[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 145 (Tuesday, October 13, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H10818]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CIA IGNORED CHARGES OF CONTRA DRUG DEALING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, well, the CIA has finally admitted it and 
the New York Times finally covered it. The Times ran the devastating 
story on Saturday, with the headline: CIA Said to Ignore Charges of 
Contra Drug Dealing in 80s.
  In a remarkable reversal by the New York Times, the paper reported 
that the CIA knew about Contra drug dealing and they covered it up. The 
CIA let it go on for years during the height of their campaign against 
the Sandinista government.
  Among other revelations in the article were that ``the CIA's 
inspector general determined that the agency `did not inform Congress 
of all allegations or information it received indicating that contra-
related organizations or individuals were involved in drug 
trafficking.' ''
  The Times article continued pointing out ``[d]uring the time the ban 
on [Contra] funds was in effect, the CIA informed Congress only about 
drug charges against two other contra-related people. [T]he agency 
failed to tell other executive branch agencies, including the Justice 
Department, about drug allegations against 11 contra-related 
individuals or entities.''
  The article continues stating ``[the Report] makes clear that the 
agency did little or nothing to investigate most of the drug 
allegations that it heard about the contra and their supporters. In 
all, the inspector general's report found that the CIA has received 
allegations of drug involvement by 58 contras or others linked to the 
contra program. These included 14 pilots and two others tied to the 
contra program's CIA-backed air transportation operations.
  The Times reported that ``the report said that in at least six 
instances, the CIA knew about allegations regarding individuals or 
organizations but that knowledge did not deter it from continuing to 
employ them.''
  Several informed sources have told me that an appendix to this Report 
was removed at the instruction of the Department of Justice at the last 
minute. This appendix is reported to have information about a CIA 
officer, not agent or asset, but officer, based in the Los Angeles 
Station, who was in charge of Contra related activities. According to 
these sources, this individual was associated with running drugs to 
South Central Los Angeles, around 1988. Let me repeat that amazing 
omission. The recently released CIA Report Volume II contained an 
appendix, which was pulled by the Department of Justice, that reported 
a CIA officer in the LA Station was hooked into drug running in South 
Central Los Angeles.
  I have not seen this appendix. But the sources are very reliable and 
well-informed. The Department of Justice must release that appendix 
immediately. If the Department of Justice chooses to withhold this 
clearly vital information, the outrage will be servere and widespread.
  We have finally seen the CIA admit to have knowingly employed drug 
dealers associated with the Contra movement. I look forward to a 
comprehensive investigation into this matter by the Permanent Select 
Committee on Intelligence, now that the underlying charges have finally 
been admitted by the CIA.

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