Momopi, did you know CIA is involved in drug trafficking?

[Winston]

Momopi,
Did you have any idea that the CIA was involved in drug trafficking? 60 Minutes with Mike Wallace even did a report on it once, but it was pulled, for obvious reasons. Those who own the CIA also own the media. As William Colburn, former CIA official, said before he died, "The CIA owns anybody of any significance in the mainstream media".

What do you think of that?

Here are some excerpts from the pulled 60 Minutes report on the CIA's involvement in drug trafficking:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADTbYLUEUZI

And Dateline NBC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ9fgi7IZSk

Did you know Momopi, that there are many secrets in government and that often the official version of what we're told is a lie? And that truth is often censored? Are you aware of this? Or do you honestly believe that the "official version" of everything is the truth and that there are no secrets?

[Winston]

This short documentary is evidence that proves The CIA has been importing drugs into our country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b6kf5PIzX4

[momopi]

Winston, the Iran-Contra affair is over 20 years old. It's old enough to have a Tom Clancy Novel (Clear and Present Danger).

If anyone actually cares for a historical analysis, I'll write a brief.

To understand how CIA was involved, we must look at the National Security Act of 1947. This act was a major reorganization of the US government departments dealing with foreign policy and intelligence.

The National Security Act of 1947 established the National Security Council (NSC), comprised of senior national security advisors and officials to advice and assist the President on national security and foreign policy. This is very important -- the NSC is responsible for formulating policy and coordinating among the many government agencies.

The National Security Act of 1947 also established the CIA as a civilian, independent intelligence gathering organization with its own covert operations branch. President Truman believed that every department should have its own intelligence agency, and thus the military has their own and the CIA is independent outside of the military. It's also important to note that the CIA is not permitted to make foreign policy decisions -- that's the job of the President and the NSC.

The Iran-Contra affair showed what an overly complicated plot involving too many people will turn into. In the end the Iranians blabbed, the Lebanese blabbed, the Nicaraguans blabbed, the Venezuelans blabbed, and even the CIA director William Casey blabbed. Oliver North, John Poindexter, Weinberger, Elliott Abrams, and many others who were in the NSC or other high positions took the fall and were given legal immunity and pardons. How do you jail someone when his testimony is given legal immunity and cannot be used against him? In the end the whole thing was a complete failure and, adding salt to wound, Daniel Ortega got elected as President of Nicaragua in 2006.

Your typical sensationalist conspiracy video/article/etc want to scream "THE CIA did XXX". This was a major problem with reporters like Gary Webb (blame everything on the CIA). First, the CIA doesn't make policy Second, "The CIA" has been over-used both as scapegoat and to lump all government intelligence agencies together. The US government has MANY intelligence agencies, including the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency, Diplomatic Security Service, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Cladestine Service, Air Intelligence Agency, Army Intelligence and Security Command, Marine Corps Intelligence Acitivty, Office of Naval Intelligence, etc. The CIA is just one of them.

The US Government has 16 independent intelligence agencies that deal with National Security and Foreign relations: CIA, AIA, MI, DIA, MCIA, NGA, NRO, NSA, ONI, OICI, I&A, CGI, FBI, DEA, INR, & TFI. And that's not including others that deal strictly with domestic intelligence. For example, in the 1990's it was found that members of the 4th Psychological Operations Group were working in CNN. People immediately screamed "CIA PSYOP OPERATION", but the 4th PSYOP Group is actually US Army.

Cloak and Dagger agencies are given certain autonomy and leeway in their operations. But when they go too far, at least 2 US Presidents had to issue very extensive Executive Orders to rein them in. Please refer to Ford's Executive Order 11905 and Reagan's Executive Order 12333 for more info. They clearly state the role of intelligence agencies and what they're allowed or not allowed to do.

Did you know Momopi, that there are many secrets in government and that often the official version of what we're told is a lie? And that truth is often censored? Are you aware of this? Or do you honestly believe that the "official version" of everything is the truth and that there are no secrets?

See Executive Order 12958 and 13292 on exactly what is allowed to be "censored".

The CIA had their hay-day during the Cold War, but their era has came and went. he US government's solution to fixing internal problems is to make more agencies. When the NSC failed they create the Homeland Security Council, and when CIA failed they create NSC, DNI and NCTC. And when too many agencies are created, they create new agencies to coordinate among the many agencies, and new comittees to keep an eye on them. i.e. the Senate created the US Senate Select committee on Intelligence (SSCI), then the SSCI wants to create new Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Intelligence. Welcome to America.

==========

And now, something actually CURRENT and relevant:
http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2009_rp ... 1-186.html
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h2701/show

I'll point out specifically section 321:

"(Sec. 321)
Directs the President to provide to the intelligence committees all information necessary to assess the lawfulness, effectiveness, cost, benefit, intelligence gain, budgetary authority, and risk of an intelligence activity. Requires specific procedures with respect to written reports concerning covert actions, including providing the legal authority under which a covert action is being or was conducted. Allows the President to limit access to such reports, including among intelligence committee members, after determining that extraordinary circumstances affecting vital U.S. interests warrant limiting such access. Allows for restricted briefings of intelligence committee members concerning covert actions, pursuant to written procedures established by such committees. Allows any Member of Congress to whom a covert action finding or notice has been reported to submit to the DNI an objection concerning any part of that finding or notice, and requires the DNI to report any such objection to the President, in writing, within 48 hours. Subtitle D: Reports and Other Congressional Oversight - "

Translation: the President would be required to file reports on covert activities to members of the US House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Obama's reply:

"Report on Covert Actions (Section 321). The Administration strongly objects to section 321, which would replace the current "Gang of 8" notification procedures on covert activities. There is a long tradition spanning decades of comity between the branches regarding intelligence matters, and the Administration has emphasized the importance of providing timely and complete congressional notification, and using "Gang of 8" limitations only to meet extraordinary circumstances affecting the vital interests of the United States. Unfortunately, section 321 undermines this fundamental compact between the Congress and the President as embodied in Title V of the National Security Act regarding the reporting of sensitive intelligence matters - an arrangement that for decades has balanced congressional oversight responsibilities with the President's responsibility to protect sensitive national security information. Section 321 would run afoul of tradition by restricting an important established means by which the President protects the most sensitive intelligence activities that are carried out in the Nation's vital national security interests. In addition, the section raises serious constitutional concerns by amending sections 501-503 of the National Security Act of 1947 in ways that would raise significant executive privilege concerns by purporting to require the disclosure of internal Executive branch legal advice and deliberations. Administrations of both political parties have long recognized the importance of protecting the confidentiality of the Executive Branch's legal advice and deliberations. If the final bill presented to the President contains this provision, the President's senior advisers would recommend a veto."


The fundamental issue is not about government keeping secrets or intelligence agencies being liars. Quoting "Clear and Present Danger", people in the intelligence business lies for a living. The issue here is accountability. What Congress and House of Represenatives are doing here, is to make the President personally and directly responsible for covert operations. I'm very interested to see how this turns out.

[momopi]

Additional thoughts:


* Here's Gary Webb's "Dark Alliance", it won "Best of the Web" in 1996:
http://www.narconews.com/darkalliance/drugs/start.htm

The article is 14 years old, but you might find it interesting to read.

Gary Webb was quite famous for a while and got a job with California State legislature. Unfortunately he barked up the wrong tree when he started investigating then-California Governer Gary Davis's finances. He ended up losing his job and took 2 bullets in the head.

Lessons learned: you're free to pick on Big Brother all day long, but don't bite the hand that feeds you.


* If you run a dissident political or rebel faction and Americans in dark glasses come bearing gifts, don't open the door -- run as fast as you can. The CIA has a dismal success record. Statistically speaking, if you receive help from the CIA, you have >80% chance of failure. Examples include Tibetans, Iraqi Kurds, Laoian rebels, Vietnamese hill tribes, Nicaragua's Contras, Cuban rebels in Bay of Pigs, the list goes on. People who work in covert intelligence operate with "end justifies the means" ethic standards, and as soon as your usefulness is over, you'd be discarded.

Lessons learned: just because it's a big wooden horse, doesn't mean that it's a good gift.