LETTER TO(Sanitized) FROM LAWRENCE R. HOUSTON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73B00296R000300060004-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 9, 2004
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: May 26, 1971
• Content Type: LETTER

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OFFICIAL ROUTING SLIP
TO
NAME AND ADDRESS
DATE
INITIALS
OLC
2
3
4
5
6
ACTION
DIRECT REPLY
PREPARE REPLY
APPROVAL
DISPATCH
RECOMMENDATION
COMMENT
FILE
RETURN
CONCURRENCE
INFORMATION
SIGNATURE
Remarks :
FOLD HERE TO RETURN TO SENDER
FROM: NAME. ADDRESS AND PHONE NO.
DATE
F
UNCLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL
SECRET
FORM NO. 237 Use previous editions
1-67
(40)
CRC, 6/5/2003
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WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
cLe- `>/- Oqo /
26 May 1971
25X1A
Mr. Helms has asked me to reply to your telegram of
24 May 1971 referring to a column in the Philadelphia Inquirer
on 23 May 1971.
In answer to your question as to whether the Central
Intelligence Agency is involved in the opium traffic, you may
have seen reference in the press to a statement made by the
Director on this matter in a speech to the American Society
of Newspaper Editors in Washington, D. C. , on 14 April 1971.
In, case you did not read this, the following is a quotation of
the pertinent passage in that speech:
There is the arrant nonsense, for example,
that the Central Intelligence Agency is somehow
involved in the world drug traffic. We are not.
As fathers, we are as concerned about the lives
of our children and grandchildren as are all of
you. As an Agency, in fact, we are heavily'
engaged in tracing the foreign roots of the drug
traffic for the Bureau of Narcotics and Danger-
ous Drugs. We hope we are helping with a
solution; we know we are not contributing to
the problem.
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Allen Ginsberg did state that he was going to present proof,
far but so fhe has not submitted any information or evidence
of any sort involving CIA with t,e opium traffic.
In sum, this Agency does not participate or assist in,
or condone in any manner, trade in drugs of any sort. If any
employee were found to have been associated in any way with
drug transactions, his services would be immediately termi-
nated and the matter would be referred to the proper enforce-
ment authorities. We can say this with assurance since, as
mentioned by Mr. Helms, we have for years been working with
the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, assisting it with
whatever information we can obtain on drug transactions, so
we would know if any of our personnel were involved. As a
concerned parent, you have every right to ask the question,
but, as noted by Mr. Helms, most of us too are parents whose
children are also subject to the vicious threat of the drug dealer.
We fail completely to understand the motivation of those
who distort information and spread false rumors such as those
in the column you refer to.
Sincerely,
25X1A
Lawrence R. Houston
General Counsel
25X1A
cc: ER
Asst to DCI-Mr. Goodwin
OLC
CI Staff
General Counsel
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JOURNAL
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL
Wednesday - 26 May 1971
1, Russ Blandford and Frank Slatinshek, Hokse
Armed Services Committee staff, called regarding today's New York Times
article by John Finney about SS-9 and SS-11 silos. Blandford said he would like
somebody from the Agency, preferably F_ I to meet with Blandford25X1
and Slatinshek on Tuesday, 1 June, at 10:00 a. m. , along with General Philpott,
of DIA, in order to get an agreed CIA/D.IA statement on the subject which
could be used to refute some of Finney's allegations. After checking with
the Director, I told Blandford that ould not be available 25X1
but Carl Duckett would be glad to join them at that time. I explained that,
as Slatinshek would recall from my earlier briefing, we didn't entire-.y agree
with the Finney article but it was accurate in important respects so t;.iey
should not expect us to completely refute it. Slatinshek said he understood
the situation but wanted to refute some of Finney's flat statements which
went beyond the position of the intelligence community. Slatinshek ss.id that
at the 1 June meeting they would want a paper on the subject coordinated
between CIA and DIA. Mr. Duckett is working this out with DIA.
Discussed with Blandford and Slatinshek their request for information
on all Agency covert action programs, explaining this was something we
would not want to put in writing but would be glad to discuss orally and
suggested they visit Headquarters for this purpose. It was agreed they would
come to Headquarters for a general discussion of the Agency budget and our
CA programs at 2:30 p.m., on Tuesday, 1 June 1971.
2. In the absence of Representative Charles
Gubser (R. , Calif. ), I talked to Miss Jean Gordon, his Administrative Assistant,
regarding inquiries Mr. Gubser had received, and referred to the Bureau of
Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, concerning Agency involvement in Southeast
- is - rug traffic., I said we understood from contacts in the Bureau that they
had received Mr.Gubser's inquiry and were preparing a response which they
hoped to deliver by noon tomorrow. I said we also understood this response would
speak favorably of the Agency's cooperation with the Bureau in working on the
drug problem, and we wonder whether, if this was the case, the Congressman
might be willing to insert it in the Congressional Record, thus giving us some-
thing we could refer to in answering numerous questions on this subject. Miss
Gordon said she could not speak for the Congressman but would be glad to call
the letter to his attention with my suggestion as soon as it was received.
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Journal - Office of Legislative Counsel Page 2
Tuesday - 25 May 1971
6. Talked with Assistant Secretary of State for
Congressional Relations David Abshire about the impact of Senator Case's
disclosures concerning the Radios, F_ I and other matters. 25X1
Abshire had some thoughts on the subject but suggested that nothing be done
until the Radios bill has been successfully handled in the Senate. Sec Memo
for the Record.
7. Hand- carried to the Joint Committee on Atomic
Energy the latesti
8. Roger Mills, in the office of Representa-
tive Charles Rangel (D., N. Y. ), called and asked if we could give them any
help in handling an inquiry they had received on alleged CIA involvement in
drug traffic in Southeast Asia. I told Mills that the allegations contained in
the Ramparts article on this subject were not true and alluded to the cooperation
we have been giving the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and told him
I would have somebody give him some written material on this, as he requested,
tomorrow.
9. Miss Carolyn Cohen, in the office of
Representative Frank Thompson (D. N.J.), called. on behalf f
was associated with the Agency. I
that he try Government agencies associated with the airline industry, such as
FAA or CAB which she agreed made sense. In response to her request,
Agency application forms and brochures were sent to her.
were truly concerned about finding out more information about this company
explained the standard "no comment" policy and suggested that if
10. In response to his inquiry of 24 May,
spoke with Hendrick Gideon, Senate Subcommittee on Executive Reorganization
staff, and told him that the managerial communication problem of interest to
him was not a proper concern for the Agency in the context of Reorganization
Plan No. 1 and that a meeting with Agency officials as proposed by him would
not serve any useful purpose. In connection with his interest in obtaining a
better understanding of the intelligence community, I offered to drop by
some material.
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JOURNAL
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL
Friday - 21 May 1971
25X1 C
25X1
25X1A I I and gave him a rundown on Agency acitivities in
support of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs in trying to cope with
the problem o illegal drug traffic into the U. S. Steele was most friendly
25X1 A He permitted me to
make some changes in portions of his draft report on a recent survey trip
to Southeast Asia in which he mentions the Agency and Air America. During
his Southeast Asia trip, he had gotten the impression that the Agency still
had some connection with KMT elements in the triborder area who were
implicated in opium traffic. I said I thought this highly unlikely but would
look into it. Steele will consider the possibility of getting a statement from
the Bureau of Narcotics favorable to the Agency which he can put into the
25X1A Congressional Record,
25X1A
25X1A He'll think about this and let me know next week. Steele
appears to be studying the 'drug problem conscientiously and intensively and
would. like to discuss it informally with some Agency officer who is following
25X1A it, We tentatively agreed to get togetk ez At dinner at
my home qn 2 June.
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2. Met with Representative Bob Steele (R. , Conn.),
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