o _ UNCLASSIFIED • CUrren t Class •In•• Current Handling EXDIS Document Number 1982BOGOTA13461 ii2i221 Page l Channel n a RELEASED IN FULL • PAGE 01 BOGOTA 13461 01 OF 02 162006Z ACTION SS-25 INFO OCT-00 COPY-01 ADS-00 SSO-00 026 W ------------------010251 162011Z 46 P 16185oz DEC 82 AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 54-76 FM il llliFbl --C SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 13461 a DECAPTIONED EXDIS DEPT PASS COMJSCO Fr BRAGG NC J-5 E O 12356 DECL OADR TAGS PINS EAID PORS CO SUBJECT COUNTER TERRORISM ASSISTANCE REF 1 STATE 316707 S ENTIRE TEXT 2 FOLLOWING IS INFORMATION REQUESTED REFTEL ON COLOMBIAN COUNTER-TERRORISM UNITS WHILE THE PROLIFERATION OF MILITARY AND POLICE SPECIAL UNITS SUGGESTS CONSIDERABLE OVERLAPPING OF EFFORT AND POTENTIAL CONFLICTS IN PRACTICE THE SENIOR LOCAL COLOMBIAN ARMY OFFICIAL HAS ASSUMED COMMAND IN SERIOUS TERRORIST INCIDENTS AS EXAMPLES THE COMMANDER OF BOGOTA'$ MILITARY INSTITUTES BRIGADE BIM TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COMBINED SECURITY OPERATIONS AT THE TIME OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC EMBASSY HOSTAGE SITUATION AND THE COMMANDER OF THE 3RD BRIGADE IN CALI TOOK CHARGE DURING LAST JANUARY'S AEROTAL AIRPLANE HIJACKING IN THAT CITY A COLOMBIAN MILITARY COUNTER TERRORIST CAPABILITY 'liKIC LEI iEIU i r PAGE 02 BOGOTA 1 SPECIAL FORCES 13461 01 OF 02 l62006Z UNIT Current Class _ Page 1 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY DONALD A JOHNSTON DATE CASE ID 12 OCT 2001 200101519 UNCLASSIFIED -- UNCLASSIFIED Current Class iifRJI Current Handling EXDIS Document Number 1982BOGOTA13461 Page 2 Channel n a THE COLOMBIAN ARMY HAS A 11 SPECIAL FORCES UNIT UNIDAD DE FUERZAS ESPECIALES WHICH INCLUDES APPROXIMATELY 15 OFFICERS AND 40 NCO'S THE UNIT CAN BE USED IN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO TERRORIST INCIDENTS AND IS TRANSFERRED TO ANY ARMY BRIGADE UPON REQUEST THEIR PRIMARY MISSION HOWEVER IS COUNTER-GUERRILLA OPERATIONS EACH SF OFFICER MUST COMPLETE A COLOMBIAN RANGER COURSE AS A PREREQUISITE TO PROMOTION TO CAPTAIN THIS UNIT ALSO RECEIVES UNIT TRAINING PERIODICALLY FROM THE UNITED STATES IN TRAINING INSTALLATIONS IN PANAMA EACH MEMBER OF THE UNIT IS EXPECTED TO BE FAMILIAR WITH ALL WEAPONS AVAILABLE TO THE UNIT THERE ARE NO SPECIALISTS IN SPECIFIC WEAPONS 2 ANTI-KIDNAPPING AND EXTORTION COMMAND THE COMANDO ANTI SECUESTRO Y EXTORCION CAIS IS COMPOSED OP FIVE ARMY OFFICE S AND 12 ARMY NCO'S AND 20 OFFICIALS ASSIGNED TO THE UNIT FROM THE NATIONAL POLICE AND DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SECURITY THE UNIT IS UNDER THE DIRECTITY OF A MAJOR OF THE COLOMBIAN ARMY THE OFFICIALS OF THE NATIONAL POLICE AND DAS INCLUDE SPECIALISTS IN EXPLOSIVES DEACTIVATION TECHNICIANS FOR IDENTIFICATION BY BLOOD TYPE AND FINGERPRINTS EXPERTS IN PASSPORT AND DOCUMENT FALSIFICATION ANDJMALE AND FEMALE SURVEILLANT$ ALTHOUGH ARMY PERSONNEL ARE EXPECTED TO BE FAMILIAR WITH ALL ARMS AVAILABLE TO THE COLOMBIAN ARMY POLICE AND DAS OFFICIALS ARE ONLY ASSIGNED AND FAMILIAR WITH PISTOLS REVOLVERS AND SUBMACHINE GUNS THIS UNIT HAS NOT RECEIVED SPECIALIZED TRAINING di i SE PAGE 03 C BOGOTA 13461 01 OF 02 162006Z 3 URBAN GUERRILLA UNIT EACH ARMY BRIGADE HAS AN URBAN GUERRILLA UNIT CONSISTING OF TWO OFFICERS TEN NCO'S AND 20 TO 25 SELECTED ENLISTED MEN WHO SERVE IN THIS UNIT IN A DUAL CAPACITY THIS UNIT IS EQUIPPED WITH MACHINE GUNS RIFLES M-1 ANQ M-2 CARBINES PISTOLS REVOLVERS AND SNIPER RIFLES EACH MEMBER OF THE UNIT IS TRAINED IN THE USE OF EACH WEAPON AND THE UNIT AS A WHOLE HAS RECEIVED TRAINING IN COMBAT AGAINST ALL TYPES OF Page 2 current Class LULL ' I UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED current Class _ 2 C current Handling EXDIS Document Number 1982BOGOTA1346 Page 3 Channel n a URBAN GUERRILLA OR TERRORIST INCIDENTS INCLUDING SEIZURE OF AIRPLANES SEIZURE OF INSTALLATIONS AND HOSTAGE SITUATIONS THE GROUP AS A UNIT HAS NOT RECEIVED TRAINING FROM FOREIGN SOURCES DURING THE SEIZURE IN 1980 OF THE DOMINICAN EMBASSY IN BOGOTA BY THE M-19 GUERRILLA ORGANIZATION THE SPECIAL FORCES OF THE COLOMBIAN ARMY AND THE URBAN GUERRILLA UNIT FROM THE BIM BRIGADE IN BOGOTA RESPONDED 4 THE COLOMBIAN AIR FORCS HAS A SPECIAL UNIT OF 25-50 OFFICERS AND NCO'S ITS SOLE MISSION IS TO COUNTER AIRCRAFT HIJACKINGS B NATIONAL POLICE THERE ARE TWO UNITS WITHIN THE COLOMBIAN NATIONAL POLICE RESPONSIBLE FOR RESPONDING TO TERRORIST SITUATIONS 1 GRUPO DE OPERACIONES ESPECIALES GOES THE NATIONAL POLICE GOES UNITS ARE UNDER THE COMMAND AND CONTROL OF THE CHIEF OF INTELLIGENCE F-2 DIPEC IN BOGOTA AND UNDER THE DIRECT CONTROL OF I GL L NNN 21 PAGE 01 ACTION SS-25 INFO BOGOTA 13461 02 OF 02 162021Z OCT-00 COPY-01 ADS-00 SSO-00 026 W ------------------011123 162022Z 46 P 1618SOZ DEC 82 Current Class 537 Page 3 I - UNCLASSIFIED ·• UNCLASSIFIED current Class · current Handling EXDlS Document Number 1982BOGOTA13461 Page 4 Channel n a FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5477 Jilli Aki f SECTION 02 OF 02 BOGOTA 13461 EXDIS DEPT PASS OMJSCO FT BRAGG NC J-5 THE RESPECTIVE COMMANDERS IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF COLOMBIA THE GOES ERSONNEL OFFICERS NCO'$ AND AGENTS ARE CHOSEN FROM AMONG THE BETTER QUALIFIED MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL POLICE THEY ARE EQUIPPED WITH UZI SUBMACHINE GUNS INGRA MS G-3 RIFLES AND GAS AND ANTI-PERSONNEL GRENADES EACH MEMBER OF THE UNIT IS CAPABLE OF HANDLING ANY OF THE WEAPONS ASSIGNED TO THE UNIT THE COMMANDERS OF THE GOES UNITS HAVE RECEIVED INSTRUCTION IN SPAIN AND THE TRAINING WAS DESIGNED TO PERMIT THEM TO INSTRUCT THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP THE BOGOTA DETACHMENT OF THE GOES CONSISTS OF 15 MEN AND IS PRESENTLY ORGANIZING SIMILAR GROUPS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THE NATIONAL POLICE ANTI-EXPLOSIVES UNIT INCLUDES APPROXIMATELY 45 SPECIALLY TRAINED TECHNICIANS LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY EACH EXPLOSIVES DEACTIVATION UNIT ROTATES THREE SPECIALISTS FOR 24-HOUR RESPONSE CAPABILITY THIS UNIT HAS RECEIVED TRAINING IN THE UNITED STATES AND FROM ISRAEL IN BOGOTA THE LAST COURSE GIVEN BY ISRAELI SPECIALISTS WHO TRAVELLED TO BOGOTA WAS APPROXIMATELY IN AUGUST 1982 THE NATIONAL P0LICE GOES AND EXPLOSIVES DEACTIVATION liil •- I FFR q PAGE 02 L BOGOTA 13461 02 OF 02 162021Z UNITS HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO RESPOND TO TERRORIST INCIDENTS OF ALL TYPES INCLUDING SEIZURE OF AIRCRAFT BUILDINGS BOATS TRAINS AND IN HOSTAGE SITUATIONS THEY HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED AGAINST ACTUAL TERRORIST SITUATIONS WHICH HAVE INCLUDED KIDNAPPINGS AND AIRCRAFT HIJACKINGS AND THE EXPLOSIVES UNIT HAS DEACTIVATED NUMEROUS EXPLOSIVES OF Ar L TYPES ' • 2 DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SECURITY DAS current Class L Utz I Page 4 UNCLASSIFIED '· - ' UNCLASSIFIED • • Current Class alilUKEI Current Handling EXDIS Document Number 1982BOGOTA13461 Page 5 Channel n a THE DIVISION OF PUBLIC ORDER UNDER THE COMMAND OF RETIRED MAJOR CARLOS GARCIA VARGAS WAS FORMED OVER TEN YEARS AGO ITS PRESENT COMPLEMENT INCLUDES APPROXIMATELY 100 MEN EQUIPPED WITH HANDGUNS AND SUBMACHINE GUNS UZ°I INGRAM MPS THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE GROUP GRUPO DE REACCIONES INMEDIATE UNDER THE COMMJ ND·OF DR JUAN MANUEL MEDELLIN CONSISTS OF APPROXIMATELY 90 PERSONS AND EMPLOYS 30 ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR 24 HOURS AND OFF FOR 48 HOURS BOTH OF THE ABOVE UNITS WOULD RESPOND TO A TERRORIST INCIDENT ALTHOUGH THE DAS DOES NOT HAVE A SPECIALLYTRAINED ANTI-TERRORIST UNIT IN 1980 DAS PERSONNEL RECEIVED TRAINING IN TERRORIST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATED IN THE COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE SEIZURE OF THE DOMINICAN EMBASSY BY THE M-19 PERSONNEL WHO RECEIVED THIS TRAINING SUBSEQUENTLY WERE TRANSFERRED Tq OTHER POSTS 3 • NONE OF THE UNITS HAS A ROLE IN THE INTERNAL POLITICAL STRUCTURE WATSON 01777 r _ t i PAGE 03 BOGOTA 13461 Current Class C 02 OF 02 162021Z Page s 22 UNCLASSIFIED