VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #2929/01 2542139
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 112139Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0608
INFO RHEHOND/DIR ONDCP WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL//SCJ2/SCJ3/SCJ5//
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF STATE AIR WING PATRICK AFB FL
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 0065
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2889
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 0062
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 9139
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 4329

UNCLAS BOGOTA 002929 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR INL/LP AND INL/RM 
DEPT FOR WHA/AND 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR SENV KCRM PTER CO
SUBJECT: NAS MONTHLY REPORT FOR AUGUST 2009 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  The aerial eradication team sprayed 5,868 
hectares (ha) and, with 73,084 ha sprayed so far this year, is on 
track to reach the 100,000 ha calendar goal.  Phase III of the GOC's 
2009 manual eradication campaign began in early August; total manual 
coca eradication through August was 36,209 hectares, well short of 
the 70,000 manual eradication goal for the year.  Landmine and 
hostile fire incidents killed four security personnel, including a 
Santa Marta-based Jungla; so far, 32 personnel have died in 2009 
during manual eradication operations.  ARAVI's NAS-supported fleet 
flew 2,256 mission hours during the month.  Plan Colombia Helicopter 
Program (PCHP) helicopters flew 74.6 hours, supporting 16 medical 
evacuation flights transporting a total of 21 patients.  To date in 
2009, the Colombian National Police has destroyed 1,114 base and 131 
cocaine HCl laboratories and six airstrips, captured 339 weapons, 
316 land vehicles, 243 riverine and 10 open water craft, and 158 
single-engine aircraft and 26 twin-engine aircraft.  The Counter 
Drug (CD) Brigade secured a total of 6,072 ha for aerial eradication 
missions.  In August, the interagency complaints committee received 
1,834 new claims of alleged spray damage to legal crops, mainly from 
Narino. The flood of complaints appears to be an effort to impede 
aerial eradication operations in the southwest Colombia department. 
265 people demobilized, among them 60 imprisoned former insurgents 
and 24 indigenous former FARC members.  So far this year, 1,922 
people have demobilized, for a total of 19,839 since 2002.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------------- 
AERIAL ERADICATION PROGRAM 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Aircraft based in Forward Operating Locations (FOLs) in 
Tumaco, San Jose del Guaviare, and Larandia sprayed a total of 5,868 
hectares in August.  A total of 1,480 ha were sprayed out of Tumaco; 
2,270 ha out of San Jose del Guaviare; and 2,118 ha out of Larandia. 
 The aerial eradication team has sprayed 73,084 ha so far this year 
and is on track to reach the 100,000 ha calendar-year goal. 
Eradication aircraft experienced five hostile-fire incidents and 
four impacts in August, bringing the total for the calendar year to 
18 hostile fire incidents and 25 impacts; no one has been wounded or 
killed as a result of these incidents.  An AT-802 spray aircraft 
crashed in Larandia, Caqueta on August 26; no one was injured and 
hostile fire was ruled out as a cause of the crash. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Eradication aircraft sprayed 868 ha of coca in the 
Macarena Consolidation Program area (PCIM) in the Meta department. 
During the operation, an aircraft received one hostile fire impact. 
 
 
-------------------------- 
MANUAL ERADICATION PROGRAM 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Manual eradication operations were ongoing in 15 
departments.  Phase III of the GOC's 2009 manual eradication 
campaign (GME program) began in early August.  Total eradication of 
coca for August was 6,048 ha - bringing the GME program's 
year-to-date total to 31,424 ha.  Including eradication carried out 
by the Colombian security forces, total coca eradication through 
August was 36,209 ha, well short of the 70,000 manual eradication 
goal for the year.  During Phase III operations to date, manual 
eradicators have pulled up approximately 5,000 ha of coca of the 
22,000 hectare Phase III goal, with approximately 160 GMEs (manual 
eradicator laborers) in the field working.  The lack of security 
units to protect manual eradicators limited attempts to 
significantly increase the number of GMEs in the field.  Anti-riot 
police successfully dispersed protesters who were preventing 
police-led GME groups in southern Bolivar department from entering 
the eradication zone. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) In August, landmine and hostile fire incidents killed four 
security personnel - two soldiers were killed by a landmine in 
southern Bolivar, a Jungla (Colombian National Police airmobile 
commando) was killed by a landmine in northern Antioquia, and a 
soldier was killed by hostile fire in Caqueta.  There were two 
reported attacks on manual eradication camps, leading to several 
injuries.  Manual eradication groups in Caqueta and Narino are 
reporting frequent hostile fire incidents.  Through August, 32 
people (24 security personnel and seven civilians, including one UN 
Topographer) have died during this year's manual eradication 
operations.  In all of 2008, 26 security personnel and civilian 
eradicators were killed in manual eradication operations. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Separate from the GME program, the Colombian Army (COLAR) 
and the Colombian National Police (CNP) conduct manual eradication 
as part of their normal operations.  Through August, COLAR had 
eradicated 3,488 hectares of coca, 44 hectares of poppy and two 
hectares of marijuana, the CNP has eradicated 1,134 hectares of 
coca, eight hectares of poppy and 46 hectares of marijuana and the 
Navy 164 hectares of coca. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
PLAN COLOMBIA HELICOPTER PROGRAM (PCHP) 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) PCHP aircraft operated from Tumaco, Larandia, San Jose del 
Guaviare, and Tolemaida bases and flew a total of 800 hours 
providing air assaults, air movements, reconnaissance, medical 
evacuations, and support missions for the CD Brigade and other 
vetted COLAR units.  PCHP aircraft provided crash-site airlift 
support for an impacted AT-802.  Tumaco-based PCHP helicopters 
provided support for three CNP manual eradication operations.  PCHP 
helicopters supported one Chief of Mission HVT Joint Task Force 
operation and flew 74.6 hours supporting 16 medical evacuation 
flights that transported 21 patients. 
 
----------------------------- 
COLOMBIA NATIONAL POLICE (CNP) 
AIR SERVICE (ARAVI) SUPPORT 
----------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) ARAVI's NAS-supported fleet flew 2,256 mission hours in 
August.  The seven UH-60 Black Hawks closed out the month with 272 
flight hours and an Operational Readiness (OR) rate of 86 percent. 
Two UH-60s are undergoing depot maintenance for structural repairs. 
The Bell 212 fleet flew 295 mission hours with an OR rate of 61 
percent.  One Bell 212 still needs to be inducted into the Service 
Life Extension Program/Rewire.  The Huey II OR rate was 69 percent 
while flying 1,036 hours.  Two Huey II aircraft, or six percent of 
the fleet, are currently undergoing depot maintenance for structural 
repairs.  The DC-3 fleet flew 375 hours in August, with an OR rate 
of 64 percent; one DC-3 is undergoing a 2,000-hour inspection.  The 
last C-26 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Aerial 
Platform (ISRAP) PNC 0224 is expected to be delivered in September 
¶2009.  The C-208 Caravan, with a mapping camera installed, is 
operational and the Colombians have received the required training 
to operate it. 
 
------------ 
INTERDICTION 
------------ 
 
¶9.  (SBU) According to the year-to-date statistics, the Colombian 
National Police (CNP) has destroyed 1,114 base and 131 HCl 
laboratories and six airstrips; captured 339 weapons, 316 land 
vehicles, 243 riverine and 10 open water craft and 158 single-engine 
and 26 twin-engine aircraft. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) While supporting manual eradication in Tumaco, on August 
3, the Tulua Junglas destroyed an HCl laboratory in Rio Mira 
(Narino) and seized 1.5 metric tons of HCl cocaine.  This same 
company also destroyed two HCl laboratories (with 800 kgs of HCl 
cocaine) and 12 base laboratories in Guapi, Narino, and Jamundi, 
Cauca.  Near Buenaventura (Pacific coast), the Tulua Junglas 
destroyed a semi-submersible watercraft-building facility. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) In San Jose del Guaviare and Mariquita, Tolima, the 
Bogota-based Junglas seized more than 200 kgs of base cocaine, 7,000 
kgs of macerated coca leaves, 1,200 kgs of dried coca leaves, 
multiple coca seed beds, various weapons, 4,000-plus gallons of 
liquid precursors, and an estimated 1,400 kgs of solid precursors. 
 
 
¶12.  (SBU) The Santa Marta-based Junglas continued supporting the 
Search Block force in Monteria, Cordoba that has been looking for 
the remnants of the Don Mario (Daniel Rendsn) narcotrafficking 
group. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) On August 24, in Choco, a contingent of Junglas, COPES 
(Police Special Forces), GRATE (CNP search and rescue), Navy 
Intelligence, and COLAF (Colombian Air Force) armed helicopters with 
ARAVI support launched an attack on a remote "Rastrojos" emerging 
criminal group camp that led to the arrest of 37 members of the 
criminal group, the capture of various weapons (23 rifles and one 
machine gun), and mortar rounds.  Commanding officer, TC Ruiz (DIRAN 
Operations Officer) stated DIRAN's intention to participate in many 
more such joint missions - especially on the Pacific Coast. 
 
¶14.  (SBU) The Jungla Commando International Course (54 
International students and 29 Colombian National Police students) 
began on August 2 and continues on schedule at the newly inaugurated 
Pijaos facility.  To date, four of the eleven Dominican Republic 
students have been unable to continue their training and have 
returned to their country.  The Combat Medic Course, which began 
with 45 students, now has a total of 39 students.  A four-week U.S. 
Army Special Forces "Small Units" course that focuses on rural 
reconnaissance began on August 31 and includes 36 Junglas from 
various companies. 
 
------------------------------- 
BASE SECURITY/ROAD INTERDICTION 
/NVD PROGRAM 
------------------------------- 
 
¶15.  (SBU) The Base Security course that ran from July 21 to 
September 2 in Tumaco graduated 44 students from various DIRAN, 
EMCAR (Mobile Carabinero Squadron), COLNAV (Marine Corps) and BRACNA 
(Antinarcotics Brigade) units.  The next course will be conducted 
during DIRAN Northwest Zone's base construction and will take place 
in mid-September in Necocli, Gulf of Uraba (near the Panamanian 
border). 
 
¶16.  (SBU) The IDIQ La Julia project to reinforce the police base 
attacked in May was completed.  Phase II of the Miraflores project 
is scheduled to be completed in late September or early October. 
FARC harassment has impeded progress of the Tierradentro, Antioquia 
project, which is now slated to be completed in September.   The 
Piedras Blancas and Belen de Bajira contracts were completed in 
August. 
 
¶17.  (SBU) 150 of the 165 new Night Vision Devices (NVDs) were 
inspected in August and have been sent to the designated EMCAR units 
located throughout the country. 
 
--------------------------- 
PORT SECURITY PROGRAM (PSP) 
--------------------------- 
 
¶18.  (SBU) In August, DIRAN's Ports and Airports Area (ARPAE) unit 
seized 313.5 kgs of cocaine and 0.5 kgs of heroin at Bogota's El 
Dorado airport and arrested 17 people.  ARPAE seized one kg of 
cocaine at Pereira airport; in Cali's airport, 13.5 kgs of cocaine, 
7.8 kgs of heroin, and 8.3 kgs of marijuana were seized and four 
people arrested.  At the Medellin airport, the ARPAE seized 4.5 kgs 
and arrested two people; at the Cartagena airport - 4.2 kgs of 
cocaine were seized and two people arrested.  The majority of the 
passengers arrested were Colombian, followed by Spaniards - most of 
whom were traveling to Spain. 
 
¶19.  (SBU) The ARPAE seized 240 kgs of cocaine and arrested 12 
people at the Buenaventura port; seized 278 kgs of cocaine at the 
Cartagena port; 32.3 kgs of cocaine at the Barranquilla port; and 
3.8 kgs of marijuana at the San Andres port. 
 
¶20.  (SBU) The DIRAN polygraph unit conducted polygraph exams on 38 
members of the ARPAE unit as well as on the CNP's anti-kidnapping 
unit.  Of those tested, 20 passed the exam, 17 failed, and one had 
inconclusive results.  A special DIRAN Judicial Police group for the 
Pacific coast that receives support from NAS/DEA ran an 
investigation leading to the arrest of 12 workers from different 
port operators and security companies in the Buenaventura port. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
COLOMBIAN ARMY COUNTERDRUG (CD) BRIGADE 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶21.  (SBU) The CD Brigade's First, Second, and Third Battalions 
supported eradication and conducted interdiction and combat 
operations from bases in Tumaco, San Jose del Guaviare and Larandia. 
 The battalions conducted interdiction and combat operations against 
the FARC's Daniel Aldana Mobil Column, various FARC fronts, and the 
ELN's Guerrero Del Sindagua Company in Narino, Cauca, Meta, 
Guaviare, and Caqueta departments.  The CD Brigade secured a total 
of 6,072 ha for aerial eradication and destroyed two HCl and 16 coca 
base laboratories, two enemy caches, and one clandestine refinery, 
seizing 10 kgs of coca base, 850 gallons of liquid cocaine, 6,646 
gallons of liquid precursors, 2,020 gallons of solid precursors, 
4,620 kgs of processed coca leaf, 1,252,300 coca seedlings, one 
boat, eight microwaves, two generators, two refrigerators, seven 
heaters, six gas cylinders, and five special devices used to process 
cocaine.  During combat operations, the battalion confiscated two 
shotguns, 12 rifles, 2,112 rounds of ammunition, and three 2-meter 
radios used for communications.  The battalions killed two and 
captured four FARC terrorists during operations. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
REESTABLISH POLICE PRESENCE PROGRAM (CARABINEROS) 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶22.  (SBU) The Carabinero squadrons throughout the country captured 
157 personnel (7 FARC/ELN members, 5 from criminal bands, 12 
narcotraffickers, and 133 common criminals) and seized 60 weapons, 
4,284 gallons of liquid precursors, 8,041 kgs of solid precursors, 
and 10,535 gallons of diesel fuel.  The EMCAR also deactivated nine 
improvised explosive devices and eradicated 123 hectares of coca. 
The school at Pijaos graduated more than 300 students from basic and 
designated marksmanship courses. 
 
 
¶23.  (SBU) In Tulua, the 51st Carabinero squadron helped to capture 
criminal band "Los Rastrojos" number three in charge Edgar Anibal 
Escobar Rojas.  In Uraba, the 10th squadron captured Victor Alfonso 
Rojas, wanted for aggravated homicide, attempted homicide and 
terrorism.  Squadron 41 captured four extortionists in Cauca. 
Squadron 40 captured criminal band leader Aurelio Palaga while 
supporting the regional judicial police (SIJIN) in Caloto, Cauca. 
In San Lorenzo, Santander, Squadron 18 captured three ELN members 
wanted for the 2002 murder of two policemen.  Squadron 42 found and 
destroyed various explosive devices in San Vicente de Caguan, 
Caqueta while conducting operations in support of a presidential 
visit to the area. 
 
----------------------- 
AIR BRIDGE DENIAL (ABD) 
----------------------- 
 
¶24.  (SBU) ABD aircraft, participating in a mission with the Joint 
Interagency Task Force South and the Colombian Navy, impounded two 
vessels - one in the Caribbean and one in the Pacific.  One of the 
vessels carried over four million dollars in cash and the other 
vessel was not registered and carried 58 55-gallon drums filled with 
fuel; all eight crewmembers were arrested for smuggling contraband. 
The ABD SR-26 flew 50 hours in 22 missions and the SR-560 aircraft 
flew 242 hours in 100 missions. 
 
------------- 
ENVIRONMENTAL 
------------- 
 
¶25.  (SBU) In August, the interagency complaints committee received 
1,834 new claims of alleged spray damage to legal crops; 1,829 of 
these cases originated from Barbacoas, Narino.  DIRAN reviewed the 
complaints, most of which arrived incomplete, and determined that 
several members from the same family filed complaints for the same 
plot of land.  NAS will not be able to verify this information until 
site coordinates are received. 
 
¶26.  (SBU) A total of 1,357 cases will be closed because the 
complainants failed to submit the complaint within 20 days of the 
alleged spray incident; in 472 cases, the complainants need to 
provide additional information.  In August, 103 crop damage cases 
were closed due to incomplete applications, 26 were closed because 
either coca was mixed with legal crops or no damage was found; seven 
cases were compensated totaling $50,556. 
 
¶27.  (SBU) The environmental team continues to focus on reducing the 
complaints backlog.  During the first week of August, the complaints 
committee visited 38 sites in Arauca and will compensate 31 
complaints.  Since the cases date back to 2005, it has been 
difficult to determine if legal crops had indeed been damaged.  The 
committee then traveled to Putumayo and Narino where they visited 48 
sites; several complaints there dated from 2007-2008.  The 
complaints committee determined that 15 farmers would be 
compensated.  The NAS lawyer is working on an agreement with the 
DIRAN to set specific guidelines to handle crop-damage complaints. 
 
¶28.  (SBU) During a two-week period in August, DIRAN received almost 
4,000 spray complaints from three veredas (townships) in the Tumaco 
municipality.  The CNP found the majority of the complaints to be 
invalid due to multiple submissions, complaints from multiple family 
members, extended delays in submission, or the presence of coca in 
the field sprayed.  It appears that the flood of new complaints is a 
concerted effort to impede spray operations in Narino. 
 
---------------------------- 
DRUG DEMAND PREVENTION (DDP) 
---------------------------- 
 
¶29.  (SBU) INL awarded a $49,438 NAS Bogota grant to the CICAD/OAS 
Nursing School Project using the new Public International 
Organization (PIO) grant process.  Using the new process caused a 
delay of about four months in awarding the grant. 
 
--------------------------------- 
INDIVIDUAL DEMOBILIZATION PROGRAM 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶30.  (SBU) In August, 265 people certified under the Ministry of 
Defense (MOD) Humanitarian Program for Demobilized Individuals 
(PAHD), among them 60 imprisoned former insurgents and 24 indigenous 
people.  So far this year, 1,922 have demobilized, for a total of 
19,839 since 2002. Eighty percent of the demobilized are former FARC 
members and the rest are ELN. 
 
¶31.  (SBU) The PAHD, Ministry of Interior and Justice, and the 
Bureau of Prisons agreed to begin showing a NAS prisons 
program-funded video explaining Decree 1059 to FARC and ELN inmates 
interested in demobilizing from prison.  In addition to the video, 
the audio will be played on prison radio stations to increase 
exposure. 
 
¶32.  (SBU) Program officials led a Colombian interagency 
demobilization event in support of Naza indigenous communities near 
Santander de Quilichao, Cauca.  A total of 24 individuals who were 
members of the FARC 6th Front and Jacobo Arenas Mobile Column 
demobilized before hundreds of members of their communities and the 
group of government representatives.  Another similar event and 
dialogue with indigenous leaders on August 26 in Antioquia did not 
have comparable results - 35 individuals, former FARC 34th Front 
members, demobilized before their indigenous communities in a 
traditional ceremony, but during the event the community leaders 
reversed their position, refusing to recognize legitimacy of the 
state.  Consequently, these indigenous former Foreign Terrorist 
Organization (FTO) members did not legally demobilize.  PAHD 
officials will continue to lobby indigenous leaders to encourage 
cooperation with government efforts. 
 
¶33.  (SBU) Desire for a new start, abuse by former comrades, 
political divergence, and military pressure continue to be the main 
motivations for desertion in 2009.  Information voluntarily provided 
by the demobilized is one of the best sources of intelligence 
available to security forces.  Reintegration remains a major 
challenge for the Colombian government as almost 80% of demobilized 
individuals have not completed elementary school.  The Ministry of 
Defense continues to strengthen initiatives to provide psychological 
assistance to the demobilized and prevent illegal recruitment. 
 
-------------- 
ADMINISTRATION 
-------------- 
 
¶35.  (SBU) NAS cleared approximately $7 million of unliquidated 
obligations during August.  NAS received and obligated $52.6 million 
of FY 2007 Andean Counterdrug Program funding that was on hold by 
the Congress because of human rights concerns with the Colombian 
military.  This funding will be used for COLAR aviation to support 
its nationalization efforts.  Approximately $19 million of FY 2008 
 
assistance funds remain on hold. 
 
NICHOLS