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(TS//SI//REL) Collection Breakthrough Gives Added Hope for
Hostage Rescue in Colombia
FROM: ICN Elements at NSA Texas and at Fort Meade
Run Date: 12/27/2006
(TS//SI//REL) New access to communications of Colombian terrorist insider may possibly lead to
actionable intelligence.
(TS//SI//REL) This September, years of effort by multiple NSA organizations to access
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) leadership communications came to fruition
when analysts issued the first report based on email communications of FARC Secretariat
member Raul Reyes.
(TS//SI//REL) According to HUMINT, Mr. Reyes knows the status and whereabouts of three U.S.
hostages who were taken hostage by the FARC -- a Tier 1 terrorist group -- in February 2003
and who have been held ever since. This breakthrough comes at a fortuitous time for the U.S.
Intelligence Community as USSOUTHCOM has an ongoing operation (Operation Willing Spirit) to
find and rescue the U.S. hostages.
Marc Gonsalves Thomas Howes Keith Stansell
(TS//SI//REL) The FARC leadership reporting, issued by analysts from International Crime and
Narcotics (ICN) shops at Fort Meade and at NSA/CSS Texas, is derived from FBI Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act collection. More recent reports from this source have indicated that
the hostages are likely still alive, and showed that the FARC was hopeful that the U.S. would
agree to a prisoner swap for FARC members extradited to the U.S.
(TS//SI//REL) NSA-W and NSA-T target development analysts -- realizing that this is just one
small window into the FARC -- continue their work to broaden SIGINT access to the FARC
Secretariat. However, they remain hopeful that continued access to this level of data may lead
to current, unique information on the hostages.
(S//SI//REL) For background on the hostage situation, see the earlier SID today article:
(S//SI) SID Support to SOUTHCOM - Update on U.S. Hostages .
(S) THIS REPORT INCLUDES INFORMATION FROM FBI FISA COLLECTION (1). SUCH
INFORMATION, AND ANY INFORMATION DERIVED THEREFROM, MAY ONLY BE USED IN A U.S.
LEGAL OR ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDING WITH THE ADVANCE AUTHORIZATION OF THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL. ANY RECIPIENT INTERESTED IN OBTAINING AUTHORIZATION FOR SUCH
USE IN A U.S. LEGAL OR ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDING SHOULD CONTACT FBI
HEADQUARTERS. ANY FURTHER DISSEMINATION OUTSIDE OF INTELLIGENCE CHANNELS
AND/OR FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSES MUST BE MADE THROUGH FBI HEADQUARTERS.
ANY REPRODUCTION, DISSEMINATION, OR COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
TO, ORAL BRIEFINGS) OF THIS INFORMATION MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A STATEMENT OF
THESE RESTRICTIONS.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108