b 2 HEADER b 2 R 231907Z FEB 99 FM TO BT CONTROLS cs ti r TB k T 1 AL SERIAL b 2 U TEXT COUNTRY U COLOMBIA CO IPSP U COMBINE COMPLE'IE SUBJ FARC GUERRILLA COMMANDERS AND PARAMILITARY GROUP MEMBERS COMMENT ON THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AND ACTIVITIES fU WARNING U THIS IS AN INF'ORMA'l' ION REPOR'l' NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE THIS REPORT IS CLASSIFIED C 8 f PI B 8 I 1' I A l'J Page 1 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DOI REQS OJ b 2 981209 0 SOURCE· SUMMARY -t e DURING AN INTERVIEW BY A COMMANDERS COMMENTED ON SALARIES RECRUITMENT MILITARY OPERATIONS AND THE NEGATIVE IMAGE THEY HAVE ACQUIRED FROM KIDNAPPINGS PARAMILITARY GROUP MEMBERS ALSO INTERVIEWED COM1'1ENTED ON INCREASED OPERATIONS CONTROL OF MINERAL RICH AREAS AND POPPY CULTIVATION TEXT U 1 PAY AND EMPLOYMENT HTH REGARD TO SALARIES FUER ZAS ARM7 DAS REVOLUCIONARIAS D3 COLOMBIA FARC GUERRILLA CO MANDERS DO NCi' PAY THE i R ' OLDIERS AT ALL SOLDIERS ARE GIVEN N•Jt Ey ON AN AS-NEEDED BASIS FOR EXAMPLE IF A SOLDIER WANTS TO GO ON LEAVE TO VISIT HIS FAMILY FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 DAYS THE SOLDIER MAY E b 2 GIVEN 100 00 U S DOLLARS OR EXPENSES FOR THE DURATION OF THE LEAVE 1--THIS WAS VERIFIED BY SEVERAL GUERRILLA COMMANDERS AS WELL AS BY THE SOLDIERS A GUERRILLA COMMANDER ALSO SAID THAT WHEN GUERRILLAS GO TO A TOWN TO BUY SUPPLIES ONLY ONE MEMBER IS GIVEN MONEY TO PAY THE SHOPKEEPER GUERRILLA COM ANDERS WERE ASKED WHY TROOPS JOIN THE GUERRILLA ORGANIZATIONS AND THEY SAID Ir WAS BECAUSE THEY HAD NO OTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYMENT AND ALSO ADDED THAT IT WAS A WAY OF LIFE UNLIKE THE F'ARC GUERRILLAS PARAMILITARY GROUP MEMBERS ARE PAID A REGULAR SALARY 2 -re - MILITARY STRATEGY THE FARC GUERRILLA ORGANIZATION DECISION-MAKING PROCESS IS EXTREMELY VERTICAL LOCAL COMMANDERS DO NOT CARRY OOT ATTACKS WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THEIR SUPERIORS b 2 MAJOR ATTACKS REQUIRE APPROVAL AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL THE SECRETARIAT THREE HIGHEST LEVELS IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL SCHEME OF THE FARC IN DESCENDING ORDER ARE THE SECRETARIAT BLOCK AND FRONT 3 6-r- KIDNAPPING KIDNAPPING WAS DISCUSSED WITH SEVERAL FARC GUERRILLA LEADERS THEY WERE TOLD KIDNAPPING WAS GIVING THE FARC A BAD REPUTATION INTERNATIONALLY ONE OF THE GUERRILLA LEADERS SAID HE WAS AWARE OF THIS AND THAT HE HAD BROUGHT UP THE SUBJECT OF ABANDONING THIS PRACTICE THE SUBJECT WAS DISCUSSED NFI THE GOERRILLA LEADER ALSO SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN A GRADUAL DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF KIDNA PINGS BUT THERE WAS DISAGREEMENT ABOUT STOPPING THEM ALTOGETHER 4 PARAMILITARY GROUPS PARAMILITARY GROOP MEMBERS SAID THEY WERE STEPPING UP THEIR ACTIVITIES THE PARAMIL TARIES ARE CONTESTING THE SOUTHERN BOLTVAR DEPARTMENT b 2 AREA WITH THE GUERRILLAS FOR ITS GOLD AND COAL RESOURCES PAFl MlLITARY GROUPS ARE ALSO CONTROL ING THE POPPY CULTIVATION IN THIS AREA FARC GUERRILLAS HAVE NOW RETREATED FROM THE 8ARRANCABERMEJA AREA TO MOVE INTO 'l'HE SOUTHERN BOLIVAR DEPARTMENT THE FARC CLA MS TO HAVE HAD SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT VICTORIES AGAINST THE PARAMILITARY GROUPS IN THE PAST 'l'WO TO THREE WEEKS NE'I PARJ MILITARY GROUP MEMBERS STATED THAT ONE OF THEIR LEADERS RAFAEL WAS BEHIND THE BARRANCABERMEJA MASSACRE • • • • • • • •THE MASSAC E OCCURRlW ON 16 MAY 1998 AND 36 NATIONAL LIBERATION ARMY SYMPATHIZERS WERE KILLED BY THE P t RAHILITARY GROUP SOUTHERN CES 21 R AND SANTANDER DEPARTMENT- ••••••• ··•······THE Page 2 C I • __ _ ·-·--' ' SELF-DEFENSE UNIT COMMENTS 0 ter 7 ' ffi' - ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE INTERVIEWS WITH FARC AND PARAMILITARY GROUP MEMBERS WERE MADE THROUGH INTERMEDIARIES Page 3 -• --- -----CONFIDPNTia t 8 THE COLOMBIAN ARMED FORCES HAVE NOT ACTIVELY PERSECUTED PARAMILITARY GROUP MEMBERS BECAUSE THEY SEE THEM AS ALLIES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE GUERRILLAS THEIR COMMON ENEMY U b 1 and b 2 9 10 ADMIN COLL INSTR U U U S NO ig U a • ¥A DISSEM FIELD NONE SENT TO WARNING DRV FROM DECL XI NONE U REPORT CLASSIFIED C 9 U FI El 8 U 'PI A J5 DHS SCG OCTOBER 97 END OF MESSAGE eorn I DEtL AL CONFIDENTl A Page 4