Colombia Reports

Colombia's intelligence service DAS is terminally ill and should be buried, Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said Tuesday, following the investigation of illegal wiretapping of opposition politicians, media bosses and Supreme Court magistrates.

Santos, currently in the United States for meetings with members of the U.S. Government, told the press the DAS "is an illness in a terminal state that should be given a christian burial."

The Defense Minister said Colombia needs a new entity to secure national security, saying the DAS should be disbanded.

Santos did not deny he would transfer DAS personnel to this new entity, because there are "very positive" people working for the department.

Investigators of the Prosecutor General's Office have occupied DAS offices since Monday and are looking for evidence of the alleged wiretapping of what could be considered government opponents. 

The PG's investigators were Tuesday accompanied by investigators of international police organization Interpol. They visited the DAS offices to be informed on how the agency intercepted phonecalls. An Interpol advisory group will then propose changes in the procedures to prevent illegal wiretapping.

---