VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHBO #1714/01 1301823
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 091823Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2700
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 8184
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0390
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 6193
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1831
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 0263
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 8716
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 1663
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1293
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 6845
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO PRIORITY 2389
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 001714
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2018
TAGS: PREL PREF PTER PHUM CO
SUBJECT: GOC CLARIFIES PLAN TO USE RAUL REYES COMPUTER
INFORMATION
Classified By: Ambassador William R. Brownfield
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
SUMMARY
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1. (C) Defense Minister Santos told the Ambassador on May 5
that the GOC appreciated U.S. efforts to safeguard
information in the Raul Reyes computers. He said V/MOD
Jaramillio is managing the GOC strategy to release the Reyes
data, and is privately briefing select governments on the
files. Once Interpol "certifies" the integrity of the Reyes'
computers, the GOC plans to release most of the information,
possibly to independent academics in Colombia, Europe, the
United States or Canada. The GOC will withhold some
information on Venezuela and Ecuador to use as leverage
later. The Ambassador encouraged Santos to consider how the
Reyes information will be integrated into the GOC's larger
public diplomacy, media, political, and military efforts.
Santos asked us to coordinate with Jaramillo on that effort.
End Summary
2. (C) The Ambassador met privately with Defense Minister
Santos on May 5 and noted that it had been nine weeks since
the seizure of the Raul Reyes computers in his Ecuador camp.
The Ambassador told Santos there is growing interest in
Washington on what the GOC plans to do with the information
in the computers, how it intends to do it, and whether the
GOC has a comprehensive, integrated strategy. He added that
we had not violated in any way their request not to release
publicly contents of the computers without first consulting
with the GOC.
3. (C) Santos said he appreciated U.S. efforts to safeguard
the information, and told us he had asked President Uribe in
April for guidance on exploiting the computers. Uribe
authorized him to manage the process from the Defense
Ministry. Santos said he gave the job to Vice MOD Sergio
Jaramillo, subject to Santos' concurrence with all
operational decisions.
4. (C) Santos outlined the GOC plan as follows:
-- The GOC will wait for Interpol's "certification" that the
computers have not been tampered with before releasing
publicly any data. They expect that certification by
mid-May. All signals they have received indicate Interpol
will say there is no evidence the computers have been altered;
--While waiting for Interpol action, V/MOD Jaramillo is
providing specific Reyes' messages to selected media in
Colombia, South America, North America, and Europe;
--The releases are tied to specific themes: FARC and Chavez,
FARC and Correa, FARC and drugs. The releases are not
attributable to the GOC;
--Jaramillo travels every week to brief select governments.
He has already briefed the Mexicans and the Brazilians. He
will brief the Chileans the week of May 5. Jaramillo plans
to travel to Europe to brief UK, Spain, and maybe France
later in May. Santos said both Mexico and Brazil seemed to
be impressed with the material briefed to them;
--Once Interpol issues its assurances, Santos said the GOC
intends to release most of the data to a public source. The
GOC will withhold selected data that might provide useful
leverage with the Venezuelan or Ecuadorian Governments in the
future. It will also retain some material that could create
legal issues in Colombia were it to be released by the GOC.
Still, Santos said he intends to release most of the computer
data in a transparent manner;
--The GOC is considering releasing the material to academics,
perhaps one in Colombia, another in Europe, and a third in
the U.S. or Canada--but has not reached a final decision.
The idea would be to put it in the hands of respected
independent actors who could respond to challenges from
elsewhere in academia as to the validity and authenticity of
the data.
5. (C) The Ambassador asked whether the GOC has developed a
plan to integrate the material, and its release, into a
broader public diplomacy, media, political, and military
strategy. Santos said V/MOD Jaramillo is doing that, and
suggested that we reach out to Jaramillo to discuss the
broader strategic implications of the computer data.
BROWNFIELD