VZCZCXYZ0013
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #8226 2362055
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 242037Z AUG 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHFN/AMEMBASSY FREETOWN IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA IMMEDIATE 0000

UNCLAS STATE 088226 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PTER CO RS TH
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT ON VIKTOR BOUT 
 
REF: BANGKOK 1998 
 
¶1. (SBU) This is an action request for Bogota.  Embassy is 
requested to urge the Government of Colombia at the highest 
levels to weigh-in with the Royal Thai Government (RTG) to 
support the extradition of accused arms smuggler Viktor Bout 
to the United States. Post may draw from the points in para 4 
but should not leave them behind as a non-paper. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Background:  Viktor Bout was arrested in Thailand in 
March 2008, where he has remained in custody pending 
resolution of a request for extradition to the United States 
to face trial in New York for conspiracy to kill U.S. 
nationals and officers; acquire and use anti-aircraft 
missiles; and provide material support in the form of 
millions of dollars of military-grade weapons to the 
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a designated 
foreign terrorist organization. Until his arrest in Thailand, 
Bout had not been prosecuted for arms dealing, but has long 
been suspected of trafficking arms to central and western 
Africa and is the subject of UN Sanctions for those 
activities. 
 
¶3. (SBU) On August 11, 2009, a Thai judge denied the U.S. 
extradition request on the grounds, among others, that the 
FARC is a political, rather than terrorist, organization, and 
that its commission of kidnappings and murders constituted 
protected "political offenses" because the FARC had a 
purported purpose of political change in Colombia.  The judge 
also ruled that he did not find it credible that Bout, 
perhaps the most notorious illicit arms trafficker in the 
world, could supply the quantity and type of weapons about 
which he was negotiating when he was arrested in Thailand. 
The Thai Attorney General's office is appealing the ruling, 
and we are requesting that the Government of Colombia as well 
as the governments of other countries affected by Bout's arms 
smuggling network engage the Royal Thai Government (RTG) 
directly to underscore the significance of this case to the 
larger international community and help ensure that the RTG 
provides full support for the appeal. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Begin points for Bogota: 
 
-- The United States is pursuing the extradition of the 
notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout from Thailand to face 
charges for conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals and officers; 
acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles; and provide material 
support to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), 
a designated foreign terrorist organization. 
 
-- The RTG supports Bout's extradition, but a Thai judge 
ruled against the request, asserting among other things that 
the FARC is a political, rather than terrorist, organization. 
 The judge also maintained that the evidence against Bout was 
not credible, and called into question Bout's capacity to 
provide large amounts of weapons and munitions. 
 
-- We request that the Government of Colombia (GOC) weigh-in 
with the Royal Thai Government at the highest level to 
underscore that the FARC is a terrorist organization and not 
a legitimate political movement and the group's campaign of 
murder, kidnapping and extortion cannot be excused by its 
purported political motives. 
 
-- We understand that the GOC may not have a formal mechanism 
for listing the FARC as an official terrorist organization as 
both the U.S. and the EU have done, but GOC officials 
frequently use "terrorist" and "narco-terrorist" to describe 
the FARC and its leadership.  We urge that you convey to the 
RTG that the GOC considers the FARC to be a terrorist 
organization. 
 
-- We have urged the RTG to issue a statement making clear 
its own disappointment with the judge's ruling and 
reaffirming its commitment to the fight against international 
terrorism.  It would be helpful if the GOC could deliver a 
similar message to the RTG at the level of Prime Minister or 
Foreign Minister. 
 
End points. 
 
¶5.    (U) Point of contact for this issue is EAP/MLS Demian 
Smith, email smithd3@state.gov, phone: 202-647-0036.  Please 
slug any responses for EAP/MLS, EUR/RUS, WHA/AND, S/CT. 
Department requests action by Tuesday, August 25. 
CLINTON