AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES COLOMBIA THREE WITH GOI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 000983 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015 TAGS: PREL KCRM PTER PGOV EI SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES COLOMBIA THREE WITH GOI REF: A. DALY-OPS CENTER PHONE CALL OF 8/5 ¶B. O'MALLEY-YOUNG E-MAILS OF 8/8 Classified By: Ambassador James C. Kenny; Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) Summary: The Irish Government had no prior knowledge that the Colombia Three were in Ireland, nor had it discussed the case with Sinn Fein in recent Northern Ireland peace process-related exchanges, GOI officials told the Ambassador on August 8. The officials noted that the case presented legal complexities, as Ireland did not have an extradition treaty with Colombia and did not recognize Interpol "red notices" as a basis for arrest. The GOI wished to remain in close communication with the USG on the Colombia Three, given the ramifications for bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism and in the Northern Ireland peace process. End summary. ¶2. (C) The GOI had no prior knowledge that the Colombia Three (Martin McCauley, Niall Connolly, and Jim Monaghan) were in Ireland (ref A),nor had the GOI discussed the Colombia Three in recent Northern Ireland peace process-related exchanges with Sinn Fein, Michael Collins, Second Secretary General in the Office of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister),told Ambassador and Emboffs on August 8. Collins said that Prime Minister Ahern had instructed him to inform the Embassy, the UK Government, and the Colombian Government that the GOI and Irish police did not know the whereabouts of the Colombia Three and had not yet had contact with them. The Colombian Government, moreover, had not yet made an extradition request, but had sent two inquiries through its Embassy in London regarding procedures for requesting legal assistance. Collins noted that while Ireland was determined to fulfill its international legal obligations, there was no extradition treaty between Ireland and Colombia. He added that if the three individuals had broken Irish law, the case would be pursued through the normal legal avenues, involving the courts and police. He also remarked that Ireland enjoyed, and wished to maintain, friendly relations with Colombia and that the GOI aimed to establish ongoing contacts with the Colombian Government on the case through the Irish Embassy in Mexico. 3 (C) The legal aspects of the case presented "great complexities," observed Ken O'Leary, Assistant Secretary in the Irish Department of Justice, who joined Collins in the discussion. O'Leary pointed out that an Interpol "red notice" had been issued for the Colombia Three, which obligated Ireland to inform Colombia once the three individuals were confirmed to be in Ireland. The GOI, however, did not recognize the notice as a basis for arrest. O'Leary also pointed out that there was no precedent in Ireland for extraditing criminals to other countries in the absence of an extradition treaty. He noted that Ireland had in recent weeks become party to four UN conventions on terrorism, which included provisions on extradition as a form of legal assistance in terrorism-related cases. He expressed doubt, though, that the provisions would come into play with the Colombia Three. When the Ambassador asked whether the three individuals could be prosecuted for entering Ireland with fake passports, O'Leary said that this was a possibility, but he did not know the fine/sentence for such an offense. He added that the GOI did not expect the whereabouts of the three individuals to be divulged by Charlie Bird, the RTE television reporter who interviewed Jim Monaghan on August 5; the GOI was confident, nonetheless, that the three would not leave Ireland. ¶4. (C) Collins stressed that he had contacted the Embassy because the GOI wished to remain in close communication with the USG on the Colombia Three, given the ramifications for bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism. He said that (Northern Ireland) Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Deputy Leader Peter Robinson's comments on August 5 to the effect that the GOI might be harboring terrorists in the case of the Colombia Three was an unhelpful instance of political grandstanding. Collins asked that USG officials urge the DUP not to use the case as an opportunity for political gain. He added that the USG should tell Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams that the Colombia Three should present themselves to the police. Collins explained that the case had been harmful to the peace process earlier in the decade, and he did not want the case to ruin positive momentum in the process achieved in recent weeks. He predicted that the IRA would follow through on decommissioning by the end of the month, partly in an attempt "to get back the microphone" after the bad press associated with the Colombia Three's return. ¶5. (C) Comment: Collins expressed exasperation when the Ambassador noted that Gerry Adams had called him on August 5 as details began to emerge about the Colombia Three. The implication was that Sinn Fein did not similarly communicate with the GOI as a heads-up on the news. KENNY