EX-CIA MAN AFFIRMS MERCENARY HIRE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000202090001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: December 26, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000202090001-9 STAT
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AC( A 1 SO
THE WASHINGTON POST
-26 December 1980
M
X-CIA'Man: Attirms, erce:r
Startling new evidence contradicts 1 their own, and had no connection with "acting on representations made to ni '
statements made by former secretary of the CIA. by CIA. agents," he assured Gearhart
state ' Henry Kissinger and the CIA to In his affidavit, reviewed by my as--. that his wife would be compensated if '
Congress about.the agency's role in re- -i sociate Indy Badhwar, Bufkin swears he were killed in Angola. But Gear-.l
cruiting American'-mercenaries to fight that the CIA sent him to ;Kinshasa, hart's widow,- Sheila, has gotten :no-,
in Angola's civil war in 1976. Zaire, in January 1976, "where I re-.-., thing
A sworn, statement by a onetime CIA -ceived orders from CIA agents to return ."I believe the CIA really Ied these
recruiter, David -Floyd. Buf drt, .reveals to the United'States and recruit Amer- Sys down the garden path," says Bill
that, at least ;two Americans .- -Daniel ican -citizens as mercenaries' with the, Wilson, a St. Louis attorney who repre..
Gearhart and,-'Gary Acker - were re [U.S. backed faction} in Angola." He =sented both Acker- and Gearhart at
cruited by the CIA to fight for the U.S.- swears he was given $20,000 in-fresh their trial in Angola, and still represents
: -
backed facaoe; in:,. Angola:. Both were $100 bills by the CIA: ? Mrs. Gearhart and - Acker's parents
captured by the; Soviet -supported re Returning., to California,' Bufkm re- Wilson spent four years tracking- down
gime that.-eventually won .the " war. laths, he'placed an ad in. the Fresno Bee Bufkin, and persuaded him to make his
Gearhart was executed by a firing -soliciting mercenaries. Acker responded sworn statement for Acker's parents:
squad and TAckeir 6 serving a 16-year to thead, and Bufkin later met Gear= The CIA's"'denials haven't impressed
sentence in a Luanda prison hart : through another man'-who had* 'one conservative congressman who's:
Bufkin's statement belies testony seen 'the ad: Bufkin flew back to Kin- ? been assisting the-Acker family. and is:,
given by Kissinger and written State shasa-with a list of potential recruits. familiar with. the `case. Rep . Robert:
Department assurances to the Senate'There he met with one Nick Hall, a Doman (R-Calif.) said that the "official
Foreign -Relations-"Committee, which "General Garcia" and a CIA agent he ..' denials and misrepresentations to the
investigated US` covert action in`An knew only' as Frank. They authorized victims' families and even members of
gola in 1976 "The CIA: has not directly him to hire the recruits, according to Congress ..: have done little to inspire
or indirectly. recruited any Americans Bufkin's statement - confidence."
to -serve- as mercenaries in Angola,"-,' The recruiter flew back to the United "It's really frustrating," said Acker's
Kissinger testified; . ~: States, rounded up his handful of mother,-Joyce. "The .affidavit shows
"We' have.consulted with the' CIA mercenaries and escorted them to Kin- -that the government recruited Gary to.
and have been assured that, no U.S. shasa.There' he says; the recruits "met 'fight in Angola, but I couldn't even get
funds are being used 'directly or indi with United States CIA agents who the State: Department to deliver .a
rectly to recruit, train or deploy Amer briefed the individuals .:.: as to military Christmas package to him."
ican mercenaries,! --> Robert.'-. J matters pertaining to Angola" He Footnote: A-CIA, spokesman, reiter-I
L McCloskey,. then assistant secretary of adds:-"At this time a CIA agent known ates the government's position that the
state for congressional relations, m ' as Frank paid Daniel Gearhart $2,900 agency "neither paid nor authorized
formed the committee. for expenses and compensation." funds to Mr. Acker or other Americans
Recruiting ;American citizens to" fight The CIA then ' transported the engaged in armed combat in Angola," {
for a foreign power is a criminal viola mercenaries to Angola, Bufkin claims, and that none of them was flown them
tion of the.Neutrality Act When Gear -:and. they "participated in several mili- "by or for the CIA." The State-Depari _