URIBE'S MEETING WITH INTER-AGENCY DELEGATION

id: 13852 date: 2/10/2004 15:28 refid: 04BOGOTA1356 origin: Embassy Bogota classification: CONFIDENTIAL destination: 04BOGOTA1198 header: This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. -------------- header ends -------------- C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 001356 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2014 TAGS: PREL KJUS PHUM PTER SNAR CO EU SUBJECT: URIBE'S MEETING WITH INTER-AGENCY DELEGATION REF: BOGOTA 1198 (NOTAL) Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood, Reasons: 1.5 B & D. ¶1. (C) Summary: Ambassador Wood and visiting U.S. inter-agency delegation met with President Uribe and FM Barco on February 4. Reftel details the portion of the meeting devoted to paramilitary demobilization and extradition issues. Barco expressed guarded optimism regarding the OAS vote on SecGen Gaviria's proposed paramilitary demobilization verification program. Uribe reiterated his pledge to wipe out coca production during his term and requested additional eradication efforts and aircraft. Uribe was positive on his upcoming visit to Europe, indicating he would defend the anti-terrorism statute and resist calls for a humanitarian exchange of kidnapped victims for guerrillas. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Ambassador Wood and U.S. inter-agency delegation met with President Alvaro Uribe and FM Carolina Barco on February 4 in Bogota. The U.S. side included WHA DAS Peter DeShazo, DRL PDAS Michael Kozak, INL DAS Deborah McCarthy, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Karen Harbert, and poloff Brian Walch (notetaker). ¶3. (C) DeShazo welcomed Colombian military/police re-taking of Miraflores from FARC guerrillas earlier in the week. In the context of paramilitary demobilization (see reftel), Ambassador and DeShazo stressed the importance of extradition and the need for justice for victims and accountability for gross human rights violations and narcotrafficking on the part of former combatants. Regarding the planned OAS observation effort for paramilitary demobilization, FM Barco indicated she was lobbying counterparts to attain approval of the OAS SecGen's initiative. ¶4. (C) Uribe reiterated his pledge to wipe out coca production during his term (2002-2006). He requested additional eradication flights and inquired about the status of pending aircraft. McCarthy noted the full-steam pace of eradication efforts and was positive that four additional aircraft would arrive in approximately 90 days. In addition, the U.S. goal was two AT-802 aircraft by June. Uribe suggested additional efforts to dismantle the Norte del Valle cartel and called attention to two major groups of arrests in the last ten days. Ambassador Wood told Uribe we are in the final stages of the draft Plan Colombia Phase II text. ¶5. (C) Turning to his visit to Brussels, Berlin, Rome, and Strasbourg (February 8-14),Uribe indicated he would carry a strong message to Europe. He promised to stress his achievements on both the public security and human rights fronts. Uribe was adamant that he would resist European calls for an unconditional humanitarian exchange of prisoners with the FARC. FM Barco, in turn, expressed determination to defend the congressionally-approved anti-terrorism statute. WOOD =======================CABLE ENDS============================