist in the campaign planning 
effort required to support implementation of the phase IIC 
effort.  There seems to be widespread agreement within the 
ColMil that the next phase of the plan will be more difficult 
than the previous phase.  The FARC will likely assume a much 
more defensive posture to gain breathing space, while 
engaging in terrorist activities designed to create 
instability for the government while their guerrilla 
organization recovers.  The MilGroup will generate 
recommendations for such a planning effort under separate 
cover. 
 
12. (U) The Universidad Militar Nueva Granada (New Granada 
Military University) and the Center of Strategic Studies, 
Development and Defense (a Colombian defense think-tank), 
with the support of the U.S. Embassy, are sponsoring the 
first Civil-Military Relations Democracy Seminar scheduled 
for October 26.  President Uribe will present the opening 
remarks.  The purpose of this seminar is to analyze 
Civil-Military relations in Colombia, and participants will 
discuss how this relationship is critical in defending 
democracy and fighting terrorist threats. The sponsors are 
requesting that a general officer from SouthCom represent the 
U.S. Military and serve as the guest speaker.  Participants 
from the embassies of Spain, Great Britain, and Israel will 
also address the group.  MilGroup agreed to make the request 
to SouthCom, and will coordinate that speaker's visit, if 
approved. 
13. (U) The 30th Counter-Guerrilla Brigade completed 
training.  The unit was trained in critical air assault 
training tasks.  The unit also received marksmanship training 
on the newly arrived M16 rifles and optic sights. 
 
14. (U) Robert Nassif, Senior Examiner of the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB), visited Colombia from August 30 
until September 2.  Nassif was accompanied by Bob Knotts, 
David Viens, and Maj. Jack Sparks.  Nassif, who manages the 
world-wide counter-narcotics portfolio for OMB, came to 
obtain a better understanding of DOD,s Colombia 
Counter-Narcotics program as part of USG support to Plan 
Colombia and Plan Patriota.  The MilGroup visit focused on 
effective use of DOD resources in building ColMil 
capabilities, which have contributed significantly to 
Colombia's enhanced security and stability. The delegation 
received a MilGroup briefing and visited the Embassy 
Intelligence Fusion Center.  They also received program 
reviews at several Colombian military installations, 
including the Combined Operations and Intelligence Center and 
Combined Counter-Drug Communication Center in Bogota. Outside 
of Bogota, the delegation visited the MilGroup 
representatives and Colombian officers supervising the Rotary 
Wing Training program in Tolemeida.  He also visited the 
Chief of Joint Staff, JTF Omega for an operations briefing, 
and attended a cocaine production and brigade capabilities 
demonstration with the Counter-Drug Brigade in Larandia. 
MilGroup considers the visit to have been a success. 
 
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Narcotic Affairs Section 
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15. (U) August 31 year-to-date aerial eradication for coca 
reached 111,496 hectares and 1,557 hectares for opium poppy. 
 
16. (U) The Plan Colombia Helicopter Program (PCHP) has a 
total of 126 certified helicopter mechanics.  In addition, 
there are 87 Colombian Army Pilots who have completed 
training in the PCHP. 
 
17. (SBU) Three new Carabinero squadrons started training in 
August, and with the completion of these trainees, there will 
be a total of 47 Carabinero squadrons trained.  The 
Carabinero Units have been devoting significant time to 
providing security for the GOC manual eradication efforts. 
26 Colombian Narcotics Police (DIRAN in Spanish) went to the 
U.S. for specialized training in August. 
 
18. (SBU) The GOC passed a resolution authorizing spraying in 
Colombia,s National Parks under certain conditions.  The 
Embassy has asked Washington agencies to permit us to assist 
with spraying glyphosate against coca in national parks. 
 
19. (SBU) The Deserter Program received 240 deserters in 
August.  These individuals or small groups are not considered 
to be demobilized.  They are FARC, AUC, and ELN members who 
decide individually to desert and turn themselves in to the 
MOD.  Since the Uribe Administration began, through August 
2005, there have been 7,976 deserters.  The breakdown is as 
follows: FARC 3,978; AUC 2,694; ELN 1,082, and other 
organizations 222.  The radio is the primary way in which 
potential deserters learn about the program. 
 
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Regional Security Office 
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20. (U) The Regional Security Office (RSO) has conducted a 
host of activities in support of the Anti-Terrorism 
Assistance and Anti-Kidnapping Intiative (ATA/AKI).  During 
the month of August, the ATA/AKI Program finalized its Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2005 training schedule and made all FY06 equipment 
orders for the Crisis Response Training Courses (CRTs) to be 
presented during FY-06. 
 
21. (U) The CRT began training for the first Naval Marine 
Infantry Group (GAULA Sucre) at the Sibate Police training 
Academy. 
 
22. (SBU) With the September 30 deadline for the initial 
turnover of the Anti-Terrorism Assistance/Sistema Integrado 
de Informacion Extorsion y Secuestro (SIIES) Network to the 
GOC fast approaching, the issue of connectivity for 20 GAULAS 
and the completion of the LAN/WAN contracts with the internet 
service provider IMPSTAT were the main issues discussed at 
meetings with the Foundation for Liberty (FONDELIBERTAD).  In 
addition, RSO has pressed the GOC to begin to hire the 
Colombian SIIES Transition Team.  At a final meeting with the 
Director of the FONDELIBERTAD and the Vice Minister of 
Defense on August 31, these issues were finally resolved, and 
FONDELIBERTAD agreed to proceed with the signing of the 
outstanding contracts and the hiring of a transition team. 
 
23. (U) During this period, the equipment to be donated to 
the GOC during FY06 for the next series of CRTs was ordered. 
This equipment donation totals approximately USD 1.3 million. 
 Also during this period, an American instructor was lightly 
injured when a &dud8 training device exploded while being 
rendered safe.  As a result of this incident, the Standard 
Operating Proceedure (SOP) governing the handling of 
unexploded training devices was revised. 
 
24. (U) Though not directly a part of the regular ATA/AKI 
curriculum, Diplomatic Security and ATA offered the GOC a 
Hostage Negotiation Course for 24 participants to be held at 
Baton Rouge, LA from October 31 ) November 11.  RSO sent the 
GOC an official letter of invitation on August 30. 
 
25. (SBU) The Presidential Security Program (PSP) currently 
has three Plan Colombia personnel in country.  One recent 
hire will serve as the lead advisor and is filling the 
positions left vacant when two former contractors decided not 
to renew their contracts in May.  This is part of a projected 
downsizing of the program's personnel.  PSP recently 
completed two refresher courses for advanced personal 
protective security agents.  One course consisted of 20 
participants, and the other consisted of 18 participants, 
representing the Vice President,s security detail. 
 
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USAID 
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26. (U) On August 17, Ambassador Wood and Foreign Minister 
Barco formalized the FY05 obligation of USD 126.8 million in 
U.S. socio-economic and humanitarian assistance.  To date, 
the USG has allocated a total of $603.4 million, including 
$145.1 million to support a more responsive and accountable 
democracy, $291.2 million to promote economic and social 
alternatives to illicit crop production, and $167.1 million 
to provide economic and social opportunities for displaced 
persons and other vulnerable groups. 
 
27. (U) The Embassy, through an implementing partner, 
contributed USD 40,000 to support the third Afro-Colombian 
Institutional Strengthening Conference held in Cali from 
August 4 to 5, 2005.  Colombian Vice-President Francisco 
Santos, U.S. Congressman Gregory Meeks, Mr. George Grace, and 
Ms. Vanessa Williams (president and executive director of the 
U.S. National Conference of Black Mayors) all attended the 
event.  The Conference was organized by the National 
Association of Afro-Colombian Mayors (in Spanish, Asociacion 
Nacional de Alcaldes de Municipios con Poblacion 
Afrodescendiente or AMUNAFRO).  The conference identified 
strategies for the social, economic, and political 
advancement of Afro-Colombian communities. 
 
28. (U) Embassy assistance in supporting the design of new 
regulations in public accounting and internal control, as 
well as capacity building, was reflected in the Comptroller 
General,s 2005 report to the Congress and the President. 
The report summarizes the results of audits performed in 2004 
of over 372 national GOC entities.  It noted that 64 percent 
of the entities obtained a score of GOOD in the areas of 
financial and performance evaluations.  This represents an 
improvement from the 2002 report and over 10 percent 
improvement from 2004 results.  According to the Comptroller, 
these results were due in part to improved financial 
accounts, strengthened implementation of improvement plans, 
and adherence to results-based principles in the executive 
branch. 
WOOD