C.I.A. DENIES ROLE IN LISBON FLIGHTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000300600006-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 21, 1998
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: October 12, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

OCT 1 2 ;vrWK
Sa'nffit rinamd
NO fa
this country, and Count Henri.
Mn rie Francois de Marin del,
Mlontmarin, a French airplane,
Saniti ed =A rr'+bV~d fF'e' 'lease ' CIA-RDP70,' 001'4~R:000300S OO$-0
IN LISBON FLIGHTS
By DOUGLAS ROBINSON
Special to The New York Times
BUFFALO, Oct. 11-A high-
anking official of the Central
Intelligence Agency testified to-
ay that his agency had had
iothing to do with the export-
ng of seven World War II
ombers to Portugal last year
The official, Lawrence R.
ouston, a general counsel of
he C.I.A., thus denied a de-
fense contention here in Fed-
ral Court that the flights had
been secretly sponsored by the
telligence unit.
The denial came just before
the lawyers representing a
British pilot and a French
nobleman rested their case. The
defendants are accused of ex-
porting the B-26's to Europe
without a license from the
State Department.
Mr. Houston also asserted
that' the C.I.A. had supplied no
assistance to. the defendants.
He repeated his earlier testi-
mony that although the C.I.A.
had information on the flights
afore they occurred, the agency
had "no jurisdiction" over any
attempts to stop them.
"The State Department re-
ceived copies of our Information
on the flights," Mr. Houston
testified, "and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation' was
notified."
U.N. Statement Rejected
Federal Judge John O. Hen-
derson refused to allow in evi-
dence a statement by Mrs.
Eugenie M. Anderson, a United
States representative to' the
United Nations, given to a
United Nations committee on
Dec. 18, 1965.
In her statement, Mrs.An-
derson denied United States in-
volvement In the operation and
said that the flights had been
carried out "without the knowl-
edge of the United States Gov-
ernment "
Last week a document was
introduced that showed th
C.I.A. had been informed of the
Portugal flights on May 25,
1965, four days before the first
lane left Tucson, Ariz. for
Europe.
At that time, Mr. Houston
described the document as "raw
information" that had not been
verified. The document was
distributed to a number of in-
telligence agencies, including
those at the State Department
and Defense Department.
Today, another C.I.A docu
ment, dated July 8, 1965, was
introduced that showed the
Nations statement, Judge Hen-i
arson sustained a prosecution.
contention tha it was "not
material to this lawsuit in any;
ways" i
On trial here are John N
Hawlce, a former Royal Airl
Force pilot now a resident of
orting the bombers to Portugal'
or her use in combatting dis-:
!dent elements in the terra-,
Dries of Angola and Mo-t
atnbique. . I
Also indicted in the case was
regory R. oard, the owner of
Tucson airplane leasing con-
ern. He allegedly made the
rrangcments for the sale.of 20
,f. the surplus aircraft. Mr.
oard, who is said to be living!
n the island of Jamaica, has'
of been arrested.
Mr. Hawke's attorney, Edwin
larger, of Miami Beach, con-
ends that his client flew the
lanes across the Atlantic In the
elief that the operation had
he support of the C.I.A.
In questioning Mr. Houston
oday, Mr. Marger was con-
tantly halted by Judge',Hen-
erson in his effort to find out
vhether the C.I.A. had in the
ast been the prime mover be-
ind secret operations to trans-
ort military 'planes out. of the
ountry.
Documents Ruled Out
"I'm not interested in your
hcories," 'Judge Henderson
inally told the lawyer. "Con-
inuation of this line of ques-
loning will obviously force the
overnment to Invoke executive
munity to protect the na-,
ional security."
He also ' ruled that several
ocuments'brought here by the
I. A. were not germane to
he case because they dealt
ith information gathered after
he arrest of the defendants.
The lawyer for Count de
tontmarin, Edward Brodsky of
cw York City, has contended'
hat his client believed that all
apers had been arranged and
hat the Frenchman had no
nowledge that special export
icenses were required.
Under Federal law, no arms
may be moved between the
nited States and any foreign
ountry, except Canada, with
ut a license from the muni-
ions control office of.the State
apartment.
The case Is being tried in .
uffalo because two of ,the;.'
lanes landed in Rochester at
heir way to Canada. Rochester
s in the Federal Court's west
resent their summation;
or five B-26 aircraft had been
delivered".td Portugal by-July'1,