COUNTER-DRUG BRIGADE CHANGE OF COMMAND

UNCLAS BOGOTA 010848

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR INL/LP AND WHA/AND

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR MOPS PINR CO
SUBJECT: COUNTER-DRUG BRIGADE CHANGE OF COMMAND


1. (U) The Colombian Army Counter- Drug Brigade (CD BDE)
will be getting a new commander in mid-December. Brigadier
General (BG) Jorge Octavio ARDILA Silva will replace
outgoing CD BDE Commander BG Luis Felipe PAREDESParedes
Cadena, who will assume command of the 2nd Brigade in
Barranquilla.


2. (SBU) BG Ardila Silva is from the engineer branch and is
currently the Chief of Logistics for the Army. His past
assignments include being second- in- command at the 4th
Division hHeadquarters and a tour as mMilitary aAttache in
the U.S.


3. (SBU) BG Ardila Silva is well known to the current
Narcotics Police (DIRAN) Commander, BG Jorge Baron, which
augers well for the DIRAN-CD BDE operations in support of
aerial eradication.


4. (SBU) Previous CD BDE commanders have lasted from one to
two years in the unit. It is not unusual for a commander to
be transferred after one year, especially given the forced
retirement of six active duty generals during the first part
of 2005.


5. (U) BG Ardila Silva is not a relative of has no relation
to BG Luis Alberto Ardila Silva, the 6th Division commander
and the commanderorganization to whomich the CD BDE head
reportsadministratively belongs.


6. (SBU) Comment: Preliminary human rights checks within the
embassy show no derogatory information on BG Jorge Ardila
Silva. End comment.

DRUCKER