US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA10389

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BOGOTA 010389 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR INL/LP AND INL/RM 
DEPT FOR WHA/AND 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, SENV, KCRM, PTER, CO 
SUBJECT: NAS MONTHLY REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 2005 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  During the month, approximately 7,893 
hectares of illicit crops were sprayed, giving a year-to- 
date total of 120,101 hectares of coca and 1,546 hectares of 
poppy sprayed.  One contract spray aircraft pilot and a 
Counterdrug (CD) Brigade dog handler and his dog were killed 
during operations in September.  Over nine tons of cocaine 
HCL, 14 kilos of heroin, and almost 10 tons of marijuana 
were either captured or destroyed. END SUMMARY. 
 
AERIAL ERADICATION 
------------------ 
2. (SBU) During the month of September, OV-10s operating 
from Larandia sprayed approximately 3,150 hectares of coca; 
AT-802s operating from Barrancabermeja sprayed approximately 
3,100 hectares of coca; and T-65s operating from Saravena 
and Cucuta sprayed 1,643 hectares of coca, for a total of 
approximately 7,893 hectares of coca sprayed.  The total 
crops sprayed so far in 2005 are approximately 120,101 
hectares of coca and 1,546 hectares of poppy. 
 
3. (SBU) Eradiation aircraft were involved in 14 incidents 
involving hostile fire during September, resulting in a 
total of 28 impacts during the month.  The AT-802 and T-65 
spray aircraft received significant impacts while operating 
from two or more Forward Operating Locations.  On September 
30, a T-65 aircraft received multiple hits, two of which 
struck the pilot, resulting in his death.  Although the 
dying pilot, Orlando Jose Bonfante, tried to land the plane 
safely, he was unable to do, and the crashed airframe was 
ultimately destroyed on the ground. 
 
4. (SBU) Three of the eleven eradication UH-1Ns are fully 
mission capable; five are in phase maintenance; and three 
are flyable, but no fully mission capable.  Of the eleven, 
seven have extensive structural/sheet metal repair 
requirements. This situation continues negatively to affect 
operational readiness rates.  Dyncorp's subcontract with 
Vertical Aviation for phase inspection of one UH-1N was 
successfully accomplished within established parameters.  In 
addition, a second phase inspection was started.  The 
eradication program borrowed five UH-1N from the Plan 
Colombia Helicopter Program (PCHP) to conduct spray 
operations. This limited the PCHP's ability to support spray 
operations with additional security forces. 
 
5. (SBU) There are no replacement left-hand propellers for 
OV-10s.  There are now three OV-10s grounded until 
additional blades arrive.  We have ordered replacement 
blades from the United States, but the delivery date is 
uncertain.  We plan to continue to upgrade the OV-10 
propeller and fuel controls.  One has been completed thus 
far. 
 
PLAN COLOMBIA HELICOPTER PROGRAM AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY 
STRATEGY (ISS) PROGRAMS 
-------------------------- 
6. (SBU) The month of September was exceptionally busy for 
the Plan Colombia Helicopter Program (PCHP).  One Forward 
Operating Location (FOL) was moved from Barrancabermeja to 
San Jose, while FOLs in Larandia and Saravena (in addition 
to Saravia's standard ISS support) continued to be operated. 
The PCHP also continued to support training at the base in 
Tolemaida. 
 
7. (SBU) Significant events included the theft of the 
destroyed fuselage of UH-II tail No. 404 at an ELN roadblock 
in Saravena; 18 medical evacuation missions (including one 
evacuation of a Colombian newborn with exposed intestines); 
and 15 air assault missions in support of eradication that 
resulted in the capture of five guerillas and the deaths of 
an estimated 15 guerillas.  A total of 2,051 hours were 
flown. 
 
TRAINING 
-------- 
 
8. (U) Basic flight training continued for 12 Colombian Army 
officers in Florida, as well as for 12 officers at CACOM 4 
in Melgar, Colombia, and 5 more officers at the Colombian 
National Police training school at Mariquita.  During 
September, NAS processed a total of four Carabineros and 44 
DRIAN police students to attend courses in the United 
States. 
 
INTERDICTION 
------------ 
 
9. (SBU) In September, the Colombian National Police (CNP) 
seized over nine metric tons of cocaine HCL and coca base, 
bringing their year-to-date total to over 79 metric tons. 
Six HCL laboratories and 11 base laboratories were destroyed 
in the process, bringing that total to 83 HCL laboratories. 
In addition, one heroin laboratory was destroyed, along with 
17 kilos of heroin.  The CNP also destroyed 9.8 metric tons 
of marijuana, 42,851 gallons of liquid precursors, and 40.1 
metric tons of solid precursors. 
10. (SBU) During the month of September, the Colombian Army, 
Police, Air Force, and Navy demonstrated unprecedented 
levels of cooperation, conducting two short- notice joint 
operations against the FARC 48th Front in southeastern 
Putumayo department. 
 
REESTABLISH POLICE PRESENCE PROGRAM (CARABINEROS) 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
11. (SBU) Three new Mobile Carabineros Squadrons (EMCARs) 
started training in September and graduated from the basic 
seven-week course at Espinal in September.  Three EMCAR 
squadrons began the basic course at the end of September. 
 
12. (SBU) The squadrons had a busy month during September, 
with armed conflicts in many departments resulting in labs 
destroyed, over 25,000 kgs/gals of precursors seized, and 
weapons and equipment captured.  Precise figures will be 
forwarded in the next monthly report. 
 
13. (SBU) During the previous month (August 2005), the EMCAR 
squadrons captured 15 narcotraffickers and 69 members of 
terrorist groups (48 FARC/ELN, 21 AUC).  Squadrons also 
seized 3,551 gals of liquid precursors, 4,345 kgs of solid 
precursors, 183 kgs of coca base, and 75 kgs of marijuana 
and also recovered 5,526 gals of stolen petroleum products. 
 
14. (SBU) In addition, approximately 1,400 EMCARs were 
involved in guarding manual eradication teams, and an 
additional 600 were providing security for the 
demobilization proceedings. 
 
COUNTERDRUG (CD) BRIGADE 
------------------------- 
 
15. (SBU) The CD Brigade moved its Third Battalion from 
Barrancabermeja to San Jose Guaviare to conduct operations 
in support of spray operations.  The Second Battalion 
commenced operations in Putumayo, while the First Battalion 
concluded training with the 7th Army Special Forces Group in 
Larandia.  All three Battalions received training this year. 
During an operation in San Jose Guaviare, a mine sniffing 
dog and his handler fell from a UH-60 Plan Colombia 
helicopter from an altitude of about ten feet.  Both the 
soldier and the dog died from trauma.  This incident is 
currently under investigation. 
 
DESERTER PROGRAM 
---------------- 
 
16. (SBU) A total of 201 individual deserters left the ranks 
of the FARC (57), ELN (28), and AUC (116) in September. 
Under the Uribe administration, there have been 8,195 
desertions to date.  (These individual desertions are 
separate from the groups participating in demobilization.) 
Historically, October through December have been the months 
with the highest number of desertions.  Currently there is 
one deserter every four hours.  The average number of 
individual deserters per month has been between 250-300. 
 
COMMUNICATIONS 
-------------- 
 
17. (SBU) The completion of the 40m communications tower in 
Puerto Estrella leaves only the Uraba tower left to install 
to have commo connectivity all along the North Coast. 
 
AIR BRIDGE DENIAL (ABD) 
------------------------ 
 
18. (SBU) In September 2005, 4,874 tracks were sorted over 
Colombia, of which 25 were declared Unknown, Assumed Suspect 
(UAS) aircraft.  Of these, three ended in Law Enforcement 
end games, with three aircraft and over 1,500 kilos of 
cocaine confiscated and 2,200 kilos of cocaine destroyed. 
There were six arrests during those events. 
 
CNP AVIATION (ARAVI) 
------------------- 
 
19. (SBU) ARAVI's fleet flew 1,965 mission hours in 
September.  The UH-1H II helicopters flew 751 mission hours 
with an operational readiness (OR) rate of 51 percent. 
(Twenty-five percent of the Huey II fleet is in depot due to 
major structural repairs.)  Our Bell 212 helicopters flew 
150 mission hours with an operational readiness rate of 70 
percent, and our UH-60L helicopters flew 169 mission hours 
with an operational readiness rate of 60 percent.  ARAVI 
continues training a Colombian Army (COLAR) pilot and 
mechanic in the Cessna Caravan as part of the qualification 
requirements for the pending arrival of a Caravan to the 
COLAR program. 
 
PORT SECURITY PROGRAM 
--------------------- 
 
20. (SBU) NAS provided the Inspector General of the Foreign 
Service, Howard Krongard, with a tour of the port security 
program in Cartagena during September.  The NAS canine 
advisor traveled to Ecuador to assist NAS Quito in improving 
the canine unit in Quito. 
 
POLYGRAPH UNIT 
-------------- 
 
21. (SBU) The Police Polygraph Unit completed testing of 
DIRAN personnel in the port of Buenaventura.  Of 96 police 
officers, 38 percent failed to pass the test.  Testing of 
the Customs Police (POLFA) at Bogota's El Dorado Airport was 
also completed.  Out of 30 personnel, 43 percent failed to 
pass the test. 
 
22. (SBU) Polygraph facilities in DIRAN spaces were 
completed and delivered.  NAS financed the construction, and 
ICE paid for the furniture. 
 
DEMAND REDUCTION 
---------------- 
 
23. (SBU) NAS personnel met with GOC authorities (DIRAN and 
DNE) and some NGOs to coordinate demand reduction 
strategies, including a common communications strategy that 
would meet the needs of all the different participants. 
 
CULTURE OF LAWFULNESS 
---------------------- 
 
24. (SBU) NAS personnel met with the director of an NGO that 
has been working on culture of lawfulness programs, 
especially those programs associated with the National 
Police.  One hundred thousand dollars of FY 2005 funds were 
earmarked for the police part of the program, and a little 
over six thousand dollars of prior year money was provided 
for other aspects of the program. 
 
ENVIRONMENT 
----------- 
 
25. (SBU) During the month of September, NAS personnel made 
field visits to 150 locations in Caqueta and Putumayo 
departments where there were complaints of damage to licit 
crops by spray aircraft.  Only two were found to possibly be 
legitimate complaints.  There is a review pending by the 
Complaints Committee to evaluate the damage and assign 
compensation. 
 
26. (SBU) In accordance with the Environmental Management 
Plan, environmental monitoring was done in the department of 
Putumayo.  Soil and water samples were taken in areas where 
aerial spray operations were conducted to check for residues 
of glyphosate after spraying. 
 
27. (SBU) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs met to evaluate a 
response to claims by the Ecuadoran government of damage by 
aerial spray on the border.  NAS provided significant 
written material and maps to assist the GOC in defending 
their case. 
 
28. (SBU) Calibration and testing of the Del Norte system 
were done at Larandia base with At-802 and OV-10D aircraft. 
The resulting adjustments should reduce the amount of 
collateral damage caused by spraying. 
 
29. (SBU) Three thousand seedlings were transported to San 
Jose de Guaviare for an experimental coca field. Experiments 
on additives, production of base, leaf density, alkaloid 
content, etc. in the different coca plant varieties will be 
conducted with coca from the field. 
 
WOOD