Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BOGOTA118
2005-01-05 22:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:  

COLOMBIA: 2004 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

Tags:  PTER ASEC PBTS CO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BOGOTA 000118 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR S/CT, TTIC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC PBTS CO
SUBJECT: COLOMBIA: 2004 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

REF: 04 STATE 245841

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BOGOTA 000118

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR S/CT, TTIC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC PBTS CO
SUBJECT: COLOMBIA: 2004 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

REF: 04 STATE 245841


1. (U) Embassy Bogota's contribution to the 2004 Patterns of
Global Terrorism report follows. Responses are keyed to
questions in reftel's paragraph 15. Embassy POC is Poloff
Dana Brown, (phone) 571-315-2129, unclass email
browndml@state.gov.


2. (SBU) (A) SUPPORT FOR THE GLOBAL COALITION AGAINST
TERRORISM: The Government of Colombia continued to support
the Global War Against Terrorism through bilateral,
multilateral, military, and economic activities against three
domestic terrorist groups -- the Revolutionary Armed Forces
of Colombia (FARC),the National Liberation Army (ELN),and
the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) -- that have
been designated by the United States as Foreign Terrorist
Organizations. In 2004, Colombia continued to work with
neighboring countries to combat terrorist expansion,
investigate terrorist activities outside Colombia, and bring
terrorists to justice.

(SBU) B) HOST NATION COUNTERTERRORISM ACTIONS:

DIPLOMATIC: Colombia has signed eight of the international
conventions and protocols relating to terrorism and is party
to six. The remaining four are in different stages of the
Congressional ratification process. The Colombian Government
issued a statement condemning the alleged paramilitary plot
against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in May. Colombia
also supported the Venezuelans by releasing prison records
and criminal information on all individuals arrested.

LAW ENFORCEMENT: The U.S.-Colombia extradition relationship
continued to be the most successful one we have; Colombia
extradited 90 fugitives to the United States in 2004. The
Colombian Government remained fully cooperative in cases and
investigations involving Americans; it sought an exchange of
hostages held by the FARC to release the three U.S. citizens
kidnapped in February 2003. In December, Colombia extradited
Gilberto Rodriguez-Orejuela, who founded the Cali drug cartel
in the 1970s and at one point was responsible for 80 percent
of the global cocaine trade. In late December, the GOC also
extradited Juvanal Oviedo Ricardo Palmera, "Simon Trinidad,"
the most senior FARC commander ever held by the Colombians,
to the United States on charges of kidnapping, providing
material support to terrorists and narcotics trafficking.

The threat of extradition has been cited as a significant
concern for leaders of the FARC, ELN, and AUC.

INTELLIGENCE: In 2004, all adult terrorist group deserters
were debriefed by the military for detailed information on
their terrorist cell before they entered the
demobilization/reinsertion program. Moreover, the 3,000 AUC
members demobilized in the collective events have given
useful information about their organizational structure and
culture during Government processing.

FINANCIAL ASSETS: The Colombian Government fully cooperated
in blocking terrorist assets. Throughout 2004, the Colombian
Financial Information and Analysis Unit (UIAF) assisted the
U.S. Embassy and the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign
Assets Control (OFAC) in closing suspicious bank accounts.
In August, the Colombian military, police, and investigative
units combined efforts to produce an estimate of FARC
finances. The GOC planned to continue this research and
expand it to include the two other main terrorist groups in
Colombia. In September, the U.S. Secret Service and the
Colombian National Police seized 3.6 million counterfeit U.S.
dollars from the FARC, which had planned to use it for
weapons and explosives purchases. The Colombian Government
also took steps to reorganize and streamline its
Inter-Institutional Committee Against Subversive Finances.

MILITARY: President Uribe increased military pressure on
illegal armed groups in 2004, facilitating the military's
nation-wide campaign to retake national territory. Although
FARC-dominated southern Colombia was the primary target for
the inter-service military action, the military also carried
out actions against the ELN and the AUC throughout the year.

(SBU) C) HOST NATION LAW ENFORCEMENT, INTELLIGENCE/SECURITY
SERVICE, AND MILITARY ACTIONS TAKEN AGAINST AL-QAIDA AND
OTHER TERRORIST GROUPS; ENACTMENT OF NEW PERTINENT CT LAWS,
EXECUTIVE ORDERS, OR REGULATORY ACTIONS: There were no GOC
actions taken against Al-Qaida in 2004 but the military
conducted ongoing actions against the FARC, ELN, and AUC as
outlined in (B),(J) and (Q). Military and police units
around the country seized weapons caches, impounded narcotics
stocks, infiltrated abandoned FARC camps, and rescued kidnap
victims. In August, Congress approved a major anti-terrorism
statute that would have allowed the Government to conduct
wiretaps, search residences, and detain suspects more easily.
In September, however, the Constitutional Court found the
statute unconstitutional and struck it down before
implementation. The Government drafted a "Law of Justice and
Reparations," which would offer alternative sentences,
including mandatory prison time and victim reparation, to
former members of illegal armed groups who committed serious
crimes prior to demobilizing. It will be presented to
Congress in 2005.
(SBU) D) RESPONSE OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM TO ACTS OF
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND/OR SIGNIFICANT ACTS OF DOMESTIC
TERRORISM DURING 2004: As detailed in answer B, GOC
authorities had successful extradition processes with the
United States and other nations. Colombia requested the
Government of Chile to extradite FARC front leader Jairo
Cuarn Collazos, who was issued a one-year resident visa in
November. Colombia also requested the Cuban Government to
extradite Luis Fernando Gomez Bustamante, a narcotics
trafficker arrested in Cuba. There was no impediment to
extradition for terrorist acts occurring outside Colombia.

(U) E) HOST NATION LAW ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITIES, SPECIFICALLY
IN SURVEILLANCE, INTEL COLLECTION, AND INVESTIGATION:
Colombian law allows wire, oral, and electronic
communications interception by the security forces and law
enforcement officials with the permission of a prosecutor.

(SBU) F) HOST GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO INVESTIGATE TERRORIST
INCIDENTS OR ASSIST WITH INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM
INVESTIGATIONS, TO REDUCE THE ABILITY OF TERRORISTS TO CROSS
NATIONAL BORDERS: The Colombian Government was generally
willing to assist in investigations of terrorist activity by
Colombians in bordering nations. Border controls remained
weak to non-existent, however, and neighboring countries
routinely complained that both illegal armed group members
and displaced persons crossed the borders unhindered. The
GOC entity responsible for immigration controls, the
Administrative Department of Security (DAS) entered into a
cooperative agreement with Diplomatic Security and Department
of Homeland Security offices at post to form a vetted
investigation unit to combat identity document fraud and
alien smuggling.

(U) G) MAJOR COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN IN 2004 BY
THE HOST GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING STEPS TAKEN IN INTERNATIONAL
AND REGIONAL FORA: See (A),(B).

(U) H) DEVELOPMENTS IN HOST NATION CT EFFORTS, FOCUSING ON
ANY NEW ORGANIZATIONS OR PROCESSES CREATED, TO INCLUDE
EFFORTS TO UPGRADE BORDER AND MARITIME SECURITY: In early
December, the Army announced a new Caribbean Joint Command
center for military operations along the north coast of
Colombia. The new command will coordinate Army, Navy and Air
Force operations along the Caribbean, making the maritime
border more secure and improving operations against
terrorists in the area. Brazil and Colombia signed an aerial
interdiction agreement similar the US-Colombia Air Bridge
Denial Program.

(U) I) EFFORTS TO COMBAT EXTREMIST, VIOLENCE-SUPPORTING
IDEOLOGY, BOTH BY GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL OR RELIGIOUS SOCIETY.
See (B),(C) and (D).

(SBU) J) IDENTIFY WHERE HOST GOVERNMENT HAS DEPLOYED MILITARY
OR PARAMILITARY FORCES FOR COMBAT, COUNTER INSURGENCY OR CT
ACTIVITIES: The Colombian Armed forces fought the FARC, ELN,
and paramilitaries throughout Colombia. The largest
coordinated campaign in Colombian history, Plan Patriota,
focused on the FARC in south-central Colombia, but other
forces and police units were active in every department in
the country against all illegal armed groups.

(U) K) DESCRIBE MAJOR CHANGES, POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, IN THE
HOST GOVERNMENT'S STANCE TOWARDS TERRORISM, INTERNATIONAL OR
DOMESTIC: The GOC continued its hard stance against
terrorists throughout 2004. Uribe's Administration,
inaugurated in 2002, entered office on a "get tough with
terrorists" platform and has maintained its focus to
demobilize or defeat Colombia's terrorist groups.

(SBU) L) CONSTRAINTS ON CT PERFORMANCE, INCLUDING LACK OF
CAPACITY OR POLITICAL WILL: The Government of Colombia
remained focused on combating thousands of terrorists
domestically but lacked both the military and financial
resources to extend the fight to outside terrorist
organizations. Colombia made extraordinary progress against
terrorism in 2004 by processing more than 6,000 deserters of
illegal armed groups and over 3,000 paramilitaries in a
collective demobilization program. However, continued
success will require significant financial and military
resources. The GOC has requested assistance from the
international community to help support demobilization and
peace process programs. Politically, the Colombian public
became increasingly divided over the controversial issues of
"humanitarian exchange" (a guerrilla-GOC prisoner swap) and
extradition ) two issues that could influence the GOC's
future negotiations with illegal armed groups.

(SBU) M) HOST GOVERNMENT SUPPORT (OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL)
FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, TERRORISTS, OR TERRORIST GROUPS:
The Uribe Administration maintained ) in both theory and
practice - its position against terrorism, and continually
condemned all terrorist actions. Select members of Congress,
however, showed sympathies for either the paramilitaries, the
ELN, or the FARC. One result was a Congressional invitation
for AUC leaders to address the plenary session in July and
imprisoned ELN leader Francisco Galan was released for one
day to address Congress in June. Nevertheless, members of
Congress usually limited any signs of support to unofficial
actions.

(U) N) PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF A TERRORIST-SUPPORTING
COUNTRY ON A TERRORISM ISSUE. (THE SIX GOVERNMENTS
DESIGNATED BY THE SECRETARY AS STATE SPONSORS OF TERRORISM
ARE CUBA, IRAN, LIBYA, NORTH KOREA, SUDAN, AND SYRIA.)
None.

(U) O) STATUS OF TERRORIST ACTIVITY IN HOST COUNTRY,
INCLUDING EXISTENCE OF TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS, THEIR GOALS
AND HOW THEY FIT INTO REGIONAL OR GLOBAL EFFORTS: Terrorist
groups were once again active throughout the country in 2004.
Car bombs, kidnapping, political murders, the indiscriminate
use of landmines and economic sabotage were common
occurrences.

FARC: The FARC continued to pursue terrorist and
narcotrafficking activities despite the military campaign
against them. Although 2004 was a relatively "quiet" year
for the FARC, the group still executed significant attacks in
urban areas. The FARC bombed a popular nightclub in
Apartado, Antioquia Department killing five and injuring
almost 100 in May. In August, a suspected FARC bombing of
Medellin's annual flower festival injured 35 in the Antioquia
capital. The FARC orchestrated an attempted mass kidnapping
in February at an upper-class condominium complex in Neiva,
Huila Department (one hostage was released two months later
and three remain in captivity). The group also kidnapped
seven people on Christmas Eve in Antioquia Department and
massacred 16 for suspected paramilitary sympathies on New
Year's Eve. Both the FARC and ELN continued attacks against
the country's infrastructure and oil pipelines in 2003,
albeit at reduced levels.

ELN: In June, the ELN showed some signs of being willing to
negotiate with the GOC using the Mexican Government as a
mediator. The group continues fighting but has limited
resources and dwindling membership. The most noteworthy ELN
terrorist act of the year was the July kidnapping of the
Roman Catholic Bishop of Yopal, allegedly conducted to send a
political message to the nation.

AUC and other paramilitaries: The AUC declared a cease-fire
in November 2002. Since that time AUC murders and massacres
are down by approximately 70 and 80 percent, respectively,
according to GOC figures. Although the overall number of
displacements caused by paramilitaries fell, paramilitaries
continued to forcibly displace civilians residing along key
drug and weapons transit corridors or suspected of being
guerrilla sympathizers. For example, on April 18,
paramilitaries displaced 600, killed 12, and "disappeared" 30
indigenous Wayuu in Bahia Portete, La Guajira Department. In
late-June one AUC leader kidnapped former Senator Jose
Eduardo Gnecco and his family at an illegal checkpoint on a
highway between Magdalena and La Guajira.

(U) P) AREAS IN HOST NATION WHERE TERRORISTS ARE RELATIVELY
FREE TO OPERATE (I.E., TERRORIST SANCTUARIES) EITHER BECAUSE
HOST GOVERNMENT CANNOT OR WILL NOT INTERVENE: Although the
GOC had established a state presence in every municipality by
February (under the auspices of President Uribe's Democratic
Security Strategy),terrorists used remote jungle areas, poor
rural and urban municipalities, cattle ranches, and mountain
strongholds as operating bases throughout the year.

(SBU) Q) MAJOR CT DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDING ARRESTS, TRIALS AND
IMPRISONMENT OF TERRORISTS AND TERRORIST ATTACKS THAT WERE
PREVENTED: The FARC had the most killed and captured for the
year:

-- Extradited FARC General Staff Member Ricardo Palmera,
"Simon Trinidad" (extradited to the U.S. on December 31),

-- Imprisoned FARC drug-runner/financier Omaira
Rojas-Cabrera, "Nayibe Rojas Valderrama" or "Sonia,"

-- Killed FARC Teofilo Forero Mobile Column (TFMC) operations
chief Humberto Valbuena, "Yerbas" (replacing El Mocho, killed
in 2003),

-- Arrested FARC international liaison chief Rodrigo Granda.

Numerous attacks against President Uribe and urban centers
were thwarted by the security forces, but it is impossible to
cite a definitive number. The most recent FARC attempt
against President Uribe was uncovered by the police on
December 15 when they found a cache of 330 pounds of the high
explosive anfo intended to be used in a strike against the
presidential aircraft during a visit to Cartagena.
WOOD