Memo from Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Illinois) about April 24, 2002 hearing

Memo from Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Illinois) about April 24, 2002 hearing
COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Memorandum

April 23, 2002

TO: Members, Committee on International Relations

FROM: Chairman Henry J. Hyde

RE: Hearing to be Held April 24, 2002: International Global Terrorism: Its Links with Illicit Drugs As Illustrated by the IRA and Other Groups in Colombia

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The purpose of this hearing is to explore not only the growing threat to democracy in Colombia due to that country's illicit drug trade, but also to examine the global effect of recent associated terrorist events which appear to be increasing due to the proceeds from the sale of these illicit drugs. The terrorism which has sprung up in Colombia could signal a further escalation of illegal drug trafficking and terrorist acts occurring elsewhere in our hemisphere and certainly affecting our own national interests. The Committee will also review its investigative findings based on a nine-month inquiry conducted by Committee staff which was requested by a bipartisan group of Members and reassess how U.S. assistance to the Colombian government can better aid in the fight against illicit drug trafficking and global terrorist links.

Threats to Colombia's Democracy and U.S. Interests

Colombia's capital city of Bogota is a mere three hours away from Miami. Colombia's democratically-elected government is the third largest recipient of U.S. assistance which has been particularly targeted, at least to date, at combating illicit drug production and trade. Colombia and the United States have fought cooperatively in the struggle against illicit drugs over the years. Unfortunately, however, 90 percent of the cocaine and 70 percent of the heroin which illegally enter the U.S. are imported from Colombia. These illicit hard drugs take more lives here in one year than all the lives we lost in the September 11th terrorist attacks.

A major player in this illicit drug trade is the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The FARC is formally designated as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) by the U.S. Department of State. It is thought to be "the most dangerous international terrorist group based in this hemisphere," according to a State Department official. The FARC is regarded as the best financed, most well-trained and equipped, and most self-sufficient insurgency group in the world and poses the most serious threat to U.S. interests in this hemisphere. The FARC narco-terrorists openly target American civilians in Colombia, kidnaping and murdering them. The FARC, in partnership with the National Liberation Army of Colombia (ELN), has been responsible for the kidnaping of at least 50 Americans in the last several years, ten of whom have been murdered. FARC narco-terrorists, some of whose leaders were indicted by the U.S. government on March 18, 2002, are estimated to take in anywhere from $1 million to $2 million per day from illicit drug trafficking. In addition, the FARC and the ELN have also contributed to serious regional instability, attacking oil and coal exports to the U.S. Thirty percent of the oil exports from Colombia are needed by the U.S. to meet the energy demands at home.

Along with other insurgency groups, including the Colombian United Self-Defense Groups (AUC), comprised of right-wing paramilitary mafia forces, the FARC and ELN have terrorized the populace of Colombia, receiving vast sums of money from the illicit drug trade which, in turn, finance their terrorism against the state. In the future, the AUC may prove to be an even bigger challenge than the FARC unless we quickly help the Colombian state establish security and the Rule of Law.

Events in Colombia make it clear that global terrorist networks are interchangeable, aggressive, and know no boundaries or borders, threatening anyone and any nation. The situation in Colombia illustrates the growing phenomenon of proceeds from illicit drugs playing a major role in financing the activities of global terrorist networks.

HIRC Investigation and Findings

The Committee asked its investigative staff to conduct an inquiry into the growing illicit drug trade in Colombia, escalating attacks on Americans in that country, and the arrest on August 11, 2001 by Colombian authorities of three Irish Republican Army (IRA)-linked individuals at the El Dorado Airport in Bogota. These Irish nationals were detained after leaving territory in southern Colombia controlled by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, referred to as FARC. All three were carrying false identification documents (passports) and were found to have traces of explosives on their clothing and on items in their luggage. Two of the three Irish nationals were the IRA's leading explosives engineer and a mortar expert. The third individual was a representative of Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing, and was also known to be stationed in Cuba and reportedly on the payroll of the Cuban Communist Party.

The three Irish nationals were formally indicted in February, 2002 by the Fiscalia, the Colombian Prosecutor's Office, and charged with training FARC terrorists in explosives and using false passports to cover their true identities while in Colombia. They have also been identified by a FARC defector who surrendered to the Fiscalia in 2001. The defector reportedly identified photographs of three Irish nationals as the same individuals from whom he himself received explosives training in the FARC safe haven. Based on this and other corroborating evidence, the Colombian authorities believe they have developed a strong criminal case against the three Irish nationals.

Although the presence of the IRA in Colombia was first exposed last August by the arrest of the three Irish nationals, the Committee's investigative staff has established that, according to Colombian authorities, at least five, and possibly as many as 15, IRA-linked terrorists have visited Colombia over the last few years. More alarming than the number of IRA-related individuals who have visited Colombia, however, is the stature of some of these individuals whom Colombian authorities identified as senior IRA explosives experts and technicians. These terrorists have engaged in training the FARC in mortar, including mobile mortar, and car-bomb tactics, especially targeting police bomb technicians - all well-established IRA methods of operation. The increasing numbers of incidences involving these bombings are having a dramatic impact on police, military, and innocent civilians. These events are a tremendous threat to the United States in "collateral damage," because so many American personnel are in Colombia fighting against the drug trade. We have hundreds of temporary duty personnel in Colombia on any given day, in addition to our agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), military advisors, contractors, and embassy personnel. If U.S. presence expands to help Colombia fight terrorism as well, these alarming IRA explosives tactics could be used directly and intentionally against American facilities and employees.

Conclusion

At our hearing, we will hear testimony from the Administrator of the DEA on the links between the drug trade in Colombia and global terrorism, including involvement by the IRA. Experts from the State Department's Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism will discuss the threat which IRA and other terrorist activities pose in Colombia, not only to that beleaguered nation but to our national interests as well. A Colombian military official will give us his firsthand account of the devastating impact of IRA training of the FARC on both the rural battlefield and urban areas, particularly on police bomb technicians and police stations.

We have also invited Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams to testify, but he has declined to appear in person. He has sent letters to both Representative Benjamin Gilman and me, and his letter in response to the Committee's invitation and questions will be available to the Members of the Committee. In this letter, he addresses the following questions: What did Sinn Fein leadership know of the IRA activities (not the specific travel of the Irish nationals) in Colombia, and when did they learn of them?

All of this testimony will be useful as the Committee begins to broaden its focus from our current sole emphasis on the illicit drug threat to include the growing terrorist threat in Colombia. The United States does not have the luxury of turning a blind eye when our national interests and the lives of our citizens are at risk every day in our own backyard.

Recommendation

As the forces of global terrorism, illicit drugs, and organized crime converge upon Colombia to produce new challenges to the international community, the United States must reassess its current policy under Plan Colombia which provides for our assistance to be used exclusively for counter-narcotics program. The threat of drug-financed terrorism and organized crime of global reach must be confronted by changes in U.S. law which will permit American assistance to also be used to fight this new and robust terrorism undermining a democratic ally in the Western Hemisphere.