GOC OK'S FRENCH MEDICAL MISSION FOR INGRID--AWAITS \

148293 2008-04-02 21:05:00 08BOGOTA1223 Embassy Bogota CONFIDENTIAL 08BOGOTA1178 VZCZCXYZ0002\ OO RUEHWEB\ \ DE RUEHBO #1223/01 0932105\ ZNY CCCCC ZZH\ O 022105Z APR 08\ FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA\ TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2203\ INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA IMMEDIATE 8123\ RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS IMMEDIATE 0178\ RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA IMMEDIATE 6046\ RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA IMMEDIATE 1444\ RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 1271\ RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO IMMEDIATE 6700\ RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE\ RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE\ RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE\ RHMFIUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE\ RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC IMMEDIATE\ RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE\ C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 001223 \ \ SIPDIS \ \ SIPDIS \ \ E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2018 \ TAGS: PTER PREL PREF PHUM CASC MOPS FR CO SUBJECT: GOC OK'S FRENCH MEDICAL MISSION FOR INGRID--AWAITS \ FARC RESPONSE \ \ REF: BOGOTA 1178 \ \ Classified By: Political Counselor John Creamer \ Reason 1.4 (b and d) \ \ SUMMARY \ -------------- \ ¶1. (C) President Uribe approved a request from French \ President Sarkozy to deploy a medical "humanitarian mission" \ to Colombia to save FARC hostage Ingrid Betancourt. Uribe \ did not provide details, but said the GOC would halt military \ operations once the French provided the coordinates for the \ operation. The ICRC confirmed it is not participating in \ the mission, since there has been no response from the FARC; \ they would participate only with approval from all parties. \ XXXXXXXXXXXX told us Swiss official Jean \ Pierre Gontard reported on March 28 that Betancourt is alive \ but refusing to eat. Sarkozy reportedly sent a private \ message to the FARC that the group would remain on terrorism \ lists "forever" if Betancourt dies. End summary. \ \ URIBE APPROVES FRENCH HUMANITARIAN MISSION \ -------------- \ ¶2. (U) President Alvaro Uribe approved on April 1 a request \ from President Nicolas Sarkozy to deploy a French medical \ "humanitarian mission" to Colombia to treat FARC \ hostages--most notably Ingrid Betancourt. The French \ reportedly deployed a hospital plane to the region to be \ ready for the mission. Uribe announced immediately after \ taking a phone call from Sarkozy that the GOC would \ facilitate the French humanitarian mission due to numerous \ reports on Betancourt's failing health (reftel). Uribe also \ said the GOC would "suspend all military actions" as soon as \ it received coordinates for the French mission. Sarkozy \ expressed his gratitude for the quick approval. \ \ ICRC AWAITS FARC RESPONSE \ -------------- \ ¶3. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX told us the ICRC is not participating in the French medical \ mission, because there has been no response so far from the \ FARC. For security reasons, the ICRC will not support \ missions without the approval of all parties involved. \ XXXXXXXXXXXX added that the French and Swiss hope to use the \ mission to re-establish high-level contacts with the FARC, \ but she questioned whether a high-profile, public effort was \ the best way to achieve this. \ \ GOC MOTIVATIONS \ -------------- \ \ ¶4. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX told us decree 880 offering a GOC release of FARC prisoners as part \ of a de facto humanitarian exchange reflected GOC concern \ that Ingrid may be dead or dying, and not renewed prospects \ for obtaining her freedom. The GOC offer was not linked to \ new efforts by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez or recently \ released FARC hostage and former Senator Luis Eladio Perez. \ XXXXXXXXXXXX said the GOC issued the decree to increase \ international pressure on the FARC and to deflect blame if \ she dies. \ \ ¶5. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said the GOC also wanted to see how the FARC's \ leadership and decision making process would react after \ Secretariat member Raul Reyes' death. In particular, the GOC \ \ SIPDIS \ wanted to see if the FARC would maintain demands for a \ demilitarized zone (despeje). XXXXXXXXXXXX speculated that the \ lack of an immediate FARC response reiterating its despeje \ demand might indicate the GOC is dealing with a new, if not \ kinder and gentler, FARC. \ \ WAITING FOR FARC RESPONSE \ -------------- \ \ ¶6. (C) The FARC has not yet responded to the French request, \ but XXXXXXXXXXXX told us Jean Pierre Gontard (Swiss contact with the FARC) claimed to have \ heard from the FARC on March 28 that Ingrid was alive but \ refusing to eat. The FARC are reportedly concerned about her \ attitude and declining health. XXXXXXXXXXXX said Raul Reyes had \ \ been Gontard's main FARC contact, but added that the \ Secretariat "owed Gontard a lot," since he arranged for \ \ SIPDIS \ family members of Alfonso Cano, Rodrigo Granda, and Reyes to \ live in Lausanne. \ \ ¶7. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said he met on April 1 with French \ Ambassador Jean Michel Marlaud to discuss Betancourt, but \ noted that the French revealed no new information about her \ condition. They believe her refusal to eat may be a \ calculated risk to pressure the group to release her. The \ French talked "in the abstract" about an international \ medical mission to visit Ingrid, but did not reveal any \ definite plans. Marlaud said Sarkozy had sent a private \ message to the FARC that France would support the group's \ inclusion on the EU terrorist list "forever" if Ingrid died \ in FARC captivity. XXXXXXXXXXXX said Marlaud made it clear the \ French believe only Chavez can obtain Betancourt's freedom. \ \ BROWNFIELD \