HOUSE HEARINGS ON BULGARIAN CONNECTION, DRUGS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000801060028-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: July 25, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

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C O N F I DENT I A L STATE 218270
E.O. 12356 DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL, SNAR, BU, US
SUBJECT: HOUSE HEARINGS ON BULGARIAN COMYECTION, DRUGS
2. SUMMARY: IN CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS JULY 24, EUR ASST
SECRETARY BURT REGISTERED DEPT'S DEEP CONCERN OVER
REPORTS AND EVIDENCE OF BULGARIAN TOLERATION OF AND
INVOLVEMENT IN ILLICIT NARCOTICS AND ARMS TRAFFICKING AND
SUPPORT FOR TERRORIST GROUPS. HE EMPHASIZED OUR COMPLETE
FAITH IN THE INTEGRITY OF THE ITALIAN INVESTIGATION OF
ALLEGED BULGARIAN COMPLICITY IN THE ATTEMPTED
ASSASSINATION OF THE POPE AND STRESSED THE THOROUGH AND
IMPARTIAL MANNER IN WHICH THE ITALIANS ARE PROCEEDING.
BURT ALSO NOTED THAT SENIOR ITALIAN POLITICAL AUTHORITIES
RECENTLY INFORMED US OF THEIR CONCERN THAT PUBLIC
STATEMENTS HERE ON BULGARIA ARE UNHELPFUL IN THAT THEY
CONVEY THE APPEARANCE OF EXTERNAL PRESSURE THAT COULD
DISCREDIT THE IMPARTIALITY OF THE INVESTIGATION. BURT
URGED THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF U.S. POLICY TOWARD
BULGARIA CALLED FOR IN H.R.5980 BE DELAYED UNTIL THE
ITALIANS COMPLETE THEIR INVESTIGATION AND THE RESULTS OF
AN EVENTUAL TRIAL ARE KNOWN. THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS
SUPPORTED H.CON.RES.337 CALLING FOR A PUBLIC REVIEW OF
BULGARIAN ABUSE OF THE TIR SYSTEM. ADMINISTRATION
WITNESSES WERE ASKED TO COORDINATE A JOINT ADMINISTRATION
POSITION ON THE TWO PIECES OF LEGISLATION UNDER
CONSIDERATION. END SUMMARY
3. THE JOINT HEARINGS JULY 24 BEFORE THE HOUSE FOREIGN
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE'S SUBCOMMITTEE FOR EAST EUROPE AND THE
MIDDLE EAST AND THE TASK FORCE ON INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS
CONTROL HEARD TESTIMONY ON TWO BILLS: H.CON.RES 337
(CALLING ON THE USG TO INITIATE A REVIEW OF THE TIR
CONVENTION TO CONSIDER BULGARIAN ABUSES) AND H.R.5980
(CALLING FOR AN NSC STUDY OF OUR RELATIONS WITH
BULGARIA). THE MEMBERS HEARD FROM THE FOLLOWING
WITNESSES: NEW YORK SENATOR ALFONSE D'AMATO, FORMER U.S.
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AMBASSADOR TO BULGARIA JACK PERRY, READER'S DIGEST EDITOR
NATHAN ADAMS, EUR ASST SECY RICHARD-BURT, COMMISSIONER OF
CUSTOMS WILLIAM VON RAAB, AND ACTING DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR
OF THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA) JOHN LAWN.
4. SENATOR D'AMATO CHARGED THE BULGARIANS WITH OPERATING
AND SUPPORTING AN INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING, GUN
RUNNING AND TERRORIST NETWORK THAT HAS BEEN SANCTIONED
AND QUIETLY SUPPORTED BY THE SOVIET UNION. THE SENATOR
REPEATED THE CHARGE (RAISED BY DEA DURING THE JUNE 7
HEARINGS AND CORRECTED DURING THE JULY 24 HEARINGS) THAT
25 PERCENT OF THE HEROIN BROUGHT INTO THE THE UNITED
STATES EACH YEAR PASSES THROUGH BULGARIA. D'AMATO
STRESSED THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE SOVIET UNION WAS
CONNECTED WITH WITH ANY OPERATION OF SUCH MAGNITUDE, AND
WITH THE ATTACK ON THE POPE AS WELL. THE SENATOR, A
SUPPORTER OF THE HELMS AMENDMENT, ADDED THAT FAILURE OF
THE USG TO MAKE A CONCERTED FORTHRIGHT CONDEMNATION OF
BULGARIA WOULD BE USED BY THE SOVIETS AS A PROPAGANDA
TOOL TO SHOW THAT THE USG DID NOT THINK THERE WAS
SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE AGAINST THEM. HE URGED THE HOUSE TO
ENACT THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO SEND A STRONG SIGNAL
THAT THE USG WILL NOT TOLERATE NATIONS THAT ENGAGE IN
NARCOTICS TRAFFIC.
5. FORMER AMBASSADOR PERRY URGED THE COMMITTEE TO TAKE
NO ACTION THAT WOULD FORCE THE BULGARIANS TO RETURN
TOTALLY TO THE SOVIET FOLD, AN ACTION THAT HE FELT WOULD
MAKE THE SOVIETS HAPPIER THAN IT WOULD US. HE POINTED
OUT THAT THE HOUSE RESOLUTIONS WOULD BE HASTY AND
PREMATURE, SINCE ALL THE EVIDENCE IS NOT IN, AND WOULD
PUT THE USG FAR OUT IN FRONT OF OUR ALLIES.
6. NATHAN ADAMS, A SENIOR EDITOR WITH READER'S DIGEST,
REPEATED MUCH OF THE SAME MAT:RIAL PRESENTED IN THE
NOVEMBER, 1983, READER'S DIGEST ARTICLE CONCERNING THE
BULGARIAN ARMS FOR DRUGS TRADE. HE ADDED SOME NEW
ELEMENTS:
-- IN OCTOBER 1983, A TERRORIST MEETING WAS HELD IN
VARNA, ATTENDED BY GEORGE HABBASH'S ORGANIZATION,
"PURPORTEDLY" MEMBERS OF ISLAMIC JIHAD, LIBYAN
REPRESENTATIVES AS WELL AS SYRIAN, SOVIET, EAST GERMAN
AND BULGARIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICIERS;
-- EVIDENCE OF ARMS SHIPMENTS TO NORTH YEMEN IN LATE 1983;
-- THE FREIGHTER LOAD OF ARMS BOUND FROM BURGAS TO NORTH
YEMEN, FOR WHICH PAYMENT WAS ALLEGEDLY MADE IN THE FORM
OF DRUGS.
7. BURT'S WRITTEN STATEMENT HAS BEEN TRANSMITTED
SEPTEL. HE NOTED IN ADDITION THAT SENIOR ITALIAN
AUTHORITIES HAVE ASKED US TO AVOID ANY ACTION THAT WOULD
BE SEEN AS PRESSURE AGAINST THE ITALIANS, AND THAT,
SPECIFICALLY, CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTIONS ON BULGARIA
BEFORE THE INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETED WERE NOT HELPFUL.
HE EMPHASIZED THAT THE USG HAS COMPLETE FAITH IN THE
THOROUGHNESS AND IMPARTIALITY OF THE ITALIAN
INVESTIGATION.
8. DEA'S LAWN BRIEFLY REVIEWED HIS TESTIMONY ON
BULGARIAN INVOLVEMENT IN NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING PROVIDED
IN HIS JULY 7 APPEARANCE BEFORE THE FEIGHAN TASK FORCE.
HE ALSO PRESENTED THE COMMITTEE WITH THE UNCLASSIFIED
VERSION OF DEA'S REPORT ON BULGARIAN INVOLVEMENT WITH
DRUGS.
9. CUSTOMS COMMISSIONER VON RAAB REVIEWED THE HISTORY OF
CUSTOMS COOPERATION WITH THE BULGARIANS, AND THE
BULGARIAN INACTION THAT LED TO THE SUSPENSION OF
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COOPERATION. VON RAAB SAID THAT CUSTOMS WOULD SUPPORT
THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL CALLING FOR AN INTERNATIONAL
REVIEW OF BULGARIA'S ABUSES OF THE TIR CONVENTION. SUCH
A REVIEW WOULD PUT BULGARIA'S ALLEGED ABUSES BEFORE A
WORLD FORUM, AND WOULD GIVE THE BULGARIANS A CHANCE TO
REPLY.
10. DURING SUBSEQUENT QUESTIONING OF THE WITNESSES,
FEIGHAN ASKED IF STATE WOULD SUPPORT THE BILLS IF THE
PORTIONS REFERRING TO ALLEGATIONS OF BULGARIAN COMPLICITY
IN THE PAPAL ASSASSINATION WERE DROPPED. BURT REPEATED
THE STATEMENT IN HIS TESTIMONY THAT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD
FAVOR A COMPLETE REVIEW OF USG POLICY TOWARD BULGARIA,
BUT THAT LEGISLATION PROPOSING A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW AT
THIS TIME, EVEN WITHOUT MENTION OF THE PAPAL
ASSASSINATION, WOULD BE SEEN BOTH IN ITALY AND ELSEWHERE
11. CHAIRMAN HAMILTON REQUESTED A COORDINATED EXECUTIVE
BRANCH POSITION ON BOTH PIECES OF LEGISLATION, IF
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. IN RESPONSE TO
FURTHER QUESTIONS, DEA CLARIFIED ITS EARLIER STATEMENT
THAT 25 PERCENT OF THE HEROIN IN THE UNITED STATES COMES
THROUGH BULGARIA: THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE SITUATION IN
1978 OR SO, ACCORDING TO LAWN, BUT NOW THE FI;URE IS
PROBABLY SOMETHING LESS THAN 10 PERCENT. ONLY AN
UNSPECIFIED PART OF THAT COULD BE HANDLED BY KINTEX, HE
STATED. SHULTZ
END OF MESSAGE CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
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