DEVELOPMENTS DURING YOUR ABSENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00380R000100030112-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 21
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 29, 2009
• Sequence Number: 112
• Publication Date: July 11, 1972
• Content Type: MF

(,iA.ll., fly~(-)
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/10/29: CIA-RDP75B0038OR000100030112-8
G 0, NFIE T1AL
OLC 72-0786
11 July 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT: Developments During Your Absence
1. Representative Rangel Request for Reports on Drug Traffic.
You will recall that on 13 June I wrote Rangel saying that in
view of his continued interest in obtaining copies of certain Agency reports
on the illicit drug traffic, we were reexamining the possibility of declassifying
at least some of these reports. On 28 June, Rangel wrote Ingersoll of BNDD
requesting the same material. Ingersoll has referred the request to us.
(Tab A) The whole problem has been taken up with the White House, where
Walter Minick, Bud Krogh's deputy, apparently opposes declassification of
any material on the illicit drug traffic. The matter is now being reviewed
by David 'Young, Executive Secretary of the Interagency Review Committee
on Classification, whose decision is expected momentarily. If Young agrees
with Minick that none of the reports can be released, we should be prepared
for possible legal action, and OGC has been in touch with Justice in this
regard.
Rangel seems determined to press for a showdown. On 10 July
he issued a public statement charging that CIA's "paranoid quest for secrecy"
was keeping vital information about the drug traffic from the American public,
and that we were "covering up for the international merchants of death. "
(Tab B)
2. Representative Aspin's Letter on Opium Smuggling.
Aspin's 27 June letter to you which appeared in the Congressional
Record on that date was received by the Agency on 3 July. We immediately
asked Aspin's office for the "additional information" which he said he had
received from Alfred McCoy. Upon examination, this additional information
DOJ Review
Completed.
EXE;,;PT FROM &EA,E;;AI CUIASSiFICATiOH
OF E. 0. 11 E2, E''E"+"PT! CATE&u3Y:
(cir;i8 arc Gr more)
TEL
CRC, 4/10/2003
---Approval-of D -. --- I 25X1
(u"I Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/10/29: CIA-RDP75BOO38OR000100030112-8
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/10/29: CIA-RDP75B0038OR000100030112-8
g ~ m
I F1 U1, TML
appears to be essentially the same as that which McCoy had provided the
Proxmire Subcommittee in support of his testimony there several weeks ago.
(See Tab C for that portion of the material McCoy provided Aspin which deals
with the Agency and Air America.) FE has requested the field to report on
the detailed allegations.
Attached at Tab D is a copy of Aspin's 27 June letter to you, together
with an excerpt from the Congressional Record of 30 June containing Charlie
Gubser's comments and a copy of your reply to Aspin.
3. Allegations of Preferential Treatment Being Given to Air America.
Scoop Jackson has received a letter (Tab E) from an outfit in
Vientiane called Lao Air Development which complains that Air America is
overcharging U. S. agencies and which offers comparable services at substantially
lower rates. Craig Jarrell, who signed the letter, claims he is in touch with
Jack Anderson on the matter. We promised Jackson's office we would check
on the facts, which DDS is doing.
4. Legislative Interdepartmental Group Meeting.
At a 7 July LIG meeting serious concern was expressed regarding
the Mansfield "end the war" amendment. Apparently the Administration is
dismayed to learn that perhaps a dozen senators whose support it had assumed,
such as Chuck Percy and Jim Pearson of the Foreign Relations Committee,
have turned out to be "fence sitters" despite some active lobbying by Kissinger.
It is planned that after Congress reconvenes, Kissinger will entertain the
"fence sitters" at a breakfast and try to win them over, hoping that the
Democratic disarray following the convention, coupled with expected ARVN
military successes, will strengthen his appeal.
5. Armed Services Committee Investigation of LaVelle Case.
Stennis has sent Jim Woolsey and Larry Garcia, of the Committee
staff, to Saigon to investigate the LaVelle case. The station has been alerted
to show them appropriate courtesies but avoid any discussion of the LaVelle
matter.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/10/29: CIA-RDP75B0038OR000100030112-8
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/10/29: CIA-RDP75B00380R000100030112-8
`9-` 14, TUi L
6. Interest in Hersh Articles on "Rainmaking. "
On 5 July John Goldsmith called to say he had seen Seymour
Hersh's New York Times story of 3 July (Tab F) alleging Agency involvement
in "rainmaking" in Indochina. He said that in view of the concern the story
would probably create on the Hill, he was calling it to Stennis' attention, with
the suggestion that Stennis get himself briefed on the matter so he could
respond to the questions that were likely to come up. In view of Hersh's
second story on the same subject on 9 July (Tab G), we should be ready for
queries by both friend and foe.
7. Scheduled Congressional Appearance.
House Foreign Affairs has you tentatively scheduled to appear
on 27 July to discuss Soviet strategic weapons and SALT verification.
Presumably the text you used before Senate Foreign Relations with little or
no modification would be responsive tc25X1:ir request.
John M. Maury
',.-Legislative Counsel
Attachments:
TabsA - G
col
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/10/29: CIA-RDP75B00380R000100030112-8
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/10/29: CIA-RDP75B0038OR000100030112-8
TAB
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/10/29: CIA-RDP75B0038OR000100030112-8
 s ? Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/10/29: CIA-RDP75B0038OR000100030112-8
:T'i':3 llonorablo
v. -.. ou o2 Eopi t "~aca~", `aivos
D. C. OW0525
Li In SOply to your 1ot~or of Ju,.o VJ, 1072, x ogquostfng
co ?ta a docuroal8.
.{w w ...i~~ ,A'(ry~lGr ttf4a4i.tr,+~~V .ral~ici-i'.~.1 ..4ii+'i w
Y f;, . 5r+:.'~.8 b by Y.I ~el~ip.A., ~
i -iav airt cr Zad\i ~4k++~riV ~!o ~.,.. "tip~'v ~~^< ? ??`~{~~r? to i~lij~
re "."a-' to CIo= docum :natal cc ic:+l'~yxl the o, iod.
Me I MOW.
sir-.?.. _ Xt r',~~++~~.. '\y^^pprp g C'Yr.; t-.., r.?tC~,. m+~ ,r yry.,~t.?y*
JLtcS{'w.'rl
Uiitod wiz- cs and
OL.
'$ $? :um 1o-
. l nl
e L:
.wws::.a :Rr: ~..ii. .R..?.w ...c.tti /J1Kiiikr ...'.Y?`i.~%'?x'~.gi\.`rYbxcrt1X I& liz2-
~,ting off a series of underground ex- this year, weather warfare was a I
plosions along the edge of the Conti- covert operation being directed by the ?, ?,
J
i
t Chi
f
f St
ff
ith Whi
H
n
e
s o
o
a
w
ouse
te
rental Shelf, or by producing a natural
,earthquake. A guided tidal wave could acquiescence.
,be, achieved by correctly shaping the The fact that the program existed
at all came to light only last week in
energy-release sources. The New York Times. But, despite an
c+ Changing the physical makeup extensive investigation, it could not be
of the atmosphere by creating, with / learned how successful the program
a rocket or similar weapon, a "hole" had been, how many missions were
in the important ozone layer between conducted or whether it was still being
?-?10 and 30 miles up that is responsible used in connection with the heavy
for absorbing much of the ultra-violet bombing of North Vietnam that fol- .
-light cast from the sun, Without the lowed the enemy offensive last April.
protective layer of ozone, a molecular Making rain has long been techni- i
,.form of oxygen, the radiation would cally feasible. Scientists have learned
.be fatal to all human, plant and animal that rain fall can be increased I i
life that could not take shelter in the by as much as 40 per cent after seed- i
affected area below, ing clouds by aircraft with silver-i0-}Dr. MacDonald (who is now a dide particles. Other chemicals, includ-
'.member of the White House Council on ing dry ice, also have been used with
? Environmental Quality) made it clear success, both in the United States and
.that his essay was based only on spec- in Southeast Asia.
ulation. Last week, however, it became Military and Government specialists .
known that at least part of his maca- ''acknowledge that there is little precise
bre weather arsenal had been secretly scientific knowledge of the short-range
,.in use by the United States since the :, impact of cloud seeding and practi-
v.1960's. :cally none of the long-range ecological
Air Force planes, supported by ' the ''effect of changing the amount of . '
'
Central Intelligence 'Agency, have been natural, rainfall. Some aciontists have
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/10/29: CIA-RDP75B0038OR000100030112-8