COLOMBIA PROPOSES ITS OWN CIA

UNCLAS BOGOTA 003177 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR KCRM CO SUBJECT: COLOMBIA PROPOSES ITS OWN CIA REF: BOGOTA 3035 ¶1. (U) On October 8, the government submitted a bill to Colombian Congress that would authorize the President to dismantle the scandal-ridden Administrative Department of Security (DAS) and in its place create a "truly civilian intelligence agency" nominally called the "Central Intelligence Agency of Colombia" (ACI). The bill tasks the ACI with the: -- collection, processing, analysis, and diffusion of strategic intelligence and counterintelligence to the GOC; -- control of immigration; and -- protection of the President and select senior GOC officials. Current DAS functions that fall outside this mission would be reassigned to other entities, specifically: -- judicial police authorities, INTERPOL liaison, and protection of high-risk persons under the President's human rights program to the Colombian National Police; and -- the issuance of certificates verifying no criminal record to the Judicial Branch. ¶2. (U) The bill seeks to construct firewalls between the intelligence and criminal investigations functions, and would specifically prohibit the ACI from generating "tactical/military intelligence" that might blur the line between those functions. The bill is intended to complement the Intelligence Reform Law (Law 1288) passed in January, especially that law's provision to establish a Joint Intelligence Council (JIC) for coordinating civilian and military intelligence with law enforcement efforts. ¶3. (U) The timeline for passing the bill is uncertain. As an ordinary law, Congress must hold four debates over a maximum of two years. The bill will be assigned to the First Commissions of both chambers. Curiously, the government did not send the bill with a "message of urgency" that would have given it priority handling in the Congress. NICHOLS