DEVELOPMENTS DURING YOUR ABSENCE

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02110029
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 21
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: May 14, 2018
• Case Number: F-2016-00405
• Publication Date: July 11, 1972

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CONF' ATIAL
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
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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.
2
CONFIOSITIAL
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CONFIDE:WIWI
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 to their request.
John M. Maury V
',,....Legislative Counsel
Attachments:
Tabs A - G
3
CRY
449.711,
fRi.
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TAB
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7.113 lionorablo
3. RomL,rel
1.�ouso o: Reproccnt
Vizz.:tington.� D. C. 20515
JUL 3 1372.
VOS
roply to your letter a June 2r..*� 1072, 3,*cquosting
certain documents.
I am senfitinf; you thoze N�ouced by Z;NDD and
havo talmn tho abz,rty 'S.orcanz, yO1 2t to tho
Contra]. Iatollizence 11,3en.:Jy Cloir cat2cgi in
regard to those documents utich f.12c,y
c 1lurthor assisZ=co, pleas t mo Lzow.
Welid Drug tx Iler;oxt"
"Lxt:r; Vjaited i2csarki
Drug, ProNom"
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aoluat 7.'1; iuenca Worldiivido" .
"71,1 YilicIt Ir.rportaloa. lIcrola Into thO united axles',
cc: Lc,roin Coorclor
Contras!. lateilizencoAery
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ZIAN/Parker/alzie -30-72/21051
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CHARLES B. RANGEL
arlICONoNTsSIONAL DinTnicT
H, PATRICK SWVGRT
ADMINISTRATIVS ASSISTANT
HOUSG 0001= ClUILDING
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20515
Te.idEPHoNit$ 202-22.5.4365
Cortgrez tfie 'Caititeti .,67,:>tatefs
K)otuSe1iIlepreZentatit30
ZalazDivillton, 13.C. 20515
June 28, 1972
John E. Ingersoll, Director
Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs
1405 I Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20537
Dear Mr. Ingersoll:
WIRS. VIRGINIA 1.2.CLL.
DISTMGT AOMINISTPATOIR
144 WcaT 125TH GrcirgT
NEVI Yo0K, Nrim YORK 10027
TSLETNONS1066-84100
As you know, the Select Committee on Crime has been holding
hearings in New York and Washington on drug use in our public
schools. Each witness makes it more clear that heroin addiction
among our youth cannot be wiped out as long as heroin is smuggled
into this country. I know that this, too, is your feeling and that
of BNDD.
In order to make it harder for Congress to ignore this critical
problem, it is most imperative that we have as much information as
possible on heroin trafficking and the smuggling of other dangerous
drugs. "The World Opium Situation," which your office was kind
'enough to provide me last year was-of great assistance in this regard.
I would deeply appreciate your providing me with the following reports
as'well dealing with international drug traffic:
� "Opium Production and Movement in the Near East and South Asia"
"The Cocaine Situation in Latin.America"
"Chemical Requirements for Opium Refining in Southeast Asia"
"The Illicit Production and Movement of Opiates in Latin America"
"Opium Poppy Cultivation in Northern Thailand"
Opium Production and Movement in Southeast Asia"
"Paraguay--Heroin Crossroads of South America"
"Recent Trends in the Illicit Narcotics Market in Southeast Asia"
"The French-Turkish Connection: The Movement of Opium and Morphine
. Base from Turkey to France."
Thank you for your attention to this most important request.
With best regards, I am, �
4;4 ir
L.J2,
-mar e . Rangel
Member of Congress
,0�7
4cer ly,
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TOP SECRET SECRET CONFIDENTIAL liNCLASSIFIE
PRESS ITEM FOR THE DCI
DISTRIBUTION:
DDCI
ExD
DCl/IC
DDI
DDS
DDP(2)
DDS/T
0/OCT
ONE
OSR
051 (2)
Ch/OpsCn
PDB
INDICO
CSDO(3)
IW
STAIPPr-
OSD
mea UP I 092
(CIA)
wh WASHINGTON--REP. CHARESL RANGEL, 1:1N.Y. g SAID TODAY A
eur
"PARANOID QUEST' FOR SECRECY" IN THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (CIA)
THUERMER IS KEEPING INFORMATION ABOUT DRUG TRAFFIC IN SOUTHEAST ASIA FROM THE
LEGCO AM1'..R I CAN PUBLIC.
RA NGL L A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON CRIME, SA ID THE
CIA HAS CONSISTENTLY REFUSED HIS REQUESTS FOR REPORTS ON OPIUM AND
HEROIN TRAFFICKING IN THE AREA ALT HOUGH SOME ARE ALREADY PUBLIC
KNOWLEDGL OR ARE AVAILABLE FROM OTHER AGENCIES.
"THIS BUREAUCRAT IC BUNGLING AND PARANOID QUEST FOR SECRECY ON THE
PART OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY HAS PREVENTED CONGRESS FROM
/2..FFi.: CT I VELY DETERMINING WHICH OF OUR SO-CALLED 'ALLIES' ARE
PROFITEERING IN HEROIN," HE SAID IN A STATEMENT "EACH CITIZEN HAS
THE FUNDAMi'..NTAL RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT IS IN THESE REPORTS ���� WHICH
GOVI7..R NMi..NTS ALLOW DRUG PRODUCT ION TO FLOURISH AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR
CHILDREN'S LIVES*"
RANGv.L SAID NINE REPORTS HE IS SEEKING FROM THE CIA NAME THt
INDIVIDUALS, TRIBES, GOVERNMENT OFFICERS AND PLACES INVOLVED IN
HEROIN TRAFFICKING IN SOUTHEAST ASIA BUT HE SAID THE AGENCY HAS
CLASSIFIED THE REPORTS AND HAS REFUSED TO GIVE THEM TO HIM.
"IT IS TIME FOR THE CIA TO STOP PLAYING GAMES AND TO STOP COVERING
UP FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MERCHANTS OF DEATH p" HE SAID.
YM 7-10
DATE: 10 Jul
ITEM: NO, 12
REF : NO,
Comment: Thuermer and Maury have copies.
These comments represent the initial and tentative reaction of the
Office of Current 4-- "-
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IV. CIA AND AIR AMERICA INVOLVEMENT
Nelson Gross quoted the Managing Director of Air America, who called my
'charge that Air America aircraft have been transporting opium "utterly and
absolutely false." Air America's involvement has been confirmed by Gen. Ouane
and by Gen. Thao Ma, former commander of the Laotian Air Force, who refused
to carry opium for Gen. Guano.
I spent six days in August, 1971 in the opium-growing Mee village of
Long Pot, Laos. Ger Su Yang, the District officer, told me:
Moo officers with three or four stripes [captain or more] came from
Long Tieng to buy our opium. They came in American helicopters,
perhaps two or three men at one time. The helicopter leaves, them
here for a few days and they walk to villages over there, then come
back here and radioed Long Tieng to send another helicopter for them.
They take the opium back to Long Tieng.
This .account was verified by everyone I talked with.. Ger Su Yang also
reported that the helicopter pilots were always Americans. Flora Lewis,
writing in'TheVaShingtenTOSt on July 23, 1971, said:
The CIA has changed its rules in an attempt to ,stop the use of its
private airline, Air America, for transport of drugs [opium and
heroin] in Laos. Although only two months. ago CIA director Richard
Helms adamantly denied there had been any agency involvement in this
traffic, he is now said to have told a secret Congressional hearing
that there was involvement but it has stopped�
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ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
LES ASP1N
1ST DISTRICT, WISCONSIN
HOME OFFICES:
603 MAIN STREET
RACINE, WISCONSIN 53403
414-632-8194
210 DODGE STREET
JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN 53545
608-752-9074
. Corigre5oftbentitzbatate
Ti)otWe of ilepraentatibe3
Ularo'bingtort, .3.(t. 20515
June 27, 1972
Mr. Richard Helms, Director
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D.C.
-Dear Mr. Helms:
SUBCOMMITTEE:
ABMED SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE #4
WASHINGTON orriCa:
515 CANNON HoUSE OFFICE
BUILDING
202-225-3031
I am publicly releasing today substantial new evidence
:that indicates that U.S. pilots flying CIA-operated helicopters
have been smugglirig opium inside Laos. These allegations
are contained in a letter and additional information that
I have received from Mr. Alfred McCoy, author of a forth-
coming book on heroin traffic in Southeast Asia. If these
allegations are true, then the CIA is implicated in fostering
the drug trziffic that ruins the lives of tens of thousands
of Americans.
I am writing to you today to request that you thoroughly
investigate Mr. McCoy's allegations. Since Mr. McCoy obtained
his information last summer, it is imperative to determine
whether this kind of drug trafficking is still going on. A
principal unanswered question which the CIA must resolve is:
"At what level in the CIA were officials aware of this illicit
drug traffic?".
I hope that you will report t� in full he results
of your investigation.
Thank you for your cooperato
Si
ji
Les: Aspin
Merr&er of C ngress
LA:bk
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E662
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Exieasions of Remarks
CIA DOES NOT SMUGGLE OPIUM
HON. CHARLES S. CUBSER
CP CALI:5'011MA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, June 29, 1972
Mr. GUBSER. Mr. elipeaker, once again
there has been an upsurge in charges
alleging direct CIA Involvement in drug
. traffic in Southeast Asia, These allega-
tions have proven false in the past. Last
,year I personally looked into similar. .
charges and I am satisfied myself that
they were without substance. Moreover,
in April 1971, Mr. Richard Helms, Di-
rector of Central Intelligence, made a
public categorical denial of Agency in-
volvement in drug traffic before the
American gociety of Newspaper Editors.'
He has personally reaffirmed this denial
to me, What the facts actually dem-
onstrated was that the CIA is cooperating
closely with other Government agencies
in a concerted effort to curb the world
� drug traffic. The efforts of these U.S.
'agencies are designed to persuade cbun-
tries, which for centuries have accepted
the growth or local consumption of illicit
drugs, to take stringent steps against
such practices. They are also cooperating
to eliminate the flow of these drugs into
the United States.
Most recently, Mr. Alfred McCoy, a
graduate student who is about to pub-
lish a book on the drug traffic in South-
east Asia, has made the same charges
. against the CIA. In -early June, he aired
, his charges before a Senate subcom-
mittee and received considerable pub-
licity. Immediately after Mr. McCoy's
testimony, Mr. Nelson Gross, senior ad-
viser to the Secretary of State and Co-
ordinator for International Narcotics
Matters, publicly and in detail refuted
Mr. McCoy's charges. I regret that these
allegations have been given further pub-
licity in a State:Merit by a Member of
this body when he published in the
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD of June 27, a let-
ter. he has directed to Mr. Helms, re-
questing an investigation of the allega-
, tions made by Mr. McCoy.
Mr, Speaker, Director Helms' denial of
charges that CIA has been involved in
the drug traffic has been .confirmed by
other senior U.S. Government officials.
There has been no substance to the
charges that have been leveled and it is
- most regrettable that the CIA must be
the continual target of a tactic which
serves to undermine positive efforts that
are being taken under difficult circum-
stances to curb drug trafficking. Those
few who promote false accusations to the
contrary undermine the good work that
� is being done and the personal integrity
of high officials of our Government. I can
assure the Members of this body and all
American citizens that our Government
is committed 100 percent to solving the'
&lag problem.
June SO, 1972
Mr. Speaker, while it is unfortunate
that these old charges have been public-
ly aired again, I believe that Mr. Helms'
� 'letter of ;June 28 on this subject should
also be included in the 'RECORD:
CENTRAL INTVLLIOSNCE AGMCY,
OFFICZ 05' TNE DIFLP,OT011,
June 23, 1972.
Hon. Ls s ASPIN,
H014,30 of Representatives,
.Washington,
Dyes Ma. Aseisr: The Congressional Record
of June 27, 1972, carries a let or addressed
to me by you announcing your release of
"substantial new evidence that indicates.U.S.
pilots flying CIA operated helicopters have
been smuggling opium inside Laos."
' I have yet to receive your letter. Pending
its receipt, however, I shall begin a thorough
investigation of this alleged "new evidence"
and will advise you in due course of the re-
sults. In this connection. I call to your at-
tention the testimony of Mr. Nelson Gress,
Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and
Coordinator for International Narcotics Mat-
ters, before the Congressional Inquiry Re-
garding International, Narcotics Traffic on
June 0, 1972. He there quoted the Air Anaer-
Ica Managing Director's statement that Mr.
Alfred McCoy's allegation before the For-
eign Operations Subcommittee of the Senate
Appropriations Committee that Air America
aircraft have been transporting opium in
- Northern Laos on a regular basis is "utterly
and absolutely false."
In the interim, I wish to reiterate strongly
what I have said publicly to the America
Society of Newspaper Editors:
"There ia the arrant nonsense that the
Central Intelligence Agency is somehow in-
volved in the world drug traffic. We are not.
As fathers, we are as concerned about the
lives of our children and grandchildren as
are ail of you. As an Agency, in fact, WO
are heavily engaged in tracing the foreign
roots of the drug traffic for the Bureau of
Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. We hope-we
are helping with a solution; we know we
are not contributing to the problem."
In addition, you will have no doubt noticed
in the Congressional Record of June 2, 1971,,
that Congreasmaxx Charles Oubser cited a
letter from Mr. John Ingersoll, Director of
the . Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous
Drugs, attesting to the fact that this Agency
has taken a great number of steps against
the narcotics trade. Further, we have is-
sued the strongest instructions, and have
most vigorously enforced them, to prohibit
any inadvertent use of CIA facilities by nar-
co'biee smugglers.
In the light of these well-establiehed posi-
tions, we find it, disappointing to be sub-
jected to the typo of public allegation rep-
resented by graduate student McCoy's as-
sertions of "new evidence," the innuendo in
which can only dishearten CIA personnel of -
honor and integrity working against this
nefarious trade,
I. have taken the liberty .of sending a copy
of this letter to Congressman Gubser be-
cause of his interest irs these matters. '
Sincerely,
HIOXYARA HELMS, Director,
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LAD AXIL D,Tri7 OinfEW 4 bt44 I 4 " n�Vi
PO. NOY, 233 V,TATTAY WNW
VIENVANE, LAOS
- Honorable Senator Henry M.
Old Senator Office Uldg,
Washington, D. C.
.011A .
12 June 1972
� renio.1
Pr�NATOef
t
�//4
JacksonI.
(11-/)
Dear Senator Jackson,
�
Ilm presently in Laos working for 4..00 Air Development. VIV is.a D:iicopter,
fixed wing contract company which has-boon in existence for about 16 months
and iu in oirect compotition with Air America and Continental. At this
point 1 can honestly state that in many area especially Air Support the
U.S., tax payer is having his money thrown away. An example Air /'i'i ca .
charges upwards of $385.00 per flight hour for 10 place light twin aircraft.
Our company has 'proposed operating a similar type of aircraft at $2?)0.00,
per flight hour, the probl= in that moat Goverment Agencies out hore
continue to oxelwie our proposal duo to the Governmental status of Air Atinmc.
We have for the past 12 months boon flying 'Jell Jet Ranger Wilicoptqrs for
USAID with a record of flight reliability unequaled in our buwiness.
jZoomta.y..."1--yr,Ter-oontaQrAuLly Jock_Anderson the newspaper columnist, who is
'a -Fad friend of, iv uncle, concerning the pricr. ali-U-ItgredMTntu-u0;wma
yttriouB aGencios in i,a0v, Prowntly I don't ball(Jve I will forw4rd any
information to him a I holiove that notion in WashingL04 will sof/a
the touchy situation with mgards to open bidding in this particulvw arca.
I m alSo writing a letter to Sentor grIgnusen in regards to this situatiol.
Bill06: he MS a groat deal to do with appropriations.
Honestlyil on biddArkr. ww to take place in thlt. area the Covernwent
say� millions of tax peyin. dollar:,T. The prices. Air America has h(%:13
is outrageous and a diarrazo to our political system. One can sny that we
are also sockinga profit though 11,, certainly arc not making :i0.50 pru-
hour au iu Air America and Continental; nometimes the net pr hour in ove4 --
higher. Somothjng should bo done ror the onLe of cosmeticr� Jr ri,e )1.0
oulor roaaon.
����
D. Craig Jarrell
Director of Flight Training
LAO MR DEVELOPMENT
P.O. BOX 233
WATTAY AIRPORT
6 i)
VIENTIANE, LAOS
6
Uocere y I
.1 -
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OLC 72-0768
5 July 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Senate Armed Services Committee Interest in Hersh
Story re "Rainmaking"
1. This morning John Goldsmith, of the Senate Armed Services
Committee staff, called to say that the New York Times story by Seymour
Hersh of 3 July 1972 (copy attached) was attracting considerable interest
and would no doubt be the subject of formal inquiry during upcoming Senate
deliberations. He said the subject might be brought up in connection with
discussion of the pending "end the war" amendment to the Foreign Assistance
Authorization bill, and almost certainly would come up in connection with
the discussion of Indochina when the Defense Procurement bill came up.
2. Goldsmith said he wanted to let us know that for the above reasons
he felt he should call the matter to the attention of Chairman Stennis, and
was therefore preparing a note for Stennis (now out of town) suggesting that
Stennis get himself briefed on the subject and be forearmed with information
necessary to respond to the questions which are likely to come up.
3. I told Goldsmith that I knew nothing about the substance of these
allegations but appreciated his alerting us.
Att.
Distribution:
Original - Subject
1 - A/DCI
1 - Ex/Dir
1 - DDP
1 - C /FE ,
1 SAVA
/JOHN M. MAURY
Legislative Counsel
V
GROUP 1
Excluded from automatic
dowagadIng and
declassification
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king
-
rh Use
Weapon by �
Cloud Seeding in Indochina Coniirmed----
Chemical A 1,s'a Employed to Foil Radar
By SEYMOUR M. HERSH
Spedr,lb The Nov York Macs �
WASHINGTON, July 2�The "What's worse," one official the Air Force more opportun-
ity to trigger rainstorms.
United States has been secretly 'asked, "dropping bombs on l "We were trying to .areange '
i
.1
!seven inches or rain. in two,
;hours. on one olepur Special
Forces camps,"
Despite the professed snepti-
cism on the part Of some mom-

'
anent, 'Laos and South Viet-
nam to increase and control the
rainfall for military purposes.
Government sources, both ci-
vilian and military, said during
an extensive series of inter-
views that the Air Force cloud-
seeding program has been
aimed most recently at hinder- �
ing movement of. North Viet-
namese troops and equipment
and suppressing enemy antiair-
craft missile fire.
The disctosure confirmed
growing speculation in Con-
gressional and scientific circles
about the use-.of weather mod-
ification in Southeast Asia, De-
spite years of experiments with
rainmaking in the United States
and elsewhere, selentists �are
not sure they �understand its
long-term effect on the ecology
of a region.
� Some Opposed Program
The weather manipulation in
Indochina, which was first
tried in South Vietnam in 1963,
is the first confirmed use of
meteorological . warfare. Al-
though it is not prohibited by
any international conventions
on warfare, artifice; rainmak-
ing has been strenuously op�
posed by some -State Depart-
ment officials.
- It �could ' not be determined
whether the operations were
being conducted in connection
with the current North Viet-
namese offensive or the
renewed American bombing of
the North.
Effectiveness Doubted
Beginning in 1067, some
State Departnient officials pro-
tested that the United States,
by deliberately altering the nat-
ural rainfall in parts of Indo-
china, was taking environmen-
tal risks of unknown propor-
tions. But many advocates of
the operation have found little
wrong with using weather mod,.
innaannan as anilitacy weapon.
�r
two mom fnonsoon seasons that
affect Laos and Vietnam. "It
was just trying to add on to
something, that you already
got," one officer said. �
Military sources said that one
main goal was to increase the
'duration of the southwest mon-
'soon, which spawns high-rising
cumulus clouds � those most
susceptible to cloud seeding�
over the panhandle areas of
Leos and North Vietnam from
May to early' October, The long-
er rainy, season thus would rive
hers of the Johnson Administra-
tion, railitary men apindently
took the weather modification
program much more seriously.
According to a document
contained in the Pentagon
papers, the Defense Depart-
ment's secret history of the war,
weather modification was one
of seven basic options for step-
ping in the-war that were
seeding clouds clouds over North Vi- rain?" � the weather pattern to suit our seated on request by the Joint
'Chiefs of Staff � to the While
House in late February, 1967.
The document described the
weather program over Laos�
'officially known as Operation
Pop-Eye�as an attempt "to
reduce trafficability along infil-
tration routes." �
Authorization Needed
It said that Presidential
anthorization was "required to
implement operational phase of
weather modification process
previously successfully tested
'Ind evaluated in same area."
The brief summary concluded
by stating that "risk of coin-
promise is minimal."' �
.A similar option was cited
in another 1067 working dome.
meat published in the Pentagon
papers. Neither attracted any
immediate public attention,
The Laos cloud-seeding op-
erations did provoke, however,
a lengthy and bitter, albeit,
secret, dispute inside the John-
son Administration in 1067. A
team of State Department at-
torneys and officials protested
that the use of cloud-seeding
was a dangerous precedent � for
the 1inited State,i.
acidic rainfall capable of feu:- ties to the Ho chi Minh supply
tag the operation of North Viet-, trail in Laos sometime in the
narnesc radar ecluiPment 1.13e(4 middle nineteen-sixties, a num-
for directing surface-to-air Ill iS- her of Government sources
silos. said. By 1967, the Air Force
In addition to hampering, had become involved although,
SAM missiles and delaying 'as one former Government of-
North Vietnamese infiltration, !fiend said. "the agency was
the rainmaking program had calling ell ! the shots, � ,
the follwing purposes: "I -alweys assumed the agena
(.iProviding rain and cloud cy had a mandate from the
cover for mull ration of South white House to do it,� he
Vietnamese commando and -in- added. -.
telligence teams into North, A number of former CIA, and.
Vietnam. , 110.1,1-alining Johnson Adminis-
r-Serving as a "sPoilr" for tration .officials .depieted the
North Vietnamese attacks told operations along the trail as
raids in South Vietnam. experimental.
' c,Alte.ring or tailoring the The state of the art had not
rain patter -es over Noth Viet- yet advanced to the point where
nam and Laos to aid United it \vas possible to predict the
State's bombing missions, � results of a seeding operation added, because of the unknown
l' Oiverting North Vietnamene with any degree� of confidence, ecological risks: �
'men and material from military one Government official said. , ..
A Nixon Administration of-,
operations to keeroads and other lines of cam- �
p muriclieci "We used to go out flying 'fiend said that he believed the
around and looking for a cer- !first use of weather modifi-
munication in operation, lain cloud -formation," the offi- cation over North Vietnam
. � Keyed To Monsoon � . (nal said. "And we made a lot of
. took place in late 1en5 or early
The cloud-seedine operations mistakes, Once we duinPed . annn when rain wee naaan.a.,n,..a,
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All of the officials 'inter- convenience,' said one former
viewed said that the' United Government official who had
detailed knowledge of theoper-
States did not have the capabil- auon.
ity to cause heavy flooding dur-i �According to interviews, the
big the summer in the northern! Central Intelligence Agency in-
parts of North Vietnam, where' itiateal the use of cloud-seeding
serious flooding occurred last! over iinue in the northern part
' of . South Vietnam. "We first
year. used that stuff in about August
Officially, the White House of 1063:. one former C.I.A.
and State Department declined agent said, 'when the Diem
comment on the use of mete- reairrie was having all that
orological warfare. "This is one trouble with the Buddhists."
"They would just stand
of those things where no one
during demonstrations
is going to say anything," one r`mund
when the police' threw tear gas
official said, them but we noticed that
Most officialana.teterviewcd acat.hen tile. rains came' they
agreed that. -the seeding had wouldn't stay on," the former
accomplished 'one of its main agent said.
objectives � muddying roads :The. agency got an Air
and flooding lines of communi- t nrlicaroneada up with
and dh a
cation': � But there were also he 'aid. 'I'There silver
another
many military and Government demonstration and WO seeded
officials who expressed doubt the area, It rained,
that the project had caused any A "'liar cl"d'seecling Was
carried out by C.I.A. eircraft in
dramatic results. Seinen at least once during the
' The Sources, without pros-id- summer �of 1964, the former
ing details, . also said that a agent said.
method had been developed for Expanded to Trail
treating clouds with a chemical The Intelligence Agency ex-- "I felt that the military and
that 'eventually � produced an panded its cloud seeding activi-I agency hadn't analyzed it to
determine if it was in our
interest,' one official who was
involved in the dispute said.
He also was concerned over
the rigid secrecy of the project,
he said, "although it might
have been all right to keep it
secret if you did it once and
didn't want the precedent to
become known."
The general feeling was sum-
marized by one 'former State
,Department official, who said
.he was concerned that the
rainmaking "might violate what
we considered the general rule
of. the:thumb for an illegal.
,weapon of war�something
that would 'cause unusual suf-
fering or disproprlate damage.",
There also was concern. hel ,
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01 antiairerait missiles
,to hit American jets in the
panhandle region a ear the
Laotian border.
Over the next two years,
this official added, "it seemed
to get more important�the re-
ports were coming more fre-
quently."
It could not be learned how
many specific missions' were
carried out in any year.
One well-informed source said
that Navy scientists were re-
sponsible for developing a new
kind of chemical agent effec-
tive in the warm stratus clouds
many usuany
members of the Nixon Admin-
istration had been kept in the
dark.
In the last year, there have
. been repeated inquiries and
publicly posed questions by
members of Congress about the
weather modification prop,rains
in Southeast Asia, but no cc-
curate . in has been
provided to them by the De-
partment of Defense.
"This kind of thing was al
bomb, and Henry restricted in-
formation about it to those who
had to know," said one well-
that often shielded many key placed Government official, re-
.antiaircraft sites in northern forting to Henry A. Kissinger,
parts of North Vietnam. the President's adviser on na-
The chemical, he said, "pro- tional security.
duced a rain that had an acidic
quality to it and it would foul
up mechanical equipment�like
radars, trucks and tanks."
� s wasn't originally in our
planning," the of added,
"it was a rc'finernent,"
Apparently, many Air Force
cloud-seeding missions were
conducted over North Vietnam
and Laos simply to confuse or
"a Itctuutte"�a word used by
many military men�the radar
equipment that controls anti-
aircraft missiles. The planes
used for such operations, d-
130's, must fly at relatively
slow speeds and at altitudes no
greater than 23,000 feet to dis-
perse the rainmaking chemicals
A number of officials con-
firnied that cloud seeding had
Nonethless, the official said,
"I understood it to be a spoil-
ing action-that this was de-
scriptive of what was going on
north of the DMZ with the
roads and the SAM sites."
Another source said that
most of the weather modifica�
tion activities eventually were
conducted with the aid and sup-
port of the South Vietnamese.
"I think we were trying to
teach the South Vietnamese how
to fly the cloud-seeding mis-
sions," the source said.
It 1,vas impwsible to learn
where the staffing and research
for the secret weather opera-;
tion were carried out. Sources1
at the Air Force Cambridge
Research Laboratories at Hans-
comb Field in nedford, Mass.,
and at the Air Weather Service
boon widely used in south via. .headquarters, while acknowl,
nam, particularly in the north .edging that they had heard of
along the Laos border. "We
tried to use it in connection
with air and ground opera-
tions," a military officer ex-
plained,
One Government official ex-
plained more explicitly that "if
you were expecting a raid from
their side, you would try to
control the weather to make
it more difficult." This official
estimated that more than half
of the actual cloud-seeding
operations in 1069 and 1970
took place in South Vietnam.
Much of the basic research
was provided by Navy scien-
tists, and the seeding operations
were flown by the Air Weather
Seri/ice of the Air Force,
13y 1907, or possibly earlier,
the Air Force. flights were orig-
inating from a special opera-
tions group at Udorn' air base
in Thailand, No more than four
C-130's, and usually only two,
were assigned in the highly
restricted section of the base.
Each plane was capable of ear-
lying out more than one mis-
sion on one flight.
One former hifth-ranking of-
ficial said in an interview that
by the end of 1971 the pro-
gram, which had been given at
least three different code names
since the middle nineteen-six,
ties, was under the direct con.
tro.1 of t.ho Wh.ite House.
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.the secret operation, said they
ha .dno information about its
research center.
One Government source did
say that a group was "now
evaluating the program to see
how much additional rain was
caused." would not elabo-
rate.
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s
NEW YORK TIMES
entagola:
ea
a
eacon.'
, WASHINGTON�Dr. Gordon J. F.
MacDonald, a prominent geophysicist
who had just completed a tour as vice
r'president of the Defense Department's
:Institute of Defense Analysis, pub-
lished in 1968 a little-noted but chilling
study on the military potential of
,ineterological warfare. He listed a num-
ber of options available to those who
'Would choose to tamper with nature.
�Among them:
c. Altering the world's temperature
by rocketing materials into the earth's
, upper atmosphere to either absorb light
, "(thereby cooling the surface below) or
..absorb outgoing heat (thereby heating
.the surface below). This technique
.could be targeted at a specific area.
o Triggering tidal waves by set-
sting off a series .of underground ex-
plosions along the edge of the Conti-
,Inental Shelf, or by producing a natural
.earthquake. A guided tidal wave could
achieved by correctly shaping the
energy-releas,e sources.
0, Changing the physical Makeup
of. the atmosphere by creating, with /
ra.! rocket or similar weapon, a "hole"
in the important ozone layer between
� and 30 miles up that is responsible
for absorbing much of the ultra-violet
light cast from the sun, Without the
.protective layer of ozone, a molecular
orris of oxygen, the radiation would
..be fatal to all human, plant and animal
life that could not take shelter in the
affected area below.
s Dr. MacDonald (who is now a
'.member of the White House Council on
eFrivironmental Quality) made it clear
� that his essay was based only on spec-
ulation. Last week, however, it became
....known that at least part of his made.-
' � , bre weather arsenal had been secretly
' �in use by the United States since the .,
.1960's. �
Air Force planes, supported by the '
' Central Intelligence 'Agency, have been
DATE 1JJ 114-r(2-. PAGE
waging a systematic war of rain on.
the infiltration trails of Laos, Cam-
bodia, North Vietnam and South Viet-
The intent: suppress enemy anti-
missile fire, provide cover for South'
Vietnamese commando teams pane-
, trating the North and hinder the
movement of men and material from
� North Vietnam into the South.
The first experimental rain-making
mission was flown by the C.I.A. in
South Vietnam in 1963, but it was not
Until 1965 that a group of Air Force
scientists officially was ordered to
start thinking of ways to turn nature
into a military tool.
' "We all sat down in a big brain-
;storming session," said one of the
scientists who participated at the Air
Force Cambridge Research Labora-
tories at Hanscomb Field near Bedford,
Mass. "The idea was to increase the
!,. rain and reduce the trafficability in all ,
of Southeast Asia." '
Within a year, the Air Force and
,,. C.I.A. began a highly secret rain-mak-
ing project over the Ho Chi Minh Trail
� .,fn Laos, known as "Operation Pop-
Eye." There were heated protests from
, the State Department, and eventually
a directive from the Secretary of De.- .
fense Robert S. McNamara ordering a '
. halt to the project. Instead, well- .
� qualified sources said last week, "it'
� Went underground�into the dark."
:From 1969 through at least early
this year, weather warfare was a
covert operation being directed by the
Joint Chiefs of Staff with White House
,'.acquiescence.
The fact that the program existed
at all came to light only last week in
The New York Times. But, despite an
extensive investigation, it could not be
learned how successful the program
had been, how many missions were
conducted or whether it was still being
used in connection with the heavy
bombing of North Vietnam that fol-
lowed the enemy offensive last April.
Making rain has long been techni-
cally feasible. Scientists have learned
ithat rain fall can be increased
by as much as 40 per cent after seed- I
ing clouds by aircraft with silver-io-
dide particles. Other chemicals, includ-
ing dry ice, also have been used with ;
success, both in the United States and
: in Southeast Asia.
' Military and Government specialists
'acknowledge that there is little precise
scientific knowledge of the short-range �
" impact of cloud seeding and practi-
none of the long-range ecological
'.effect .of changing the amount of .
natural rainfall. Some scientists have
published data suggesting that weather
'modification, in combination with
otlier ecological stresses such as air
:pollution and pesticides, may have a ,
...synergistic effect�that is, result in
collective changes far greater than
�.
�
either abuse would have caused , by ,
1�itself.
, In Indochina, where heavy bombing .
already has robbed much of the land-
scape of its natural water-holding ca-
pability by destroying foliage and trees,
' artifically induced rains may result in
far greater flooding than expectecl.,,
''.along with heavier soil erosion.
�:. Technically,: there are no interne- ,
tional agreements outlawing such war- .
fare. But Government officials made .L
clear last week that the weather-mak-
ing activity of the Air Force was �
, shielded from public view because of
White House sensitivity to what could
be regarded as the impropriety of the
;' action, The issue, one well-informed
official said, was .one in which Henry
A. Kissinger, the Presisient's national-
security adviser, took a personal hand.
"This kind of thing was a bomb," the
.1 official said, "and Henry restricted
information about it to those who had
, ,
t
� �
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