Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BOGOTA6255
2006-07-11 22:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:
MOD OSPINA ASKS SENATOR CORNYN FOR CONTINUED
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C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 006255
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2015
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: MOD OSPINA ASKS SENATOR CORNYN FOR CONTINUED
COUNTERDRUG AND COUNTERRORISM ASSISTANCE
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood.
Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d)
-------
SUMMARY
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 006255
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2015
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: MOD OSPINA ASKS SENATOR CORNYN FOR CONTINUED
COUNTERDRUG AND COUNTERRORISM ASSISTANCE
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood.
Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d)
--------------
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (C) Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and AmbasQdor Wood met
with Minister of Defense (MOD) Camilo Ospina and top military
brass July 4. The Colombian security forces presented
counternarcotics program successes, and highlighted areas
where more could be done with additional U.S. support.
Cornyn agreed that increased cooperation was necessary for
continued GOC success. End summary.
2. (U) Senator John Cornyn and the Ambassador met with
Minister of Defense Camilo Ospina on July 3. Minister Ospina
was accompanied by Vice Ministers Eastman and Sanin, and the
heads of the armed services and police. The Senator and
Ambassador were accompanied by Senate staffers, and Embassy
staff.
--------------
COLOMBIA, U.S. PARTNER IN THE REGION
--------------
3. (C) Senator Cornyn described Colombia as the "bright
light" in the region. He added that the U.S. needs to do all
it can to support GOC efforts. He lamented the negative
effects of the drug trade in Colombia and the region. Ospina
thanked Cornyn for his support and emphasized Colombia's
commitment to cooperate with neighboring countries as well as
the U.S. He said the GOC and the Government of Guatemala -
with the assistance of the Ambassador and General Craddock -
recently opened a counternarcotics center in Guatemala City.
The GoC also hosted a conference with Central American
partners on joint efforts to combat narcotrafficking.
--------------
GoC SUCCESSES...
--------------
4. (C) Ospina said Colombian security forces prevented
hundreds of tons of illicit drugs from reaching the world
market through interdiction and eradication efforts. Ospina
said the GOC eradicated 30,000 hectares of coca by hand.
5. (C) Air Force Commander General Lesmez said Colombia was
the only country in the region with an effective Air Bridge
Denial (ABD) program. In spite of this success, he warned
that movements of small aircraft, which are harder to
interdict, had increased from Colombia to Venezuela. Navy
Commander Admiral Soto said because of the effectiveness of
the ABD program, the new interdiction challenge was at sea.
In spite of the fact that the Navy interdicted over 300 tons
of cocaine since 2000, Soto said the Navy only has the
capability to interdict 30 percent of outgoing drugs.
6. (C) Army Commander General Montoya emphasized the
importance of U.S.-supported counternarcotics brigades in
aerial eradication. The Ambassador noted the dangerous
nature of these operations, explaining that the U.S. had lost
two pilots to Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
attacks against spray planes in 2003. Montoya added that the
Army and police also protect 150 manual drug eradicators inQne sites around Colombia.
--------------
...AND CHALLENGES
--------------
7. (C) Ospina described bilateral counternarcotics
cooperation as excellent, but noted that it has been
complicated at times by competition for scarce resources
between the counter-terror and counter-drug efforts. He said
that without U.S. support, the GOC would not be able to fight
this multifaceted war and requested resources to increase
interdiction efforts on land, air, and sea.
8. (C) Montoya said that where there was coca you would find
the FARC. He stressed the difficulty of "fighting a war with
rich terrorists" and added that the FARC's influence extends
beyond Colombia. Vice Minister Eastman recently returned
from Paraguay where he described the law enforcement and
security situation as worrisome. He said a group that
kidnapped and killed the daughter of a former Paraguayan
president received training from the FARC.
--------------
ECUADOR AND VENEZUELA
--------------
9. (C) Ospina said regional counter-terror and counter-drug
cooperation is imperative; however, political tensions
sometimes hindered cooperation. Ospina worried about
Ecuador's political instability, and said opposition to
spraying near the border had become an important issue.
10. (C) Ospina said Venezuela had become a refuge for
terrorists and narcotraffickers. Ospina said Chavez seemed
more concerned about his political goals than corruption,
crime, kidnappings, and drug trafficking in Venezuela. In
addition, the GOC was concerned about Venezuela's arms
build-up, especially the purchase of an estimated 100,000 new
AK-47s. Ospina feared the old Ak-47s would end up in the
hands of Colombia,s illegal armed groups.
WOOD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2015
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: MOD OSPINA ASKS SENATOR CORNYN FOR CONTINUED
COUNTERDRUG AND COUNTERRORISM ASSISTANCE
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood.
Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d)
--------------
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (C) Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and AmbasQdor Wood met
with Minister of Defense (MOD) Camilo Ospina and top military
brass July 4. The Colombian security forces presented
counternarcotics program successes, and highlighted areas
where more could be done with additional U.S. support.
Cornyn agreed that increased cooperation was necessary for
continued GOC success. End summary.
2. (U) Senator John Cornyn and the Ambassador met with
Minister of Defense Camilo Ospina on July 3. Minister Ospina
was accompanied by Vice Ministers Eastman and Sanin, and the
heads of the armed services and police. The Senator and
Ambassador were accompanied by Senate staffers, and Embassy
staff.
--------------
COLOMBIA, U.S. PARTNER IN THE REGION
--------------
3. (C) Senator Cornyn described Colombia as the "bright
light" in the region. He added that the U.S. needs to do all
it can to support GOC efforts. He lamented the negative
effects of the drug trade in Colombia and the region. Ospina
thanked Cornyn for his support and emphasized Colombia's
commitment to cooperate with neighboring countries as well as
the U.S. He said the GOC and the Government of Guatemala -
with the assistance of the Ambassador and General Craddock -
recently opened a counternarcotics center in Guatemala City.
The GoC also hosted a conference with Central American
partners on joint efforts to combat narcotrafficking.
--------------
GoC SUCCESSES...
--------------
4. (C) Ospina said Colombian security forces prevented
hundreds of tons of illicit drugs from reaching the world
market through interdiction and eradication efforts. Ospina
said the GOC eradicated 30,000 hectares of coca by hand.
5. (C) Air Force Commander General Lesmez said Colombia was
the only country in the region with an effective Air Bridge
Denial (ABD) program. In spite of this success, he warned
that movements of small aircraft, which are harder to
interdict, had increased from Colombia to Venezuela. Navy
Commander Admiral Soto said because of the effectiveness of
the ABD program, the new interdiction challenge was at sea.
In spite of the fact that the Navy interdicted over 300 tons
of cocaine since 2000, Soto said the Navy only has the
capability to interdict 30 percent of outgoing drugs.
6. (C) Army Commander General Montoya emphasized the
importance of U.S.-supported counternarcotics brigades in
aerial eradication. The Ambassador noted the dangerous
nature of these operations, explaining that the U.S. had lost
two pilots to Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
attacks against spray planes in 2003. Montoya added that the
Army and police also protect 150 manual drug eradicators inQne sites around Colombia.
--------------
...AND CHALLENGES
--------------
7. (C) Ospina described bilateral counternarcotics
cooperation as excellent, but noted that it has been
complicated at times by competition for scarce resources
between the counter-terror and counter-drug efforts. He said
that without U.S. support, the GOC would not be able to fight
this multifaceted war and requested resources to increase
interdiction efforts on land, air, and sea.
8. (C) Montoya said that where there was coca you would find
the FARC. He stressed the difficulty of "fighting a war with
rich terrorists" and added that the FARC's influence extends
beyond Colombia. Vice Minister Eastman recently returned
from Paraguay where he described the law enforcement and
security situation as worrisome. He said a group that
kidnapped and killed the daughter of a former Paraguayan
president received training from the FARC.
--------------
ECUADOR AND VENEZUELA
--------------
9. (C) Ospina said regional counter-terror and counter-drug
cooperation is imperative; however, political tensions
sometimes hindered cooperation. Ospina worried about
Ecuador's political instability, and said opposition to
spraying near the border had become an important issue.
10. (C) Ospina said Venezuela had become a refuge for
terrorists and narcotraffickers. Ospina said Chavez seemed
more concerned about his political goals than corruption,
crime, kidnappings, and drug trafficking in Venezuela. In
addition, the GOC was concerned about Venezuela's arms
build-up, especially the purchase of an estimated 100,000 new
AK-47s. Ospina feared the old Ak-47s would end up in the
hands of Colombia,s illegal armed groups.
WOOD