Universal Struggle
28th May 2010, 21:38
THE commander-in-chief of the Colombian army says that a member of the Farc guerilla group who defected last month has admitted he was trained in terrorist techniques by the Colombia Three.
It is the first report of a Farc guerilla to claim he was trained by them since two defectors refused to testify in the Irishmens 2003 trial.
General Carlos Alberto Ospina says he personally interviewed the former member of Farc, who claims he was shown how to use explosives, landmines and mortars by the IRA team.
The three Irishmen Niall Connolly, 39, James Monaghan, 59, and Martin McCauley, 42 were arrested with fake passports in Colombia in 2001. They were initially acquitted of involvement in terrorism, but that verdict was overturned on appeal last December and they were sentenced to 17 years in jail.
The three, who insist they are innocent, fled the country while awaiting the appeal and are believed to be hiding in Venezuela.
Ospina said: Only 20 days ago I visited one of our units in the jungle who had captured a Farc terrorist wanting to defect. He had been taught personally by the Irishmen. He said he had learnt from them to lay mines and fire grenades.
The man has been put into a witness protection programme.
Ospina said IRA-style techniques are now being used all over Colombia by Farc. A British military attach and other British experts have travelled to Colombia to compare explosive devices found there with ones known to have been used by the IRA during the Troubles.
They told us there were similarities with the techniques they have in Ireland, said Ospina. They found some similarities, especially with the snipers and the explosives. The biggest problem we have now in Colombia is with snipers and with landmine traps.
He blames the Colombia Three for the first Farc snipers since the conflict began in the 1960s. Three years ago there were no snipers in Colombia except in the army. But suddenly you have Farc snipers armed with high-calibre rifles and high-tech sighting equipment, the general said.
Colombian intelligence says a company of Farc snipers was trained at a single camp near the Brazilian border and dispersed across 60 fronts in the conflict.
They kill between eight or 10 soldiers a month with snipers, said Ospina, citing intercepted communications from the Farc leadership. Their goal is to kill 50 soldiers a day.
The few Farc snipers that have been caught were well equipped, with high-powered rifles of the same 0.5in calibre favoured by IRA snipers in Northern Ireland.
It was after the visit of the Irishmen that they got these techniques, plus locally made grenades, said Ospina.
IRA snipers had certain characteristics, according to an Irish army expert. The Provos increased their weapons size and range, he said. Thats standard enough, but if the Farc were using 0.5in rifles that would indicate some similarities. With a 0.5in rifle you can engage from three-quarters of a mile and if you hit the target youll take it down.
Ospina said double and triple bomb attacks were becoming common.
We have had several attacks where one bomb goes off and when the troops arrive another one goes off. You find yourself in a minefield.
The Irish army expert said the tactic was similar to the Narrowater massacre in 1979 in which 18 British soldiers were killed in a single ambush. They detonated a bomb, waited until a larger patrol arrived and detonated an even larger bomb where it was likely the unit would muster.
That tactic is something the IRA refined over the years, he said.
A recent attack in Colombia was cited by Ospina as an example of how remote detonation. techniques have proliferated. A child was paid 20p to ride a bicycle stuffed with 10lbs of dynamite to a road block before it was detonated by somebody nearby, killing him and two policemen.
It is the first report of a Farc guerilla to claim he was trained by them since two defectors refused to testify in the Irishmens 2003 trial.
General Carlos Alberto Ospina says he personally interviewed the former member of Farc, who claims he was shown how to use explosives, landmines and mortars by the IRA team.
The three Irishmen Niall Connolly, 39, James Monaghan, 59, and Martin McCauley, 42 were arrested with fake passports in Colombia in 2001. They were initially acquitted of involvement in terrorism, but that verdict was overturned on appeal last December and they were sentenced to 17 years in jail.
The three, who insist they are innocent, fled the country while awaiting the appeal and are believed to be hiding in Venezuela.
Ospina said: Only 20 days ago I visited one of our units in the jungle who had captured a Farc terrorist wanting to defect. He had been taught personally by the Irishmen. He said he had learnt from them to lay mines and fire grenades.
The man has been put into a witness protection programme.
Ospina said IRA-style techniques are now being used all over Colombia by Farc. A British military attach and other British experts have travelled to Colombia to compare explosive devices found there with ones known to have been used by the IRA during the Troubles.
They told us there were similarities with the techniques they have in Ireland, said Ospina. They found some similarities, especially with the snipers and the explosives. The biggest problem we have now in Colombia is with snipers and with landmine traps.
He blames the Colombia Three for the first Farc snipers since the conflict began in the 1960s. Three years ago there were no snipers in Colombia except in the army. But suddenly you have Farc snipers armed with high-calibre rifles and high-tech sighting equipment, the general said.
Colombian intelligence says a company of Farc snipers was trained at a single camp near the Brazilian border and dispersed across 60 fronts in the conflict.
They kill between eight or 10 soldiers a month with snipers, said Ospina, citing intercepted communications from the Farc leadership. Their goal is to kill 50 soldiers a day.
The few Farc snipers that have been caught were well equipped, with high-powered rifles of the same 0.5in calibre favoured by IRA snipers in Northern Ireland.
It was after the visit of the Irishmen that they got these techniques, plus locally made grenades, said Ospina.
IRA snipers had certain characteristics, according to an Irish army expert. The Provos increased their weapons size and range, he said. Thats standard enough, but if the Farc were using 0.5in rifles that would indicate some similarities. With a 0.5in rifle you can engage from three-quarters of a mile and if you hit the target youll take it down.
Ospina said double and triple bomb attacks were becoming common.
We have had several attacks where one bomb goes off and when the troops arrive another one goes off. You find yourself in a minefield.
The Irish army expert said the tactic was similar to the Narrowater massacre in 1979 in which 18 British soldiers were killed in a single ambush. They detonated a bomb, waited until a larger patrol arrived and detonated an even larger bomb where it was likely the unit would muster.
That tactic is something the IRA refined over the years, he said.
A recent attack in Colombia was cited by Ospina as an example of how remote detonation. techniques have proliferated. A child was paid 20p to ride a bicycle stuffed with 10lbs of dynamite to a road block before it was detonated by somebody nearby, killing him and two policemen.