BRIEFING FOR REPRESENTATIVE JAMES LEACH (R-IA) REGARDING IN ARKANSAS IN THE LATE 1980S WITH NSA - 21 JULY 1995 (W/ATTACHMENT)

• Document Type: FOIA
• Keywords: MENA ARKANSAS
• Keywords: SEAL BARRY
• Keywords: SEAL BARRY
• Keywords: MENA ARKANSAS
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0001289684
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: June 22, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 30, 2009
• Case Number: F-2002-01499
• Publication Date: August 16, 1995

APPROVED FOR
RELEASE DATE:
28-Sep-2009
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
OCA 95-2274
16 August 1995
SUBJECT: Briefing for Reprpsentatlvp James Leach (R-IA)
Regarding in Arkansas in the
Late 1980s With NSA - 21 July 1995
in Arkansas in the late 1980s. Agency participants were:
1. On 21 July 1995, at 1000 hours, in room 2186
Rayburn House Office Building, Chairman James Leach (R-IA),
Committee on Banking and Financial Services, and staffer
Jamie McCormick, received a briefing, at T,Parh1.q xA7r 1- -7
request to the DCI, on allegations of
were: Frank Newton, Inspector General, and
Congressional Affairs.
igative Staff, Office of Inspector General;
Chief, Legislation Group, Office of
Congressional Affairs; and the undersigned. NSA participants
2. Representative Leach began the briefing by saying
that he was not interested in opening a new probe of U.S.
Contra-policy or suggesting wrongdoing by either Agency,
especially since he served on the October Surprise Task
Force, where he was convinced that the Marcos' walked away
with billion of dollars. Leach, however, did say he based
his request for the briefing on reports that have appeared
in the press that refer to secret foreign. bank accounts held
by prominent people in Mena, Arkansas,
banks tormed to
a lot of people regarding this issue. He said that most of
the allegations contained within the articles were probably
false, but he felt an obligation to look into Whitewater
related allegations on behalf of the Banking Committee.
That said, some allegations may be credible, some totally
unbelievable, but as information goes out to the American
puubl c in non-traditional ways, it becomes more believable.
and an Arkansas-centered network of
(see attached incoming letter).
each also said'r-nat over a period of time he had talked to
o all of the questions posed in the incoming
etter, but did, however, provide a brief broadbrush
3. lalong with Frank Newton,
responded Co Leach's questions regarding each Agency's
current knowledge on involvement with any of the alleged
allegations contained in his letter. Newton responded
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SUBJECT: Briefing for Representative James Leach
(R-IA) Regarding in
Arkansas in the i ? o - ZJ- ly 1995
background briefing on how NSA conducts it normal daily
,activities said that the
capability o the IG to conduct its function depends in part
on cooperation by others with CIA and thus far the IG had
not look into any of these allegations. However,
said as he understood the current issue, a thorough sarch
had been conducted by CIA regarding PROMIS/Inslaw issues
relating to Systematics, Inc., Mena, and Hadron, during a
much earlier timeframe. Also, he understood that thus far
very little information had been found to be responsive to
the exact allegations contained in the current letter.
however, did say that the Agency had perhaps made
some connections within the larger picture of things. The
Agency was aware of Barry Seal, but had no relationship with
him nor any records regarding his activities in Mena. Seal's
association with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) was widely
As for PROMIS, that issue had been
looked at in-depth by the Senate Select Committee on
Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Judiciary Committee in 1991
and 1993. The conclusion then and still is that the Agency
never purchased any INSLAW/PROMIS software_
Chairman Leach was also informed that we
ad not found any records related to Systematics of Arkansas
 SUBJECT: Briefing for Representative James Leach
(R-IA) Regarding in
Arkansas in the Late l sue- 21 July 1995
6. Leach, after listening to the responses to his
earlier questions, proceeded to ask approximately 45 other
questions regarding the issue, basically repeating many
of the issues already addressed. For those questions and
responses, please see attached pages from a draft memorandum
provided by staffer Jamie McCormick and checked against the
personal notes of the undersigned. The responses in the
draft memorandum correspond correctly to the personal notes
of the undersigned.
7. Leach concluded by once again saying he has an
obligation to look into the matter on behalf of the
Committee, and asked us to inform the DCI and DIRNSA that
he may hold hearings on these allegations in the fall. (U)
8. The briefing lasted approximately 90 minutes.
Leach was informed that the Agency would continue to
check its records, especially on questions relating to:
1) Park-o-Meter; 2) CIA's relationship, 'if any, with Terry
Reed; and 3) whether the CIA had any connection to Seal's
cargo plane (serial number 54-0679).
Office o Congressional Affairs
 SUBJECT: Briefing for Rep Leach
(R-IA) Regarding 7- in
Arkansas in the Lace 1980s - 21 my 1995
DCI/OCA/CIALiaisonGr
OCA 95-2274
Distribution:
Original - OCA Records (w/atts)
1 - D/OCA (w/o acts)
1 - (w/o acts)
1 - hrono (w/atts)
(22 Aug 95)
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 CONFENTIAL
t f 1A,(o ' c,
_9 July 1995
Vote to: Acting DCI
From: Acting Director of Public Affairs
Subject: Mena
The August issue of The American Spectator takes up the Mena
story in a way that is likely to resonate on the Hill (see
attached article).
It alleges, explicitly and implicitly, that an aircraft
operated by a CIA front company in 1984 used the airfield at
Mena, Arkansas, as a staging point for weapons supply flights
to the Contras in Nicaragua; on the return flights from
Honduras, the aircraft allegedly carried illegal narcotics to
Mena. The narcotics runner, Barry Seal, allegedly paid off
then-Governor Clinton's protege, L. D. Brown, and one Dan
Laseter, a Clinton contributor.
This is the latest repackaging of allegations previously made
by the wall Street Journal.
I understand that Fred Hitz or someone from his staff, along
with other CIA officers will brief Congressman Leach on'
Friday 21 July in an attempt to address his concerns about
these and other allegations.
In the mean time, we are receiving media queries on Mena,
most recently from Michael Isikoff of Newsweek on 18 July.
With the publication of The American Spectator article, we.
expect more.
At present, although there is no reason to believe any of the
allegations, we are declining to comment publicly, pending
exhaustive searches of DO files, as tasked by OCA. As soon
as those searches are complete, we hope to have a crisp
public statement that distances us from the allegations--if
the Agency IG's look into them does not constrain us from
doing so.
CC: EXDIR, GC, D/OCA, ADDO, ADDI, DDA, D/AIS