LETTER TO CONGRESSMAN ASPIN FROM ALFRED MCCOY
Document Type:
Collection:
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
Release Decision:
RIPPUB
Original Classification:
C
Document Page Count:
10
Document Creation Date:
December 27, 2016
Document Release Date:
December 26, 2012
Sequence Number:
7
Case Number:
Content Type:
LETTER
File:
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
![]() | 419.7 KB |
Body:
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
JIHI
Alfred McCoy
i
As you may know, recently I testified before the Subcommittee on
Foreign Operations of the Senate Appropriations Committee concern
ing my research into drug traffic in Southeast Asia. I believe
that U.S. officials are covering-up massive drug traffic in
Southeast Asia and concealing the evidence of the involvement of
our Southeast Asian allies. Since my testimony, both the State
~:
Department and the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD)
have publicly attacked my findings. I stand fully behind my
testimony and believe until the basic facts are admitted, heroin
will continue to pour into this country from Southeast Asia.
Dear Congressman Aspin:
I am enclosing a detailed rebuttal of statements by both the
State Department and BNDD which reveal that the American govern-
ment is not only covering up the evidence, but at the same time,
various government officials are contradicting one another.
My complete findings will be published in a book entitled The
Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia by Harper and Row in August,
1972. The book is 720 page s, in manuscript, and the documentation
and transcripts of interviews are several times that. I will be
happy to make this documentation available to you.
I hope that you will continue your efforts to attack the problem
of drug traffic in Southeast Asia. Until this is done, thousands
of American soldiers and citizens will continue to suffer from
heroin addiction.
If any of this information is of help in fighting the drug traffic,
please feel free to use it. '
Sincerely,
Alfred McCoy
~~~tiwc~ ~~~,c~
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
.
DRUG TRAFFIC FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA
.~
Nelson Gross, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and Coordinator
.for International Narcotics Matters, tried to cover up the drug traffic from
..Southeast Asia, by telling a Congressional Inquiry on June 9, 1972 that,
"Southeast Asia is not a major source of heroin on our market. We
estimate that probably only five percent, certainly no more than 10 percent
of the Heroin presently flowing to~the' United States originates in Southeast
risia. ??
;I
The available evidence shows that this is untrue. John Ingersoll,
'Director of BNDD, told this committee last year that, "Our addict population ?
could be satisfied by some 50 to 60 tons of opium." There is a IO to 1
reduction in the refinement of opium to heroin; 50 to 60 tons of opium yields
5 to 6 tons of heroin. The BNDD broke up a Filipino courier ring in 1970
which had smuggled 1,000 kilos (2,200 pounds) of Hong Kong heroin into the
U.S. during the preceding 12 months. This one zing, working for. one of the
five major heroin dealers in Hong Kong, accounted for approximately 20
percent of the BNDD's estimate of total annual U.S. consumption. Additionally,
Gross is contradicting the General Accounting Office which reported
that:
,The Far East is the second principal source of heroin entering the U.S. .
In the past, heroin produced in the Far East was consumed in Hong
Kong and elsewhere, but recently significant quantities were reported
to be smuggled into tha L"~~ited States via the Philippines and Canada.
(Observations and Data Concexr.ing Illegal'Entry of 'Narcotics, staff
paper of the GAO, May 21, 1971)
II. INVOLVEMENT OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN GOVEIt~'VMENTS
State Department spokes;nan Gross also tried to conceal tl~e involvement
of our Southeast Asian allies in his statement to the Congressional Inquiry:
Equally sensational and, as :far as we can ascertain, unsubstantiated,
is the charge by M-r. McCoy that }Zi~;1i government officials in Thailand,
Laos and Soutil Vietnam 'are actively engaged in the heroin traffic and
are protecting tl~e regioi:'s powerful narcotics syndicates.
Tlie State Department, however, should be aware that the U.S. Army
Provost Marshal 'reported that }:ig}~ ranking members of South Vietnam's
government were in the top "zone" of afour-tiered heroin trafficking pyramid:
Zone 1, located at the top or apex of the pyram:i.d, contains the
financiers, or backers of the illicit drug traffic in all its forms.
Tile people comprising this group may be high level, influential
political figures, goverrunent leaders, or moneyed ethnic Chinese
meiniiers of the criminal syndicates now flourishing in the Cholon
sector o~ the City of Saigon.; Tho members comprising this group
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
are the powers behind the scene who can manipulate, foster, protect,
and promote the illicit traffic in drugs. (Office of the Provost
Marshal, U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam;'T}ie'Drug Abuse.
. Problem in Vietnam, 1971, p. 6) '
Again Gross is contradicting the findings of other government agencies.
Newsweek of July 19, 1971 reported that, "Attorney General John Mitchell
agreed that government officials have been involved in the Southeast Asian
heroin trade." John Warner, Chief~of the Strategic Intelligence Office of
tIio BNDD, in an interview with the ~ WaShirigtori ' Everiirig Star, June 19, 1972,
acknowledged that, "Corruption is a way of life in Southeast, Asia. It
reaches to all levels." The article continued, "The weeding out of Asian
. officials heavily involved in the dope traffic, as well as the strikes against
the traffickers themselves are all~,faa.rly recent."
Gross also said, "As for Ouan Rattikoun (Duane Rattikone). we are
not aware of anything more than unsubstantiated allegations concerning his
past and present complicity. With. regard to his 'control' of the 'largest
heroin laboratoryin Laos,' once again, all we have is allegation."
Thus Gross continued the myth. of innocence fostered by the State
Department and the U.S. Embassy in Laos. However, John Warner confirmed my
charges by admitting for the first time Gen. Ouane's involvement.
Gen. Duane Rattikone, former chief of staff of the Royal Laotian
Army, had consolidated several opium xefineries into one, and faith
I11S army, controlled and protected the Laotian narcotics traffic for'
years, Warner said. (Washington Evenirig'Star, June 19, 1972)
John Warner countered my testimony~by~calling U.S. Ambassador to Laos,
G. McMurtrie God],ey, "one of the staunchest supporters of the anti-narcotics
pxogram in Laos." However, in December, 19'70, while .American troops in
Vietnam were being decimated by Laotian heroin; while Gen. Rattikone was
Laotian clii:ef staff and his involvement as? well as the location of the heroin
laboratories was common knowledge among even the most junior U.S. officials;
Godley wrote t:o an American journalist who had complained that Laotian offic-
ials were involved in the drug traffic:
Regarding your infox7nation about opium traffic between Laos and the
iJnited States, the purchase of opium in Sout}east Asia is certainly
less difficult than in other parts of the world, but I believe the
Royal Laotian Government takes its responsibility seriously to prohibit
international opium traffic...I-lowevcr, latest information available to
- me indicated that all of Southeast Asia produces only 5 percent of nar-
cotics which are, unfortunately, illegally imported to Great Britain and
the U.S. (James Hamilton-Patterson ,? The Greedy War [David McKay Co .,
Inc., New York, 1.971], pp. 275-276.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9 ~
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
Warner also claimed that Gen. I~attikone "was forced to retire. in July,
1971. We have political clout in the area and Ambassador Godley exerted it."
This directly contradicts the State Department. The July 21, 1971 Newsweek
reported that the State Department said the timing of the retirement of
Gen. Rattikone was "sheer coincidence." Newsweek's.Vientiane correspondent
and diplomatic sources told me that Ouane's retirement had been planned for
over a year, and Gen. Rattikone, who admitted his involvement in the narcotics
traffic, flatly denied that there had been any pressure on him to retire.
IV. CIA AND AIR AMERICA INVOLVEMENT
Nelson Gross c{uoted the Managing Director of Air America, who called my
'charge that Air America aircraft have been transporting opium "utterly and.
absolutely false." Air America's involvement has been confirmed by Gen. Ouane
and by Gen. Thao Ma, former commander of the Laotian Air Force, who refused
to carry opium for Gen. Ouane.
I spent six days in August, 1971 in the opium-growing Meo village of
Long Pot, Laos. Ger Su Yang, the District officer, told me:
Meo officers with three or four stripes [captain or more] came from
Long Tieng to buy our opium. They came in American helicopters,
perhaps two or three men at one time. The helicopter leaves. them
here for a few days and they walk to villages over there, th8n come
back here and radioed Long Tieng to send another helicopter fog them.
They take the opium back to Long Tieng.
This account was verified by everyone I talked with. Ger Su Yang also
reported that the helicopter pilots .were always Americans. Flora Lewis,
writing iri T}ie Washingtori'PoSt on July 23, 1971, said:
TIie CIA has changed its rules in an attempt to stop the use of its
private airline, Air America, for transport of drugs [opium acid
heroin] in Laos. Although only two months ago CIA director Richard
Helms adamantly denied there had been any agency involvement in this
traffic, lie is now?said to have told a secret Congressional hearing
that there was involvement but it has stopped..
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9 ,
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
V. SOUTHEAST ASIAN HEROIN THROUGH LATIN AMERICA
John Warner contradicted his superior, John Ingersoll: "Despite so;ne
testimony on Capitol Hill that much of the massive flow of heroin moving
through Latin America on i:ts way to the United States comes from Southeast
Asia; Warner said there is no indication yet that any Southeast-Asian
heroin has been transshipped through Latin America:"'(Washirigtori'Everiing
"Star, June 18, 1972). '
Ingersoll told this committee last year that "Intelligence on the flow
~,of heroin from Southeast Asia through South America and Latin America is
inconclusive, but indications are that it may be considerable." (Ingersoll,
letter to Senator Proxmire, Chairman, Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, ,
Senate Committee on Appropriations, July 12, 1971, reprinted in Forei
Assistance and Related Programs A r0 riatioris FY'1972, Committee on
Appropriations, U.S. Senate, p. 614 '
The Star reported that John "Warner said h.e~had seen nothing of an
evidentiary nature from McCoy 'other than gossip, rumors, conjecture and old
history."'
I have given this committee a copy of a U.S. government document
implicating Gen. Ngo Dzu. Mr. Warnex is well aware of this ,evidence.
He should also be aware of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division
(CID) reports dated January 6, May 12, and July 10, 1971 which provide
ample details on Gen. Ngo Dzu's involvement in the heroin traffic.
The U.S. government knows who is trafficking in drugs in Southeast
Asia, but does nat act. It says it lacks the hard evidence to crack down.
I say the problem is a lack o.f will rather than a lack of evidence. The
Phoenix program with its gigantic inte].la.gence apparatus was carried out
by the U.S. in Vietnam to kill and imprison suspected enemy agents. Sus-
pects were not given trials, hard evidence was not required. I do not con-
done the Phoenix program, but it does indicate what the U.S. can and will
do to keep friendly generals in power. The fact that there is no comp-
arable effort to stop heroin trafficking shows that the U.S. puts political
and military goals in Southeast Asia far ahead of stopping the drug trade.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
BEST COPY
A ilAILABLE
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
Declassified
in Part -Sa
^ UNCLASS
'
ED
^ INItRNAI
USE ONLY
CONFIDENTIAL
SECRET
ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: '(Optional)
FROM:
EXTENSION
NO.
Legislative Counsel
DATE S'
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
OFFICER'S
11 y
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
INITIALS
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
1.
Executive Director
~ ,~
2
~
Attached is the material whic
Representative Les As pin
(D. , Wis.) has made available to
3.
us at our request. Most of it is
identical to the "documentation"
which McCo
ave to Senator
4'
y g
Proxmire in response to the
Senator's instruction that he
5,
document the allegations which
he made when he testified before
Proxmire's Foreign Operations
6?
Subcommittee of the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
~'
Sl
8.
Legislative Counsel
De
ut
9
p
y
Sl
cc: A/DCI, Ex/Dir, DDS, C/FE,
l o.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
FORM
3-62
nitized Copy Approved for Release
610
USE PREVIOUS
EDITIONS
SECRET
CONFIDENTIAL
@ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9
INTERNAL
^ USE ONLY
UNCLASSIFIED
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2012/12/26:CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020007-9