CIA, DEA, and Drug Running - DEA Agent Witness

[Baculus]

A former long-time DEA agent, Celerino "Cele" Castillo III, in the past and present, has made claims that certain DEA and CIA factions have been and are involved with the drug trade and murder of foreign nationals and U.S. citizens. And more interestingly, this claim and assertion isn’t coming from just a civilian with little background on this subject. As his biography describes, he is a “20-year veteran of state and federal law enforcement, with 12-years in the Drug Enforcement Administration. Cele, is a highly decorated DEA agent, who was cited many times for his undercover operations in North, Central, and South America. He worked several years in San Francisco and New York City in deep cover operations before being assigned by the DEA to South and Central America where he found himself in the middle of the Iran-Contra Affair.”

This claims as originally outlined in 1998, with a written statement given to a House Permanent Select Committee, outlines several assertions. His statement will be followed after the following list:

1. DEA and CIA agents have been involved in a number of tortures and murders, including U.S. citizens, in Central and South America.

2. The Guatemalan military has been involved with the drug trade, with full knowledge of some DEA officials. He also asserts that other Central and South American militaries have been involved with the drug trade, with full support or control by some factions or agents of U.S. government agencies and institutions.

3. The involvement of the Contras, and the CIA, with the drug trade, as well as Oliver North’s (and other individuals) involvement in this program, which was a black operations funding effort and a means to control the drug trade for revenue and profit.

4. Hundreds of millions of dollars has been laundered by the DEA and the CIA. Note: This is most likely connected to the corrupt BCCI, the Bank and Credit Commerce International, which was created for the purposes of fraud, and busted in 1992 for terrorism funding, drug-money laundering, tax evasion, among other charges. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_Credit_and_Commerce_International

This is just a short list of what he discussed in this 1998 testimony, which is outlined in the below link: http://www.radio4all.org/crackcia/castillo.html

And leading from the above testimony, he has written an indictment on George H. Bush on his involvement with such operations:

http://powderburns.org/indictment.html

From this indictment:

“At all times relevant to this Indictment, there existed an Enterprise, within the meaning of Title 18, USC, Section 1961 (4), that is, a group of individuals associated in fact which utilized the official positions of defendant GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH in the Government of the United States of American to facilitate the transfer, importation, and distribution of large quantities of illegal narcotics within the United States.”

Mr. Castillo has also written a book, “COCAINE, CONTRAS & THE DRUG WAR,” which outlines much of what has been described in the preceding paragraphs.

Castillo’s web page, which is where the above indictment can be located:

http://powderburns.org/

The frightening aspect is that Mr. Castillo is now also contending that the Los Zeta crime group, or the “Zetas”, which is operating in the Southwest of the U.S. and committing assassinations and murders of American citizens and law enforcement, is under the control of the same factions that controlled the drug trade in previous decades and regions.

I had originally written a post detailing other government agents and military operatives that have discussed their knowledge and involvement with CIA-sanctioned (and high-level involvement) with drug running, but it was getting long, and quite a tangled web. This covers just a little bit on Central and South America, and doesn't even discuss the Golden Triangle opium and heroin region. Maybe the rest of it is for another day. Here are some links, though:

http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/whosarat/vpost?id=163286&trail=175

http://www.copi.com/articles/guyatt/cutolo.html

http://www.deepblacklies.co.uk/deep_black_1_2.htm

http://www.copi.com/articles/guyatt/deep_black.html

http://www.whale.to/b/dowbenko.html

http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ciadrugs/witness_list.html

Just a few names for investigation:

Bill Tyree

Col. Edward P. Cutolo

BCCI

Al Carone

Sibel Edmond (Recent government translator that discovered evidence of CIA and high-level knowledge of its drug trade. She is under a federal gag order from speaking specifically about what she knows.)

If you've read some of the above information, what is your perspective? Are these people lying, delusional, misunderstanding events, or do they speak the truth in these matters?

[Guest Gichin13]

I think there is some definite truth in there. How much, who knows, but we definitely were tied up into heroin trade in SE asia for years.

The reality is to be in those games, you have to be ...

[Baculus]

I think there is some definite truth in there. How much, who knows, but we definitely were tied up into heroin trade in SE asia for years.

I remember reading about how Ross Perot, while he was conducting research into POWs in SE Asia, approached some DoD officials and said that he kept finding ties between US operations and drugs.

Project Phoenix is one reported drug-funded and control operation in SE Asia and the Golden Triangle. (Ironically, there is an anti-drug school campaign with that same name.) Air America has also been tied in with drug smuggling and just one part of a tangled web of U.S. involvement with drugs in this region.

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/heroin/mccoy1.htm

Already, current administration officials have been implicated with the Southeast Asia drug trade. One of the sleaziest, Richard Armitage, has been fingered by a Thai official in the following letter:

http://www.wethepeople.la/sa.htm

"During the period (1965 - 1975) CIA Chief in Laos, Theodore Shackly, was in the drug business, having contacts with the Opium Warlord Lor Sing Han and his followers. Santo Trafficano acted as his buying and transporting agent while Richard Armitage handled the financial section with the Banks in Australia. Even after the Vietnam War ended, when Richard Armitage was being posted to the US Embassy in Thailand, his dealings in the drug business continued as before. He was then acting as the US government official concerning with the drug problems in Southeast Asia. After 1979, Richard Armitage resigned from the US Embassy's posting and set up the "Far East Trading Company" as a front for his continuation in the drug trade and to bribe CIA agents in Laos and around the world."

Armitage, before he became a Reagan administrian official, was being investigated for gambling and prostitution. During the 80's, he then became linked to the Contras, via Iran/Contra and Contra Cocaine (which I first heard about in 1986, via the Christic Institute). I was about to post this article discussing some of Armitage's background when I read that Armitage operated with Bill Tyree. This is the same Bill Tyree that claims to have been involved with Operation Watch Tower, another CIA drug smuggling and trade operation in Central and South America.

http://www.vicpeace.org/stories/03/1070.html

You have to wonder, how the heck did a man of such a reportedly poor background become a member of the current Bush administration?

The above article also mentions Ted Shackley, who is also reported to have been involved with the CIA/black ops drug trade in Central and South America. I suppose his reported drug trade background in Asia served him well in the Americas.

This is an interesting quote from the following article. "In my 30-year history in the Drug Enforcement Administration and related agencies, the major targets of my investigations almost invariably turned out to be working for the CIA." Dennis Dayle, former chief of an elite DEA enforcement unit.

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blum/CIADrugs_WBlum.html

Once again, this is only scratching the surface. There is pages of information I could post, especially regarding Operation Watch Tower in the Americas. But my only conclusion is that, at least factions of it, the CIA is a corrupt organization. Time and time again, investigators and witnesses tie this agency to hard drugs, illegal and immoral actions.

Of course, the DEA has also been fingered and reported to have been involved with the drug trade, so maybe officer Dale should also investigate his own organization.

http://www.copi.com/defrauding_america/chp_18.htm

What's sad, and disheartening, is that this information is almost common knowledge. And worst yet, the zerbras haven't changed their stripes - these same organizations and inviduals are still involved with drugs. And nothing is done about it.

[dreamingwolf]

what exactly are you trying to achieve? Disbanding of the CIA? Just causing a general distrust of the agency? Whats the end goal your after?

I can understand you wanting the DEA gone, cause Im pretty sure your atleast a pot head, but why the CIA?

[Baculus]

what exactly are you trying to achieve? Disbanding of the CIA? Just causing a general distrust of the agency? Whats the end goal your after?

I can understand you wanting the DEA gone, cause Im pretty sure your atleast a pot head, but why the CIA?

If you're a citizen that believes in honesty in govenment, doesn't any of the above story bother you? The question shouldn't be asked of me, "What are you after?"

Pursuing the truth should be one of our goals, and if this truth has been hidden, then it should be told to the citizens. What am I after? Well, you are questioning me, so perhaps that is one of my objectives: To have people start to question the truth in what we know.

Intelligence and counter-intelligence has a purpose, and so does the CIA, as we are told. Its purpose isn't to run drugs, but unfortunately, its orgins, as the OSS, is a bit shady in the first place. What I would be after would be an organization that serves its intended purpose.

The DEA is another federal organization in which we have to decide if it serves its intended purpose. If it is involved in drug smuggling and selling, it is not serving its purpose and is in fact harmful to our society. I am against cocaine, so why would I want the DEA or the CIA to be involved with it?

Just think about the implications if some of this is true, which, only so much of it could realistically be false.

[dreamingwolf]

no, none of the above bothers me.

ok, so you want a spy agency to be transparent and act completely truthfully. You noted only cocaine as something you oppose, so Im gonna run with the fact your a pot head.

Listen kid, the world is an ugly place and ugly things happen. I know epcot people dont like to find this out, and for the most part society trys to shield you from it.

So your only goal is to make other people question like you? Son, you need to have higher goals in your actions thats a pretty childish goal if that is indeed your only objective. Cause you know other intelligence agencies from our enemies want us to hinder our guys as much as possible too, so unless you come up with another goal other than creating suspicion over our guys then Im gonna have to call you either naive or a subversive. Those agencies remove threats inside their halls, so I will trust they will remove the threats and keep the assets.

[Baculus]

no, none of the above bothers me.

It's ironic that you say that you don't care about any of that, and then, more then once you mention something about me being a "pot head." If you don't care about any of that, then I don't know what you care about.

So your only goal is to make other people question like you? Son, you need to have higher goals in your actions thats a pretty childish goal if that is indeed your only objective. Cause you know other intelligence agencies from our enemies want us to hinder our guys as much as possible too, so unless you come up with another goal other than creating suspicion over our guys then Im gonna have to call you either naive or a subversive. Those agencies remove threats inside their halls, so I will trust they will remove the threats and keep the assets.

Son? Excuse me kid, but I am older then you. :-)

I am not sure what "question like me" means - after all, being an American, with roots that started with "questioning," is part of our fabric. Hey, if you don't want to question, that's your prerogative. Why do YOU worry about others that start to question? That really seems to have you rather worked up that others would "question."

Cause you know other intelligence agencies from our enemies want us to hinder our guys as much as possible too, so unless you come up with another goal other than creating suspicion over our guys then Im gonna have to call you either naive or a subversive.

None of this is going to hinder any real intelligence-gathering efforts. More so, something like the Plame case would do that. But of course, you don't think there is much in the Plame investigation, right?

And subversive? Rather strange language there, friend. Or shall I call you...comrade Dreaming?

What one arm of an organization does is not always representative of the other.

Sometimes, the more you know, the less naive you become. After all, being naive is often being unware of things, and that's the irony again, is that the questioning that may help to lead one out of being naive is exactly what you seem to be against. And yet, using as an accusation at the same time.

I can't explain it further, Dreaming. If you don't get it, you don't get it. If you're not going to help open the door, then don't stand in the way of the door.

[dreamingwolf]

Originally posted by Baculus

Son? Excuse me kid, but I am older then you. :-)

so you claim.

Listen son, all I was asking was what your end goal is and I dont think your being full on your disclosure on what you want to happen. If I was to speculate your goal is to disband the CIA and the DEA, both agencies spend lots of money on non domestic activities. Also, if we go isolationist we would have zero reason to have a CIA beyond what you said was acceptable which is strictly observational.

Kid I get what your saying, they are doing not nice things. They dont call it cloak and dagger for no good reason. Now you might want to claim your doing this to wake up the stupid people or whatever, but I dont think your purpose is so cavalier. You have a distinct purpose, and I just wish you would admit it cause I am pretty sure Im right about it.

[Baculus]

so you claim.

LOL. *Cue ominous music*

Listen son, all I was asking was what your end goal is and I dont think your being full on your disclosure on what you want to happen. If I was to speculate your goal is to disband the CIA and the DEA, both agencies spend lots of money on non domestic activities. Also, if we go isolationist we would have zero reason to have a CIA beyond what you said was acceptable which is strictly observational.

If would support a dismantling of the CIA if it proved to a corrupt organization. That isn't the only Federal organization that I should be dismantled. The IRS comes to mind - I have said this previously - my dislike of Big Government has been demonstrated.

And don't try to "kid" yourself by calling me "son." There is a person on this board that knows when I went to high school, since he went to the same one I did in Maryland. Throwing out false accusations is rather unbecoming, Dreamingwolf.

Kid I get what your saying, they are doing not nice things. They dont call it cloak and dagger for no good reason. Now you might want to claim your doing this to wake up the stupid people or whatever, but I dont think your purpose is so cavalier. You have a distinct purpose, and I just wish you would admit it cause I am pretty sure Im right about it.

You probably barely remember Iran-Contra, while I watched it daily when I came back from high school.

A distinct purpose? I have already said what mine is, I can be honest about that. Its odd how you question my motives more then you question the motives of the organizations outlined in the above posts. You can at least be honest about your own purpose and probing questions.

Cloak and dagger does not mean "anything goes" in an orgy of unaccountability. That makes us as bad as anyone else, if that is the case.

[dreamingwolf]

Son, just cause your born before someone doesnt make you more mature or wise. That said I applaud your honesty in finally revealing that you would like to dismantle them.

I also find this interesting "Cloak and dagger does not mean "anything goes" in an orgy of unaccountability. That makes us as bad as anyone else, if that is the case."

Your utopia will have some very admirable spies.

Well Im satisfied, you said your goal is to dismantle federal agencies. Thats all I was after. You danced arround actually saying your goal is to disband the CIA, but hey I can only ask so much.

[Baculus]

Well Im satisfied, you said your goal is to dismantle federal agencies. Thats all I was after. You danced arround actually saying your goal is to disband the CIA, but hey I can only ask so much.

This isn't new, Dreamingwolf. I've stated that before - and I am not the only one that believes certain departments, if uncessary, ineffective, or corrupt, should be dismantled. And I never said that was my only objective out of this, which you have somehow have tried to twist in some manner. It's not very clever or ingenius for you to do that.

This thread isn't about that stuff and about me. It's about the CIA, DEA, and drugs. You're creating a red herring to the topic at hand. Now, go pat yourself on the back for...well, whatever you think you accomplished, and perhaps others may find this topic of interest.

[dreamingwolf]

my boy my boy

personally I dont like to eat fish, cause they dont have any feelings. so you can keep the red herring. The thing is its all about your hate of the fed, Im a southerner I can indentify with it. You just dont understand why your so up in arms over these guys playing the game. Drugs are the trade of the spy, loyal employees, cash based industry, and a whole subculture that will protect you. They all do it, right down to the al-q.

Personally Im gonna get pissed off at al-q first, and the CIA last. Thats just me, Im an American I have a bias. The biggest mistake they ever made was saying that if you buy drugs your aiding terrorists, that is where this whole crap came from. People started looking into it and bam!

[Guest Gichin13]

Originally posted by dreamingwolf

no, none of the above bothers me.

ok, so you want a spy agency to be transparent and act completely truthfully. You noted only cocaine as something you oppose, so Im gonna run with the fact your a pot head.

Listen kid, the world is an ugly place and ugly things happen. I know epcot people dont like to find this out, and for the most part society trys to shield you from it.

So your only goal is to make other people question like you? Son, you need to have higher goals in your actions thats a pretty childish goal if that is indeed your only objective. Cause you know other intelligence agencies from our enemies want us to hinder our guys as much as possible too, so unless you come up with another goal other than creating suspicion over our guys then Im gonna have to call you either naive or a subversive. Those agencies remove threats inside their halls, so I will trust they will remove the threats and keep the assets.

Pretty condescending message, especially the added italics there.

I would agree that by their nature, our espionage services are going to need to deal with some shady folks. I do not think that should be a free ticket to engage in support of international drum smuggling which the CIA has been consistently tied with running back to the early 1960s.

[Guest Gichin13]

Originally posted by dreamingwolf

my boy my boy

personally I dont like to eat fish, cause they dont have any feelings. so you can keep the red herring. The thing is its all about your hate of the fed, Im a southerner I can indentify with it. You just dont understand why your so up in arms over these guys playing the game. Drugs are the trade of the spy, loyal employees, cash based industry, and a whole subculture that will protect you. They all do it, right down to the al-q.

Personally Im gonna get pissed off at al-q first, and the CIA last. Thats just me, Im an American I have a bias. The biggest mistake they ever made was saying that if you buy drugs your aiding terrorists, that is where this whole crap came from. People started looking into it and bam!

Maybe, just maybe, if we did not engage in such blatantly hypocritical acts, people in other countries would be less likely to take potshots at us.

I agree we will still have a target on our backs due to our size, wealth and success, but we do ourselves no favors with some of the things we do.

[Larry]

Originally posted by dreamingwolf

no, none of the above bothers me.

ok, so you want a spy agency to be transparent and act completely truthfully. You noted only cocaine as something you oppose, so Im gonna run with the fact your a pot head.

Listen kid, the world is an ugly place and ugly things happen. I know epcot people dont like to find this out, and for the most part society trys to shield you from it.

So your only goal is to make other people question like you? Son, you need to have higher goals in your actions thats a pretty childish goal if that is indeed your only objective. Cause you know other intelligence agencies from our enemies want us to hinder our guys as much as possible too, so unless you come up with another goal other than creating suspicion over our guys then Im gonna have to call you either naive or a subversive. Those agencies remove threats inside their halls, so I will trust they will remove the threats and keep the assets.

I just finished reading todays, well, let's call them "contributions" to this thread.

So far, I see only one person deserving of the label "kid". (I'm also thinking of some labels which are somewhat less polite).

Now, I'll admit that Gichin, here, has some theories that, at first glance, certainly look like they fit in at tinfoilhat.org.

OTOH, he's provided multiple sources, and links to further sources, from what appear to be people who ought to know What They're Talking About.

Unlike you.

The "kid", "My boy", "son", "epcot people", etc. references may, in your world, serve to bestow some kind of nobility upon yourself. But it would help if the emporer had some clothes to go with the attitude.

So, could you please consider this a request from one of the members of the audience of this drama, to drop the play-acting, and either provide some information, or let the thread move down the list and off the page?

[Baculus]

Just so you know, Larry, I was the one that posted the article. I don't want Gichin to catch any flack for what I did. :-) And thanks for the replies, guys.

I'd still like to know what some folks think about this subject, especially considering that it probably hasn't stopped. If there are doubters to the validity of these story-lines, I have more material I can post, or you can conduct the research yourself. The CIA/DEA drug smuggling goes deep into the government - deeper then some of us may want to know. case in point, Richard Armitage.

[Sarge]

See, in a Sarge adminstration, one of the first covert ops I order is to take two or three of those 80 ton coke busts the Coast Guard makes every once in awhile, poison it with ricin and then deliver it to drug dealers. Ricin has no real syptoms and will take a couple of days to knock everyone off.

Boom. Instantaneous reduction in demand, thus helping run the drug runner out of business as well as reducing taxpayer costs for rehabilitation programs.

Plus we get rid of some riff raff

Aren't you glad I won the ES presidential election:D

[chomerics]

Originally posted by dreamingwolf

no, none of the above bothers me.

ok, so you want a spy agency to be transparent and act completely truthfully. You noted only cocaine as something you oppose, so Im gonna run with the fact your a pot head.

Listen kid, the world is an ugly place and ugly things happen. I know epcot people dont like to find this out, and for the most part society trys to shield you from it.

So your only goal is to make other people question like you? Son, you need to have higher goals in your actions thats a pretty childish goal if that is indeed your only objective. Cause you know other intelligence agencies from our enemies want us to hinder our guys as much as possible too, so unless you come up with another goal other than creating suspicion over our guys then Im gonna have to call you either naive or a subversive. Those agencies remove threats inside their halls, so I will trust they will remove the threats and keep the assets.

You just don't get it do you.

This is OUR GOVERNMENT who is doing this in OUR NAME.

It's mentality like this which caused the rise of islamo-fascism in the middle east to begin with!!! WE need to KNOW what our government is doing in OUR name.

It's lunatics who want the entire intel community to operate independent of our own laws and guidlines that cause the rise of hatred towards Americans. It is high time we ended this nonesence, and started acting like the super power we are!!!

[chomerics]

Originally posted by Sarge

See, in a Sarge adminstration, one of the first covert ops I order is to take two or three of those 80 ton coke busts the Coast Guard makes every once in awhile, poison it with ricin and then deliver it to drug dealers. Ricin has no real syptoms and will take a couple of days to knock everyone off.

So I guess you'd be held responsible for the death of our president then right?

[codeorama]

Originally posted by Sarge

See, in a Sarge adminstration, one of the first covert ops I order is to take two or three of those 80 ton coke busts the Coast Guard makes every once in awhile, poison it with ricin and then deliver it to drug dealers. Ricin has no real syptoms and will take a couple of days to knock everyone off.

Whoa... I agree with you totally.

[chomerics]

Originally posted by dreamingwolf

my boy my boy

personally I dont like to eat fish, cause they dont have any feelings. so you can keep the red herring. The thing is its all about your hate of the fed, Im a southerner I can indentify with it.

You have the unmittigated gaul to call Bac's post hate filled? Can you comprehend the topic at hand, or do you just scream out the hate filled Rush lunacy every time you have an opinion on the subject which can be torn apart?

YOU were the one who called Bac a "Pot Head" and said he is "childish". . . YET, you somehow have the complete Orwellian viewpoint that he is hatefilled????

Have you ever heard of the word irony? How about hypocracy and contradiction? Look up those three words and try to comprehend them. After that, come back and read the thread again and see who is "hate filled" :doh:

You just dont understand why your so up in arms over these guys playing the game. Drugs are the trade of the spy, loyal employees, cash based industry, and a whole subculture that will protect you. They all do it, right down to the al-q.

WE PUT AL-QAEDA IN POWER!!!!!

Can't you see the trees through the forest??? WE are the reason these guys ARE IN POWER!!!

Read Ghost Wars, it may open up your eyes a bit to the rise of Bin Laden and the intire radical islamic culture we helped create.

Personally Im gonna get pissed off at al-q first, and the CIA last. Thats just me, Im an American I have a bias. The biggest mistake they ever made was saying that if you buy drugs your aiding terrorists, that is where this whole crap came from. People started looking into it and bam!

So, you have absolutely no problem with the CIA propping up and supporting mass murderers, genocidal dictators and scum of the earth to "promote their ideology". You just don't get it, and unfortunately, it's probably too late for you.

[PlayAction]

If a DEA or CIA agent is undercover in a drug ring does that make the Agencies "involved" in the drug trade? No. They are there for the purpose of gathering intelligence on the cartels.

If an agent takes a payoff from a cartel and provides information to the criminal group does that make the Agency "involved" in the drug trade? No. Drug money corrupts judges, police officers, military etc in many countries.

Why do you care about drug running in SE Asia in the 60s? Or Iran-contra in the early 80s? Too long ago to be of any relevance with today's DEA or CIA. But, one thing you do need to understand is that to get intelligence on drug cartels and their involvement with terrorist groups you must deal with shady characters. The local priest won't have any useful information. So, these agencies HAVE to deal with people involved in the drug trade. There is no other way.

Anyone advocating the dismantling of the CIA is dangerously naive. We went through that before in 1972 and today we have an agency with minimal capability in covert intelligence. Cost - 1000s of American lives in 9/11 and in an arguably unnecessary war in Iraq. IMO - only.

[Guest Gichin13]

Originally posted by Sarge

See, in a Sarge adminstration, one of the first covert ops I order is to take two or three of those 80 ton coke busts the Coast Guard makes every once in awhile, poison it with ricin and then deliver it to drug dealers. Ricin has no real syptoms and will take a couple of days to knock everyone off.

Boom. Instantaneous reduction in demand, thus helping run the drug runner out of business as well as reducing taxpayer costs for rehabilitation programs.

Plus we get rid of some riff raff

Aren't you glad I won the ES presidential election:D

I recently read somewhere that Osama Bin Laden attempted to procure a huge amount of coke to poison from Columbia. He was offering like 3-4 times its value in cash.

The drug lords flirted with the idea, but then apparently decided against participating as in the end it would dramatically hurt the demand for their product. Columbian cartel business model FTW!

[Guest Gichin13]

Originally posted by PlayAction

If a DEA or CIA agent is undercover in a drug ring does that make the Agencies "involved" in the drug trade? No. They are there for the purpose of gathering intelligence on the cartels.

If an agent takes a payoff from a cartel and provides information to the criminal group does that make the Agency "involved" in the drug trade? No. Drug money corrupts judges, police officers, military etc in many countries.

Why do you care about drug running in SE Asia in the 60s? Or Iran-contra in the early 80s? Too long ago to be of any relevance with today's DEA or CIA. But, one thing you do need to understand is that to get intelligence on drug cartels and their involvement with terrorist groups you must deal with shady characters. The local priest won't have any useful information. So, these agencies HAVE to deal with people involved in the drug trade. There is no other way.

Anyone advocating the dismantling of the CIA is dangerously naive. We went through that before in 1972 and today we have an agency with minimal capability in covert intelligence. Cost - 1000s of American lives in 9/11 and in an arguably unnecessary war in Iraq. IMO - only.

Interesting post. Implicitly, your post recognizes there is some solid proof of CIA ties to heroin trade in SE Asia during hte 1960's, and also to cocaine trafficking in the 80's. Ultimately, I think anyone with some brains would see that the funding required to topple governments arcross the globe over the last fifty years flows through this type of off the books sources, not Congressional funding and budgets.

To say heroin in the 60's and coke in the 80's was "too long ago to be of any relevance with today's DEA or CIA" kind of ignores the fact that we are fully in bed with the "Afghan warlords" as the power and stability force in Afghanistan over the Taliban.

These are the same guys whose entire power base flows from heroin. Not surprsingly, world heroin traffic has skyrocketed in the last couple years from Afghanistan.

I am not saying they are not better than the Taliban ... but we need to be realistic about what we compromise when we continually get in bed with slime like this to achieve our aims.

[Larry]

Originally posted by PlayAction

Why do you care about drug running in SE Asia in the 60s? Or Iran-contra in the early 80s? Too long ago to be of any relevance with today's DEA or CIA.

Unless it should turn out that the people involved are still in the Government.

Originally posted by Baculus

Already, current administration officials have been implicated with the Southeast Asia drug trade. One of the sleaziest, Richard Armitage, has been fingered by a Thai official in the following letter:

http://www.wethepeople.la/sa.htm

"During the period (1965 - 1975) CIA Chief in Laos, Theodore Shackly, was in the drug business, having contacts with the Opium Warlord Lor Sing Han and his followers. Santo Trafficano acted as his buying and transporting agent while Richard Armitage handled the financial section with the Banks in Australia. Even after the Vietnam War ended, when Richard Armitage was being posted to the US Embassy in Thailand, his dealings in the drug business continued as before. He was then acting as the US government official concerning with the drug problems in Southeast Asia. After 1979, Richard Armitage resigned from the US Embassy's posting and set up the "Far East Trading Company" as a front for his continuation in the drug trade and to bribe CIA agents in Laos and around the world."

Armitage, before he became a Reagan administrian official, was being investigated for gambling and prostitution. During the 80's, he then became linked to the Contras, via Iran/Contra and Contra Cocaine (which I first heard about in 1986, via the Christic Institute). I was about to post this article discussing some of Armitage's background when I read that Armitage operated with Bill Tyree. This is the same Bill Tyree that claims to have been involved with Operation Watch Tower, another CIA drug smuggling and trade operation in Central and South America.

http://www.vicpeace.org/stories/03/1070.html

You have to wonder, how the heck did a man of such a reportedly poor background become a member of the current Bush administration?

(Heck, it's possible that Armitage was once part of our President's "supply chain".)