DIALOGUE ON A FRAMEWORK FOR A STRATEGIC DEFENSE

S E C R E T BOGOTA 011084 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2015 TAGS: MARR MCAP PARM PREL CO US GOV SUBJECT: DIALOGUE ON A FRAMEWORK FOR A STRATEGIC DEFENSE RELATIONSHIP WITH COLOMBIA REF: SECSTATE 207620 Classified By: Charge Milton K. Drucker, Reasons: 1.4 (b) & (d) ¶1. (S) Per reftel, Polcouns and DATT initiated dialogue on a framework for a strategic defense relationship with VMOD Andres Penate and COLMIL's General Padilla on November 22, and with MFA Vice Minister Reyes on November 23. The three officials constitute the internal GOC working group on the matter. Embassy officers also shared the draft text provided in reftel. ¶2. (S) Penate said he was "extremely pleased" to receive the draft and to be at this stage in the discussions, and noted that the ball was now in the GOC's court for a formal response. After a quick read of the text, he expressed satisfaction with the "considerable conceptual overlap" between U.S. and GOC views. General Padilla asked whether joint training of special forces and collaboration on anti-mine efforts needed to be spelled out specifically in the text, as some other issues were, or whether they would be covered under more general language paragraphs. Penate underscored that the GOC wanted to pursue these discussions in a quiet and informal manner and hoped to wait until after the presidential elections before taking the initiative public. ¶3. (S) News of Penate's nomination by President Uribe to head the DAS (Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad),roughly equivalent to the FBI, hit the press earlier on November 22. Penate said he was not sure whether Hernan Sanin, reported to replace him at the MOD (and brother of former Presidential candidate and current Ambassador to Spain and Uribe confidant Noemi Sanin),would be assigned this issue or whether it would pass to someone else at the MOD. He said the Embassy would be informed as soon as a decision was made. DRUCKER