Date

Jul 10, 2003

Description

The Pentagon’s top deputy in charge of Special Operations tells Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld that the U.S. SOUTHCOM military program in Colombia is showing signs of progress, citing U.S.-trained Special Forces units pursuing “High Value Targets” (HVT), such as insurgent leaders and prominent narcotraffickers.

General Hill’s effort in Colombia is beginning to yield dividends. The enhanced train-and-equip effort has now been underway for roughly a year.
- Colombia now has several specialized, U.S. [Special Operations Forces]-trained commando units that are conducting counter-terrorist operations.
- These units conduct the kind of [deleted] and small unit direct action necessary to pursue HVTs [High Value Targets]
Since January 1, 2003, President Uribe’s team, and the special commando units, have killed 543 FARC, captured 1,063, and induced the defection/desertion of 300 through an amnesty program.
- In contrast, during the last two years of the Pastrana government, only 780 FARC were killed, with few captured and few defections. The FARC was gaining ground.
- Perhaps more importantly, the HVT effort is taking its toll on FARC senior leadership. 15 mid- and high-level FARC leaders have been killed, and 44 captured.
Both we and the Colombians can do more. Intensification of the [deleted] with U.S. help, is key to inducing defections (such as the FARC Finance Chief) and may prove what breaks the back of the FARC.
SOUTHCOM also continues to refine the Colombian process for taking [deleted] and getting it to the field in time to act.
Finally, I note that we still have not had a breakthrough on the DoD-contractors who are being held hostage. There is, however, a significant, ongoing effort to find and free our people.

Source

FOIA

Document published in following posting(s):

“There is Future if There is Truth”: Colombia’s Truth Commission Launches Final Report

Jun 28, 2022

Recent Successes against the Colombian FARCU.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (Marshall Billingslea), Information Memorandum for Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secret/Noforn, 1 p.

Recent Successes against the Colombian FARC
U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (Marshall Billingslea), Information Memorandum for Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secret/Noforn, 1 p.