LETTER TO THE HONORABLE LES ASPIN FROM RICHARD HELMS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M01048A001500020008-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 7, 2005
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: June 28, 1972
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2005/03/09 : CIA-RDP80MO1048AO01500020008-8
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
The Honorable Les Aspin 1
House of Representatives
Washington, D. C. 20515
Dear Mr. Aspin:
~'A
The Congressional Record of June 27, 1972, carries a letter
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 results. In this connection, I
call to your attention the testimony of Mr. Nelson Gross, Senior Advisor
to the Secretary of State and Coordinator f r International Narcotics Mat-
ters, before the Congressional Inquiry Re arding International Narcotics
Traffic on June 9, 1972. He there quoted Air America, Managing Di-
rector's statement that Mr. Alfred McCoy's allegation before the
that Air America aircraft have been trans-
porting opium in or ern Laos is "utterly and absolutely false. "
In the interim, I wish to reiterate strongly what I have said pub-
licly to the American Society of Newspaper Editors:
"There is the arrant nonsense that the Central Intelligence Agency
is somehow involved in the world drug traffic. We are not. As
fathers, we are as concerned about the lives of our children and
grandchildren, as are all of you. As an Agency, in fact, we 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 Congressman Charles Gubser cited a letter from
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 Approved For Release 2005/03/09 : CIA-RDP80MO1048AO01500020008-8
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 issued the
strongest instructions, and have most vigorously enforced them, to
prohibit any inadvertent use of CIA facilities. by narcotics smugglers.
In the light of these well-established positions, we find it dis -
appointing to be subjected to the type of public allegation represented
by -graduate student McCoy's assertions of "new evidence, " the innuendo
in which can only dishearten CIA personnel of honor and integrity working
against this nefarious trade..
Sincerely,
Richard Helms
Director
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