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### Viewing cable 04BOGOTA11752, SCENESETTER FOR PRESIDENT BUSH'S MEETING WITH

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
04BOGOTA11752 | 2004-11-02 18:31 | 2011-04-29 00:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Bogota

`

    This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

` `

    id: 22359
    date: 11/2/2004 18:31
    refid: 04BOGOTA11752
    origin: Embassy Bogota
    classification: CONFIDENTIAL
    destination:
    header:
    This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

    ----------------- header ends ----------------

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BOGOTA 011752

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2014
    TAGS: PREL CO
    SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR PRESIDENT BUSH'S MEETING WITH
    PRESIDENT URIBE IN COLOMBIA

    Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood for reasons
    1.4 (b) and (d)

    ------------
    Introduction
    ------------

    ¶1. (C) President Uribe welcomes the visit of President and
    Mrs. Bush with enthusiasm.  Current hot topics include:

    --Floods in Northern Colombia, more than 150,000 persons
    affected

    --Demobilization and reinsertion of up to 3,000 paramilitary
    terrorists in the next two months

    --U.S. support in out years

    --Free Trade Agreement negotiations; next round in Tuscon at
    the end of November could be crucial

    --Record-breaking drug eradication and seizures

    --Major judicial reform starting in January

    --Extradition

    --U.S. travel advisory and security in Cartagena

    --Continued shortage of helicopters for counter-drug and
    counter-terror missions

    --Status of U.S. hostages

    --Human rights

    --Alternative development and humanitarian assistance

    ---------------------------
    Floods in Northern Colombia
    ---------------------------

    ¶2. (C) Heavy rainfall has caused flooding in the north coast
    region, including the Cartagena area.  Some 200,000 persons
    have been affected and more than 300 homes destroyed.
    Through the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, we are
    providing $150,000 in assistance to the Red Cross to help
    some 10,000 persons in the hardest-hit areas south of
    Cartagena.

    ------------------------------
    Demobilization and Reinsertion
    ------------------------------

    ¶3. (C) Colombia plans to demobilize 3,000 or so members of
    the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), the
    country's largest paramilitary terrorist organization, in the
    next six weeks, adding to the over 1,000 paramilitaries who
    demobilized in 2003.  The program is underfunded and the OAS
    verification chief has issued an international call for help;
    several European nations have responded with low levels of
    aid.  Uncertainty regarding Patriot Act restrictions has
    prevented direct U.S. assistance or involvement in design of
    the program.  President Uribe may seek U.S. assistance to
    help reinsert voluntarily demobilized ex-terrorists who are
    cooperating against their former organizations and otherwise
    adhering to the government's program.  This
    demobilization/reinsertion is expected to be the template for
    eventual demobilization of up to 15,000 paramilitaries by the
    end of 2005, and the leftist terrorists of the ELN, with whom
    preliminary talks are underway but going slowly.

    ------------
    U.S. Support
    ------------

    ¶4. (C) As in past meetings, Uribe will be looking for private
    and public reaffirmations of U.S. support and continued
    financial resources for the next few years.  Requested U.S.
    assistance tops $660 million in FY05, plus a number of DOD
    operating accounts.  Special DOD assistance to Plan Patriota
    operations runs out after 2005.

    ----------------------------
    Free Trade Agreement/Economy
    ----------------------------

    ¶5. (C) Negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement, with Peru and
    Ecuador, begin their fifth round on November 29 in Tuscon.
    President Uribe remains a strong proponent, but agricultural
    and other concerns, principally regarding pharmaceuticals,
    have prevented Colombia from moving as rapidly as it should.
    As a result, our goal of conclusion by early 2005 is
    uncertain.  Colombia hopes for special consideration for its
    close cooperation on counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism
    efforts.  Overall growth continues to be strong (about 4
    percent), and investment is returning.  But the country faces
    fiscal pressure, and President Uribe political pressure, from
    the competition for resources between defense and social
    needs, especially unemployment (currently 12.5 percent).

    -----------------------------
    Drug Eradication/Interdiction
    -----------------------------

    ¶6. (C) FY04 drug eradication and interdiction are at record
    levels.  We should meet our 130,000-hectare goal for coca
    spraying and exceed last year's level for opium poppy.
    President Uribe is working to expand manual eradication
    efforts.  We continue to press for spraying in national parks
    in the face of Colombian and U.S. congressional resistance.
    Drug seizures are also at record levels.  In 2004 the
    Colombian National Police has seized approximately 56 metric
    tons; the Colombian military, primarily the navy and coast
    guard, approximately 68 metric tons; and a multi-national
    force approximately 192 metric tons.  Between eradication and
    seizures, more than 475 metric tons of drugs have been
    blocked in 2004, in comparison to about 300 tons in 2003.

    ---------------
    Judicial Reform
    ---------------

    ¶7. (C) Colombia will switch to an oral adversarial trial
    system, like that of the U.S., in January.  We have provided
    extensive training and advice to this major reform; it is
    also a high priority among many in the U.S. Congress.
    President Uribe may request additional resources.  The
    Minister of Justice has requested that the justice sector
    rapidly/rapidly receive 50 percent of all Colombia-related
    drug assets that we seize; in the past, Colombia has received
    a smaller share, sometimes after years of delay.

    -----------
    Extradition
    -----------

    ¶8. (C) President Uribe has approved since taking office more
    than 150 extraditions to the U.S.  He will likely ask for
    more political sensitivity in our extradition requests, as he
    and his ministers have done several times in the last year.
    Although Uribe is solid in his support, extradition faces
    political pressure from well-connected drug traffickers
    awaiting extradition and from paramilitary leaders involved
    in peace negotiations.  We are taking steps to avoid killing
    the golden goose.  Uribe may raise paramilitary leaders'
    efforts to negotiate extradition at the peace table.  We have
    said that extradition should not be a topic in the
    negotiations, and not be addressed in any way before all/all
    demobilization steps are fulfilled by the paramilitary
    leaders, including peaceful demobilization of their troops.
    Uribe has agreed.

    ------------------
    Cartagena/Consular
    ------------------

    ¶9.  (C) The U.S. travel advisory warns against all travel to
    Colombia.  President Uribe may ask for a cut-out for
    Cartagena, so cruise ships, a potential major source of
    tourist revenue, can enter.  Cartagena has not seen a
    terrorist incident for two years, has special safeguards for
    cruise ship tourists (no incidents have been reported for
    European cruise ship tourists), and has a better security
    record than many Latin American capitals.  Although we resist
    a cut-out for Cartagena, we are working to revise the travel
    advisory for Colombia as a whole, and the State Department
    head of security will visit Cartagena at the end of November.

    ----------------------
    Plan Patriota/Military
    ----------------------

    ¶10. (C) The Colombian Armed Forces has made steady progress
    against illegal armed groups since the late 1990s, thanks in
    large part to U.S. assistance.  Plan Patriota is currently
    focused in FARC-dominated, heavily forested southeastern
    Colombia; it is going well, but slowly.  The logistical
    strain of keeping 17,000 troops in the dense, hostile jungle,
    hundreds of miles from their supply bases, has been a huge
    challenge.  Poor inter-service cooperation, corruption, and
    tolerance of paramilitarism continue, but they are improving,
    most recently with good changes in senior military
    leadership.  There continues to be competition for scarce
    helicopters between counter-drug and counter-terrorism
    missions.  President Uribe may ask for additional Blackhawk
    helicopters.

    ----------
    Reelection
    ----------

    ¶11. (C) Constitutional reform to permit Presidential
    re-election is near completion; we believe it is probable.
    The reform will face review by the Constitutional Court early
    next year, a wild card.  The press may seek a U.S. view on
    re-election.  Although we can praise President Uribe, we
    should avoid comment on re-election, which could be played as
    "interference in domestic affairs."  Uribe is above 65
    percent approval in polls.

    ------------
    Human Rights
    ------------

    ¶12. (C) The Uribe Administration continues to make progress
    in human rights, but has not been completely successful in
    ensuring accountability, strengthening the military justice
    system, in breaking military ties to paramilitary groups, or
    in ending corruption.  The government has an active dialogue
    with NGOs, the United Nations, and foreign governments.
    Human rights training is mandatory for all members of the
    military and police.  The Embassy vets all units that receive
    U.S. assistance, in accordance with the Leahy Amendment.
    Homicides fell by 20 percent, kidnappings by 30 percent, and
    forced displacements by 49 percent in 2003; that trend has
    continued in 2004.  Less than 2 percent of human rights
    violations are attributable to government security forces.
    But recent violations by members of the armed forces, such as
    the suspicious murders in August of three trade unionists in
    the highly conflictive department of Arauca, demonstrate the
    need for further improvement.

    -------------
    U.S. Hostages
    -------------

    ¶13. (C) The three U.S.-contractor hostages captured by the
    FARC in February 2003 are now the longest U.S. terror
    captives in the world.  (Another U.S. contractor and a
    Colombian were killed by the FARC in the same incident, when
    their helicopter safely crash-landed due to mechanical
    failure near a FARC camp.)  Plan Patriota operations have
    increased the likelihood that we will receive more
    information about the hostages, but also that an unintended
    encounter between Colombian forces and the hostage holders
    will result in their execution.  The Colombians are providing
    full assistance, both to keep us informed and to avoid
    unplanned encounters that might endanger the hostages.  The
    U.S. publicly has counseled against negotiations with the
    FARC for any of its dozens of hostages, to avoid providing an
    incentive for further hostage-taking.  We have supported
    Uribe's proposals for an exchange of hostages for FARC
    prisoners not accused of violent crimes provided that the
    FARC prisoners are prevented from returning to terrorist
    activities; so far the FARC has refused.  Uribe has assured
    us that the U.S. hostages will be included in any possible
    exchange.

    -------------------------------------------
    Development, Humanitarian, Judicial Reform
    -------------------------------------------
    ¶14. (C) Alternative development, humanitarian aid, and
    democracy programs are going well.  We have leveraged
    substantial private sector assistance to establish 270 square
    miles of legal agriculture benefiting 40,000 families.  U.S.
    aid has helped nearly 2 million internally displaced persons.
     Colombia has the largest displaced population outside Africa.
    WOOD

    =======================CABLE ENDS============================

`