Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BOGOTA4141
2005-05-02 15:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:  

CODEL BURTON MEETS WITH DEFENSE MINISTER AND NAVY

Tags:  PTER PREL SNAR PHUM CO OVIP 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BOGOTA 004141 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2015
TAGS: PTER PREL SNAR PHUM CO OVIP
SUBJECT: CODEL BURTON MEETS WITH DEFENSE MINISTER AND NAVY
OPERATIONS COMMANDER

Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood for reasons
1.5 (b) and (d)

-------
Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BOGOTA 004141

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2015
TAGS: PTER PREL SNAR PHUM CO OVIP
SUBJECT: CODEL BURTON MEETS WITH DEFENSE MINISTER AND NAVY
OPERATIONS COMMANDER

Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood for reasons
1.5 (b) and (d)

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (C) CODEL Burton was briefed by Defense Minister Jorge
Uribe and Naval Operations Commander Vice Admiral Guillermo
Barrera on April 23. Uribe said President Uribe's Democratic
Security Strategy was designed to combat drug trafficking and
terrorism and provided statistics on growing amounts of
seized drugs, dropping murder rates, and other indicators of
the strategy's success. He emphasized that U.S. support was
key to sustained progress. Barrera discussed counterdrug
strategies on the north and Pacific coasts and rivers. In
2004, the Navy seized almost USD 2 billion worth of drugs.
He noted that the Navy was working to open more bases and
develop better interdiction equipment. End summary.

--------------
MOD: Focus on Drugs and Terrorism
--------------


2. (C) On April 23, Minister of Defense (MOD) Uribe discussed
the GOC's Democratic Security Strategy with CODEL Burton. He
said the two principle threats facing Colombia are drug
trafficking and terrorism. The Democratic Security Strategy
aims to strengthen and guarantee the rule of law by (1)
establishing state control of all national territory; (2)
protecting the rural and urban population; (3) eliminating
drug trafficking; (4) maintaining an offensive capacity
against the illegal armed groups; and (5) guaranteeing
transparency and accountability of state institutions. By
the end of his term, President Uribe wants to have severely
damaged the drug trafficking industry, diminished state
corruption, and established healthy employment levels. The
MOD emphasized that national security was required for social
and economic development.


3. (U) Minister Uribe offered some examples of progress:

-- Aerial eradication of coca: between April 2004 and March
2005, 152,839 hectares were sprayed. During the same period
the year before, 131,474 hectares were sprayed. As of March,
396,163 hectares had been sprayed since President Uribe took
office. Between January and March of this year, 58,173

hectares were sprayed, a 39 percent increase from the same
period in 2004.

-- Aerial eradication of opium poppy: In 2004, 3,061 hectares
were sprayed. In 2003, 2,995 hectares, in 2002, 3,372, and
in 2001, 2,268.

-- Cocaine seized: Between April 2004 and March 2005, 145
tons were seized. During the same period the year before,
136.5 tons were seized. As of March, 332.1 tons had been
seized since Uribe took office. Between January and March of
this year, 38 tons were seized, a decrease of eight percent
from the same period in 2004.

-- Precursor chemicals seized: Between April 2004 and March
2005, 2,102 tons of solid chemicals and 1,237 gallons of
liquids were seized. During the same period the year before,
2,825 tons and 1,965 gallons were seized. As of March, 7,613
tons and 4,642 gallons had been seized since Uribe took
office.

-- Drug production labs destroyed: Between April 2004 and
March 2005, 1,841 labs were destroyed. During the same time
the year before, 1,740 labs were destroyed. As of March,
4,372 had been destroyed since Uribe took office. Between
January and March of this year, 555 had been destroyed, a
decrease of 11 percent since 2004.

-- Air Bridge Denial: Between January and March of 2005, two
planes had been destroyed and four impounded. The MOD
emphasized that none of the planes had been shot down, but
rather forced to land and destroyed on the ground. In 2004,
17 were destroyed and 21 impounded; in 2003, eight were
destroyed and 23 impounded; in 2002, six were destroyed and
five were impounded; in 2001, seven were destroyed and 11
impounded; and in 2000, 23 were destroyed and 17 impounded.
Uribe noted that the numbers demonstrated the importance of
having re-started Air Bridge Denial in 2003.
-- Murders: in 2002, there were over 29,000 murders in the
country. In 2004, there were approximately 20,000. Between
2002 and 2003 murders fell 18 percent and between 2003 and
2004 14 percent. Uribe noted that Medellin's murder rate,
which used to be the highest in the country, had been cut in
half.

-- Kidnappings: Between April 2004 and March 2005, there were
675 kidnappings. During the same period the year before,
there were 1,310. As of March, there had been 3,137
kidnappings since Uribe took office, a drop of 36 percent
compared to the Pastrana administration. Between January and
March of this year, there were 87 kidnappings, a drop of 56
percent compared to the same period in 2004.

-- Terrorist attacks (including on oil pipelines and other
infrastructure): Between April 2004 and March 2005, there
were 683 attacks. During the same period the year before,
there were 1,310 attacks. As of March, there had been 3,137
attacks since Uribe took office, a decrease of 36 percent
compared to the Pastrana administration. Between January and
March of this year, there were 148 attacks, a decrease of 34
percent compared to the same period in 2004.

-- Attacks on towns: in 2000, there were 85 and in 2004,
there was only one. Uribe noted that there had already been
one in 2005 (the FARC attacked the indigenous town of
Toribio, Cauca Department in late April).

-- Combat between the military and illegal armed groups: In
2000, there were 811 combat actions and in 2004, there were
2,193. The Ambassador emphasized that the increasing number
of clashes did not mean that the illegal armed groups were
growing in strength, but rather that the military was more
aggressive.

-- Attacks on the pipeline: As of March, there had been 55
attacks on the pipeline in 2005. There 93 in 2004, 179 in
2003, 64 in 2002, and 260 in 2001.

-- Attacks on energy towers: As of March, there had been 25
attacks in 2005. There were 121 in 2004, 329 in 2003, and
254 in 2001.

-- Individual demobilizations: As of March 2005, 641
individuals had deserted an illegal armed group and entered
the GOC's reinsertion program. There were 2,972 in 2004,
2,538 in 2003, and 1,412 in 2002. Approximately half of
these deserters come from the FARC.


4. (C) In response to a question from the CODEL, MOD Uribe
acknowledged that Colombia was concerned about President
Chavez' growing arms arsenal and close ties to Fidel Castro.
He said the threat was exacerbated by the growing instability
in the Andean region, such as in Bolivia and Ecuador.


5. (U) Uribe credited U.S. assistance and President Uribe's
vision and leadership for the GOC's security successes. He
noted that in the past year and a half, over 100,000 of the
370,000 members of the military and police had been trained
in human rights. He reported that the Defense Ministry is
streamlining the military's logistics system to avoid waste
and inefficiency. In closing, he said the GOC had to stay on
course to achieve lasting results and continued U.S.
assistance was crucial.

--------------
Navy: Combating Drugs on Three Fronts
--------------


6. (C) Vice Admiral Guillermo Barrera, the Naval Operations
Commander, briefed the CODEL on the Navy's counterdrug
actions. He reported that the Navy's three areas of
operation -- the north and Pacific coasts and country's
rivers -- totaled 1.14 million square kilometers.
Approximately 480 tons of drugs are shipped from the Pacific
coast and 135 tons from the north coast each year. Resources
are scarce. For example, the Pacific coast Naval units have
one third of the equipment that the north coast units have,
and the riverine area has only one fixed wing aircraft.
Barrera assured the CODEL that the Navy works closely with
other services to offset equipment shortages. When a ship,
helicopter, and surveillance aircraft are all available for
an operation, the Navy has a 70 percent success rate in
locating and stopping an illicit drug shipment.


7. (C) In 2004, the Navy seized 77,000 kilograms of drugs, or
almost USD 2 billion worth of drugs. In 1997, the Navy had
only two bases. Today, there are five in Santa Marta,
Cartagena, Turbo, Buenaventura, and Bahia Malaga. Four more
will soon be open in Rioacha, San Andres Island,
Barranquilla, and Tumaco thanks, in part, to U.S. assistance.
The Navy is also working to develop more effective
interdiction equipment.


8. (C) Comment: Although GOC statistics follow the trend line
of U.S. numbers, they often are derived from different
sources (like the UN) and therefore do not match ours. End
comment.
WOOD