Letter by intellectuals to Interpol regarding seized FARC computers

Subject: Regarding May 15, 2008 Statement in Press on Interpol's Forensic Report on FARC Computers and Hardware Seized by Colombia

June 17, 2008
Ronald Noble
Secretary General INTERPOL
200, quai Charles de Gaulle
69006 Lyon
France
BY E-MAIL AND U.S. MAIL

Dear Mr. Noble,

We call on you to retract the following statement, made to the press on May 15, 2008: “We are absolutely certain that the computer exhibits that our experts examined came from a FARC terrorist camp. No one can ever question whether or not the Colombian government tampered with the seized FARC computers.” (AP, May 15, 2008)

The first sentence appears to lie completely outside the scope of your investigation. In “Interpol’s Forensic Report on FARC Computers and Hardware Seized by Colombia,” there is no indication that Interpol did anything to verify Colombia’s claim regarding the origins of the computer equipment. On page 7, the official report reads, “The scope of INTERPOL’s computer forensic examination was limited to

(a) determining the actual data contained in the eight seized FARC computer exhibits,

(b) verifying whether the user files had been modified in any way on or after 1 March 2008, and

(c) determining whether Colombian law enforcement authorities had handled and examined the eight seized FARC computer exhibits in conformity with internationally recognized principles for handling electronic evidence by law enforcement.”

Since INTERPOL did no investigation as to the origin of these computer exhibits, it would seem inappropriate and wrong for you to state that you are "absolutely certain" as to where they originated. This could give the misleading impression that INTERPOL's investigation had actually verified the Colombian government's claim – which is contested, for example, by the President of Ecuador.

The second sentence is within the scope of the investigation, but it is not clear that the report backs it up. For example, your report states that INTERPOL found "no evidence that user files were created, modified, or deleted on any of the eight seized FARC computer exhibits following their seizure on 1 March 2008 by Colombian authorities."

To find no evidence of something is not the same as saying that it absolutely did not happen, or that "no one can ever question" whether it happened.

In light of the importance of this matter to hemispheric relations, and the importance of INTERPOL maintaining its impartiality in forensic investigations, we ask you to retract the first sentence quoted above, and to clarify and/or retract the second sentence.

Sincerely,
Larry Birns, Council on Hemispheric Affairs - Director
Amy Chazkel, Queens College, City University of New York – Assistant Professor of History
James Early, TransAfrica Forum, and Institute for Policy Studies - Board Member
Sujatha Fernandes, Queens College, City University of New York - Assistant Professor of Sociology
Lesley Gill, American University - Associate Professor in Anthropology
Greg Grandin, New York University - Professor of History; Director of Graduate Studies
Daniel Hellinger, Webster University- Director & Professor, International Relations
Forrest Hylton, New York University - Department of History
Diana Paton, University of Newcastle, UK - Senior Lecturer in Caribbean History
Deborah Poole, Johns Hopkins University - Professor of Anthropology
Gerardo Renique, City College of the City University of New York - Associate Professor of History
Fred Rosen, North American Congress on Latin America - Senior Analyst
T.M Scruggs, University of Iowa - Associate Professor, Ethnomusicology
Sinclair Thomson, New York University- Associate Professor of History
Miguel Tinker Salas, Pomona College - Professor of Chicano and Latin American Studies
Mark Weisbrot, Center for Economic and Policy Research - Co-Director
John Womack, Harvard University- Robert Bliss Professor of Latin American History and Economics

Spanish version

Asunto: Concerniente a la declaración del 15 de mayo de 2008 en rueda de prensa sobre el Informe Forense de Interpol sobre los ordenadores y equipos informáticos de las FARC decomisado por Colombia.

17 de junio de 2008
Ronald Noble
Secretario General INTERPOL
200, quai Charles de Gaulle
69006 Lyon
Francia
ENVIADO POR CORREO ELECTRÓNICO Y CORREO POSTAL ESTADOUNIDENSE

Estimado señor Noble:
Le solicitamos que retracte la siguiente declaración ofrecida a la prensa el 15 de mayo de 2008:

"Estamos completamente seguros de que las evidencias computacionales que examinaron nuestros expertos vinieron de un campamento de las FARC. Nadie puede cuestionar nunca si Colombia manipuló los ordenadores incautados a las FARC". (AP, 15 de mayo de 2008).

La primera oración parece estar completamente fuera del ámbito de su investigación. En el “Informe Forense de Interpol sobre los ordenadores y equipos informáticos de las FARC decomisado por Colombia”, no hay indicios de que Interpol hiciera algo para verificar las afirmaciones de Colombia sobre el origen de los computadores. En la página 7, el informe oficial señala: “El alcance del análisis forense de carácter informático de INTERPOL se limitaba a:

a) establecer los datos reales que contenían las ocho pruebas instrumentales de carácter informático decomisadas a las FARC,

b) comprobar si los archivos de usuario habían sido modificados de algún modo el día 1 de marzo de 2008 o en fechas posteriores, y

c) determinar si las autoridades de los organismos encargados de la aplicación de la ley colombianos habían manejado y analizado las citadas pruebas de conformidad con los principios reconocidos internacionalmente para el tratamiento de pruebas electrónicas por parte de las fuerzas del orden”.

Dado que Interpol no realizó ninguna investigación sobre el origen de estas evidencias computacionales, parecería inapropiado y equivocado que usted afirme que está “absolutamente seguro” del origen de éstas. Esto podría dar la confusa impresión de que la investigación de Interpol en realidad había verificado y comprobado la afirmación del gobierno de Colombia, que es rebatida, por ejemplo, pro el Presidente de Ecuador.

La segunda oración está dentro del ámbito de su investigación, pero no queda claro que el informe la apoye. Por ejemplo, su informe señala que “Interpol no ha encontrado indicios de que tras la incautación a las FARC de las ocho pruebas instrumentales de carácter informático, efectuada el 1 de marzo de 2008 por las autoridades colombianas”,

No haber encontrado evidencia de algo no es lo mismo a decir que ese algo absolutamente no sucedió, o que “nadie puede cuestionar nunca” que haya pasado.

En vista de la importancia que reviste este asunto para las relaciones hemisféricas, y la importancia de que Interpol conserve su imparcialidad en sus investigaciones forenses, le solicitamos que retracte la primera oración citada anteriormente, y que clarifique y/o retracte la segunda oración.

Atentamente,
Larry Birns, Council on Hemispheric Affairs - Director
Amy Chazkel, Queens College, City University of New York – Assistant Professor of History
James Early, TransAfrica Forum, and Institute for Policy Studies - Board Member
Sujatha Fernandes, Queens College, City University of New York - Assistant Professor of Sociology
Lesley Gill, American University - Associate Professor in Anthropology
Greg Grandin, New York University - Professor of History; Director of Graduate Studies
Daniel Hellinger, Webster University- Director & Professor, International Relations
Forrest Hylton, New York University - Department of History
Diana Paton, University of Newcastle, UK - Senior Lecturer in Caribbean History
Deborah Poole, Johns Hopkins University - Professor of Anthropology
Gerardo Renique, City College of the City University of New York - Associate Professor of History
Fred Rosen, North American Congress on Latin America - Senior Analyst
T.M Scruggs, University of Iowa - Associate Professor, Ethnomusicology
Sinclair Thomson, New York University- Associate Professor of History
Miguel Tinker Salas, Pomona College - Professor of Chicano and Latin American Studies
Mark Weisbrot, Center for Economic and Policy Research - Co-Director
John Womack, Harvard University- Robert Bliss Professor of Latin American History and Economics

Source: Radio Nacional de Venezuela