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Calling in the Strike

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A Colombian soldier observes a ceremony commemorating the third anniversary of the deaths of 18 people in Santo Domingo. In back, a boy with his face painted white hangs a sign protesting the attack.  (ZOE SELSKY / LAT)
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Demonstrators march through the town of Tame, Colombia in December on the third anniversary of the bombing of Santo Domingo. About 1,500 people from Tame, Santo Domingo and other nearby communities took part in the march. The sign reads, “the impunity.”  (ZOE SELSKY / LAT)
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A young woman claps during ceremonies held in Tame to mark the third anniversary of the bombing. The flight crew involved says it targeted a jungle area 1,200 meters north of Santo Domingo. But there is only an open field there now.  (ZOE SELSKY / LAT)
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With faces painted white, a group of children and teenagers listen to the playing of Colombia’s national anthem. The head of the Colombian Air Force continued to deny that a cluster bomb was used in the attack, even after subordinates in the field duly reported its use to superiors at Air Force headquarters. The Air Force head today says the bombing was the result of a guerrilla car bombing gone awry.  (ZOE SELSKY / LAT)
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Residents of the town of Santo Domingo, Colombia, relax on a Sunday afternoon in December. Three years ago the Colombian military allegedly bombed this small town, killing 18 civilans, including seven children.  (ZOE SELSKY / LAT)
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The death toll in the bombing of Santo Domingo three years ago included the brother of these three children visiting a memorial. The Colombian military found that the explosion was caused by a car bomb set up by anti-government guerrillas in the area. After much wrangling, the investigation is back in the hands of the military.  (ZOE SELSKY / LAT)
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Children in Santo Domingo have depicted the December 13, 1998 attack on their town in a poster. It includes photos of the seven children killed. Its caption reads “A crime against humanity committed by airplanes donated by the U.S., supposedly to fight drugs.” The head of the Colombian Air Force, Gen. Hector Fabio Velasco, threatened to sue the human rights groups that produced the poster, but never followed up on the threat.  (ZOE SELSKY / LAT)

Crew wants to “soften up” jungle targets.

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The Scene:
In this segment, Gomez suggests that the Colombian Air Force engage in a Beta, code for a rocket or cluster bomb attacks, against the guerrillas in the jungle north of Santo Domingo. He wants to ""soften up"" the jungle to allow troops trapped on the ground to advance across a bridge north of Santo Domingo. The suggestion is eventually approved by Gen. Luis Hernando Barbosa, then commanding officer of the local army unit, the 18th Brigade. Though Gomez tells the commanders there are roughly 1,500 yards between the bridge and the town, the distance is actually less than half that, about 600 yards, according to a measurement taken by The Times at the site.

The Players:
Gavilan (Sparrowhawk): Cessna Skymaster piloted by Barbaro Jose Orta with Maj. Cesar Gomez and Charles Denny on board. Gomez is link between Skymaster and other Colombian Air Force planes. Denny is crewmember controlling video camera.
Enlace (Link): Radio link between military commanders at Occidental's Caño Limon oil complex and the AirScan plane.
Lechuza (Hunter Owl): UH1H Huey piloted by Capt. Cesar Romero, carrying the cluster bomb
Cazador (Hunter): A H500 Hughes piloted by Lt. German Lamilla, directing the bombing approach.

13:24:24
Enlace: Gavilan, Gavilan, Enlace.
Denny: It sounds like the base is calling us.
Gomez: Go ahead.
Enlace: Sure, for sure. They are asking me to see how you see the situation there, how is it.
Gomez: Okay, look, about 20 minutes ago, the town could be seen filled with people and a lot of movement of civilians toward the west. We have a chosen point to the west for the disembarking (of troops). A point toward the west chosen now and we have another point to the east, but also charged to the west, which is where a lot of movement has been seen. The troops, well, they are stable in the sector where they were, but they are approximately one and a half kilometers from the town. The distance that separates them and the town can only be crossed by the road, by the jungle and the jungle it seems has had, or rather, they are shooting from the jungle. The problem is that, it would be good to ask for a Beta for this jungle, it would be good to ask for a Beta, if it can be coordinated for this jungle and we remain here.
Gomez to Orta: I am asking for a bombardment over there
Orta: That's good.
Gomez: For this point, if we can coordinate it. Do you copy?
Orta: They are calling in a strike.
Gomez: Enlace, Gavilan
Orta: On the wooded line there, the wood line south of the bridge.
Gomez: Enlace, Gavilan
Denny: South of the bridge?
Orta: South of the bridge to the town, he's going to call in a strike.
Cazador: Lechuza, Spock.
Lechuza: Go ahead.
Gomez: Enlace, it's Gavilan.
Cazador: Room G (In Oxy's oil complex).
Enlace: Go ahead, Gavilan.
Gavilan: Did you get the information? Tell me if you got the information.
Orta: How many people do you have in the town there, a great number or is it pretty desolate?
Denny: There's not too many. Most of them, there's a, there looks like a little…
Gomez: Enlace, Enlace, Gavilan.
Denny: There's a child in there.
Enlace: Enlace. Okay. I would recommend to see whether we are able to coordinate a Beta, a Beta to support Dragon (company) that is trying to enter the town, but there's jungle between them and the town, about a kilometer and a half, that they can't cross and the only thing that's happening there in the middle of the road and the town, they are shooting, thus, it'd be good to coordinate a Beta.
Enlace: Close to the town for a Beta?
Gomez: Yes, there's a kilometer there, but it's the only way to soften it up there, to help put pressure there so that they can advance toward the town.'' Enlace: I'll ask for a Beta there.
13:28:14
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