ACCESSION
NUMBER:323977
FILE ID:LEF319
DATE:01/26/94
TITLE:CIA DISCLOSES ROLE IN WAR AGAINST DRUGS (01/26/94)
TEXT:*94012619.LEF CIA CHIEF SAYS AGENCY ENGAGED IN ANTIDR
CIA DISCLOSES ROLE IN WAR AGAINST DRUGS
(Woolsey says agency works with DEA, FBI) nrb (630)
(Spanish coming)
By Norma Romano-Benner
USIA Staff Writer
WASHINGTON -- The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), normally the silent
hand of the U.S. government, plays an active role in the war against drugs,
working with fellow agencies to "disrupt and dismantle the entire chain of
drug trafficking."
In open testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee Jan. 25, CIA
Director R. James Woolsey said his agency "plays a constructive role around
the world in countering the flow of illegal drugs into this country."
Woolsey said the CIA focuses its efforts "on obtaining the information
necessary for disrupting and dismantling the entire chain of drug
trafficking -- transportation, finances, and chain of command.... We do
this against traffickers both in Latin America and in the Far East."
He said that the CIA and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) provided
"essential intelligence support" leading to the discovery of Colombia's
Medellin cartel leader Pablo Escobar. Escobar was gunned down in early
December as he attempted to flee from his hideaway in Medellin.
The challenge posed by the expanding drug trafficking network worldwide,
Woolsey added, "cannot be met by targeting one sector alone, nor can it be
accomplished by one agency alone.
"Our intelligence work in support of law enforcement efforts by the Drug
Enforcement Administration and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
will continue because we believe that only through coordinated efforts can
we hope to defeat this cancer on our society."
Woolsey reminded the senators that counternarcotics work still faces
hazards, including the temptation of bribery and extortion.
"In this field we can never guarantee to you that we and the other U.S.
agencies involved will never be betrayed by those who assist us in, say,
Latin America or Asia," he said. "Part of the unfortunate reality of the
counternarcotics business is that local foreign officials sometime succumb
to the lure of drug money. Moreover, American officials -- ours and those
of other agencies -- are not always correct in the difficult judgments that
must be made in this complex area."
Like narcotics trafficking, and despite the end of the Cold War, Woolsey
said terrorism and political instability worldwide continue to pose a
threat to the national security of the United States.
1
"Progress is occurring, but it is spotty," he said. "Local strife in
Somalia and Haiti and the tragedy in Bosnia continue to threaten stability
in those countries and nearby regions."
On the positive side, Woolsey noted, "the political, security and economic
pictures are generally in the range from light gray to bright" in the
Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, and Europe.
He warned that terrorism remains a problem and is not confined to the Middle
East.
"It's still being used in Latin America and in Western Europe," he said.
"Terrorism has not abated. There were 427 terrorist incidents worldwide
last year compared to 362 in 1992. Indeed, terrorist incidents could
increase as a result of growing ethnic, religious, and regional conflicts
throughout the globe."
To fight terrorism, Woolsey pledged the cooperation of the intelligence
community. "We will continue to support the FBI and the Justice Department
here at home as well as foreign intelligence organizations abroad, in
combatting terrorism.
"Our work must often be done out of the glare of publicity, and you will
rarely find us speaking out about the successes we've had in disrupting or
foiling terrorist plots. This is because we need to protect those who
would provide us with vital information and to protect methods critical to
us if we're to continue to keep Americans out of harm's way."
NNNN
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