UNCLASSIFIED SECRET PAGE 01 ACTION SS-25 INFO GUATEM 09301 E6 RELEASED IN FULL 102051Z OCT-00 COPY-01 ADS -00 SSO-00 026 W ------------------1s2000 10210oz 73 0 102042Z DEC 82 FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2432 SECRET GUATEMALA 09301 EXDIS - PROPER LADY - MILITARY ADDRESSEES HANDLE AS SPECAT E O 12356 DECL 12 10 88 TAGS PTER GT SUBJECT GUATEMALAN COUNTER TERRORISM CAPABILITIES CAPTION EXCLUSIVE JSOC FOR LTC BRUCE ALLEN REF STATE 316707 1 SECRET ENTIRE TEXT 2 ON PAPER THE GOVERNMENT OF GUATEMALA GOG HAS A COUNTER TERRORIS CAPABILITY WITHIN THE RANKS OF THE NATIONAL POLICE THE G-2 AND THE ARMY THE G-2 OPERATIONAL SECTION IS THE PRIMARY COORDINATOR OF COUNTER TERRORIST ACTIVITIES AND CALLS UPON THE NATIONAL POLICE AND ARMY TO RENDER SUPPORT UNDER G-2 DIRECTION WITHIN THE G-2 THERE EXISTS AN OPERATIONS UNIT HEADED BY MAJOR JOSE SOTO SALAN THAT RESPONDS TO TERRORIST SITUATIONS SUCH AS EMBASSY SEIZURES ACCORDING TO TWO G-2 OFFICERS THERE IS NO SPECIAL TRAINING GIVEN TO THIS G-2 UNIT NOR ANY SPECIAL WEAPONS OR EQUIPMENT THE ONLY ADVANCE PREPARATION THAT EXISTS IS A LARGE MAP OF THE CITY WHICH HANGS ON A WALL AND IS DIVIDED INTO OPERATIONAL SECTIONS SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 GUATEM 09301 102051Z 2 THE G-2 HANDLED THE SEIZURE OF THE BRAZILIAN EMBASSY WHICH OCCURRED IN MAY 1982 THEIR RESPONSE WAS TO SURROUND THE BUILDING CUT OFF POWER WATER UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY ADOLPH HEISNER DATE CASE ID 16 JUL 2009 200902156 UNCLASSIFIED DECAPTIONED AND FOOD TO THOSE INSIDE AND WAIT LA 1PFIED TO ANY TERRORIST DEMANDS AS DIRECTED BY PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT THE SEIZURE WAS RESOLVED BY PERMITTING THE TERRORISTS TO DEPART TO MEXICO A DECISION MADE BY PRESIDENT RIOS MONTT HIMSELF WHEN ASKED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN FOR EXAMPLE I F THE AMERICAN EMBASSY WAS SEIZED A G-2 OFFICER RESPONDED THAT ANY COUNTER TERRORIST REACTION WOULD DEVELOP 'ACCORDING TO THE SITUATION ' 3 THE NATION AL POLICE CAPABILITY IS NOTHING MORE THAN AN ON-THE-SPOT RESPONSE TO A TERRORIST SITUATION ALTHOUGH THE NATION AL POLICE HAS A SWAT TEAM ITS MEMBERS HAVE NO SPECIALIZED TRAINING EVEN IN MARKSMANSHIP IN A TERRORIST SITUATION COUNTER TERRORIST MEMBERS ARE SELECTED ON AN AD HOC BASIS FROM PERSONNEL PRESENT AT THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS THERE ARE NO PRIOR PLANS THE ONLY E PERIENCE THE COUNTER TERRORIST TEAM HAS LIES IN THOSE MEMBERS WHO HAVE RESPONDED PREVIOUSLY TO A TERRORIST SITUATION-IN OTHER WORDS THOSE WHO HAVE ON-THE-JOB TRAINING 4 A SIMILAR SITUATION EXISTS WITHIN THE ARMY THERE IS NO SPECIALIZED TRAINING NO SPECIAL WEAPONS OR EQUIPMENT NO PRIOR PLANNING AND COUNTER TERRORIST MEMBERS ARE SELECTED ON THE SPOT FROM VOLUNTEERS AS THE CRISIS OCCURS NOTE THE MILITARY HAS A RANGER KAIBILE UNIT AT THE MARISCAL ZAVALA BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS WHICH HAS BEEN CALLED A COUNTER SECRET SECRET PAGE 03 GUATEM 09301 102051Z TERRORIST UNIT IT IS ACTUALLY A RANGER TYPE MILITARY UNIT HOWEVER AND IS NOT SPECIFICALLY TRAINED FOR TERRORIST BARRICADE SITUATIONS ETC THIS UNIT HAS RECENTLY BEEN DEPLOYED TO THE PETEN AND IS NOW OPERATIONALLY UNDER THE POPTUN MILITARY BRIGADE 5 IN SUMMARY MISSION BELIEVES THAT NO FORM AL COUNTER TERRORIST CAPABILITY EXISTS WITHIN THE GOG IF A TERRORIST SITUATION WERE TO ARISE IN THE NEAR FUTURE THE BEST BET WOULD BE TO COORDINATE U S G ACTIVITIES WITH G-2 7 IT HAS COME TO OUR ATTENTION RECENTLY HOWEVER THAT SIX ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE SECURITY ADVISORS ARE WORKING WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL INTELLIGENCE UNIT UNCLASSIFIED THE GE ERAL ARCHIVES AND SUPPORTIN Sl'F1ID PRESIDENTIAL STAFF AFSAEMP IT WAS THESE SIX ADVISORS WHO PLANNED THE SUCCESSFUL OPERATION RELEASING JORGE MARIO RIOS MUNOZ THE NEPHEW OF PRESIDENT EFRAIN RIOS MONTT ON 22 NOVEMBER 1982 IT IS NOT KNOWN AT THIS TIME WHETHER THEIR ASSIGNMENTS ARE PERMANENT OR ON A TEMPORARY BASIS THERE HAVE BEEN PRIVATE SECTOR REPORTS OF SOUTH AFRICAN ADVISERS WORKING WITH THE GUATEMALAN MILITARY IN THE FIELD BUT NO ELEMENT OF THE MISSION HAS EVER OBTAINED INFORMATION TO SUBSTANTIATE THESE RUMORS CHAPIN SECRET NNN UNCLASSIFIED