DESTRUCTION OF FARC'S 45TH FRONT AND OTHER

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 18358 SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PINS PTER MOPS PGOV CO SUBJECT: DESTRUCTION OF FARC'S 45TH FRONT AND OTHER RECENT FARC LOSSES REF: A. BOGOTA 18283; B. BOGOTA 17707 ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: A RARE SUCCESS BY THE ARMY AGAINST THE FARC GUERRILLAS IN META LAST MONTH (REF B),AND FARC LOSSES DURING THEIR SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER OFFENSIVES APPEAR TO HAVE RESULTED IN A REDUCTION OF THEIR PREVIOUS HIGH RATE OF ATTACKS. THESE LOSSES MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THEIR SUDDEN RENEWAL OF INTEREST IN POLITICAL INITIATIVES, SUCH AS THE PEACE PLAN PROPOSED BY CONSERVATIVE SENATOR LEYVA DURAN (REF A). END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) IN ITS DECEMBER 9 ISSUE, "EL TIEMPO" PUBLISHED A DETAILED REPORT THAT THE ARMY'S VII BRIGADE TROOPS SUCCEEDED NOVEMBER 26 IN DISMANTLING AND RENDERING COMBAT INEFFECTIVE THE ENCAMPMENT OF THE FARC'S 45TH FRONT IN ARIARI, META DEPARTMENT (SEE REFTEL). ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, THE ATTACK WAS SUPPORTED BY THREE BLACK HAWK HELICOPTERS AND CAUGHT THE GUERRILLAS BY SURPRISE. THE ACCOUNT SAYS THAT THE GUERRILLAS LOST 21 KILLED IN THAT ACTION, MOST FROM BLASTS BY RIFLE-LAUNCHED GRENADES AS THE GUERRILLAS TRIED TO FLEE. GUERRILLA CASUALTIES INCLUDED THE LEADER OF THE FARC'S 45TH FRONT, BUT SOME 30 SURVIVING GUERRILLAS MANAGED TO FLEE THE AREA IN A ROUT. ¶3. (U) BRIGADIER GENERAL HAROLD BEDOYA PIZARRO, COMMANDER OF THE ARMY'S VII BRIGADE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE ARMY WILL REMAIN IN THE ARARI ZONE TO "CONTINUE HELPING ITS INHABITANTS FIGHT OFF THE FARC CRIMINALS, WHO FOR YEARS HAVE WROUGHT ONLY POVERTY, DESOLATION AND VIOLENCE TO PEACEFUL SETTLERS IN THAT REGION." ¶4. (U) WEEKLY "SEMANA" NEWS MAGAZINE PUBLISHED A BLURB ON THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 9 REPORTING FARC LOSSES INCURRED IN THE SERIES OF OFFENSIVES LAUNCHED BY THAT GROUP AFTER SEPTEMBER 1. QUOTING "NATIONAL AND REGIONAL AUTHORITIES," SEMANA REPORTED THAT DURING THIS THREE MONTH PERIOD THE FARC LOST 42 MEN KILLED, 87 WOUNDED, AND 242 WEAPONS OF DIFFERENT TYPES CAPTURED BY THE ARMED FORCES. THE ARTICLE ALSO REPORTED THAT FARC COLUMNS HAVE BEEN FORCED TO ABANDON 15 ENCAMPMENTS AND HAVE REVEALED THE LOCATION OF 12 OF THEIR 45 FRONTS. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: EVEN MAKING ALLOWANCES FOR POSSIBLY EXAGGERATED MILITARY REPORTING THAT LED TO THE NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS, IT APPEARS THAT THE MILITARY HAS CHALKED UP A RARE SUCCESS BASED ON A WELL EXECUTED OPERATION IN META. FARC LOSSES DURING THEIR SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER OFFENSIVES MAY EXPLAIN GOC THINKING, AS REVEALED RECENTLY BY PRESIDENTIAL COUNSELORS RAFAEL AND RODRIGO PARDO ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS TO EMBOFFS, THAT THE GUERRILLAS COULD NOT KEEP UP THEIR HIGH RATE OF ACTIONS, AND WOULD LIKELY TURN TO POLITICAL INITIATIVES. WE CAN SEE THE LATTER ALREADY UNDERWAY WITH THE FARC/M-19 TRYING TO USE THE LEYVA DURAN PEACE PLAN TO PRESSURE THE GOC INTO A CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT (SEE BOGOTA 18283). MCNAMARA