IN VIEW OF THE EVENTS LAST WEEK IN KINGSTON, JAMAICA, THE COVERT ACTION INFORMATION BULLETIN WISHES TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT AND CLARIFY CERTAIN IMPORTANT ISSUES REGARDING WHAT HAPPENED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00845R000100160074-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 20, 2011
• Sequence Number: 74
• Publication Date: July 9, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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ON B'iIis..L ITN
Covert Action Publications, Inc.
. P.O. Box 50272
Washington, DC 20004
[phone]
July 9, 1980
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ................
In view of the events-last week in Kingston, Jamaica, the Covert
Action Information Bulletin wishes to set the record straight-and
clarify certain important issues regarding what happened.
After-a week-long period of extensive investigation in Kingston,
we uncovered the presence there of 15 CIA personnel -- in CIA terms
a'very significant increase from the 9 people there in 1976.- This
included N. Richard Kinsman, the Chief of Station, who in fact we
had named over nine months ago in our October 1979 issue. That issue
of the Bulletin was widely distributed,both here and abroad, including
in Jamaica, where we have a number of subscribers many of whom are
working journalists. So the press conference last Wednesday was by no
means the first time Mr. Kinsman's identity was disclosed publicly.
Moreover, on. arriving in Kingston -- eight days before the press con-
ference (which we had at that time not planned on holding) -- no less
than three Jamaican journalists approached CAIB independently to dis-
cuss what they interpreted as being espionage activities on the part
of Kinsman. Only one of them had read about his identity in CAIB nine
months previously.
There are a number of sharp inconsistencies about the incident
leading us to question whether in fact the CIA may not have had a hand
in the shooting on the morning of July 3. The circumstances of the
incident require close attention.
As pointed out in the New York Times, Mr. Kinsman did not call the
police after the shooting, despite the fact that he has working rela-
tions'with a handful of high police officials. According to journalists
in Kingston, he called the Daily Gleaner, the local newspaper close to
the opposition Jamaica Labour Party, which has openly called for the
overthrow of the government, and is in many facets of its content and
format strikingly similar to El Mercurio, the newspaper in Chile which
the CIA funded as its main propaganda instrument. between 1970 and the
violent overthrow of the Salvador Allende government in 1973.
A maid working for Mr. Kinsman and living in the house where the
attack occurred, stated that she "heard a noise during the night" but
first learned of the incident only when neighbors showed her the bullet
holes later. How was she able to sleep through the noise of loud and
prolonged machinegun fire and a grenade explosion on the front lawn?
The position of the CovertAction Information Bulletin has always
been emphatic on the subject of violence. We are, and have since we
started publication two years ago and back to 1974 as well, been com-
pletely and unalterably opposed to .violence against CIA personnel. We
did not just arrive at this position since last Friday's incident; To
physically harm CIA officers is definitely not an effective way to
oppose the CIA's covert operations.? All it achieves isto give them -
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sympathy which they do not deserve. Further, all the CIA will do in
such a case is to replace the individual and then carry on its business
as usual. While obviously there are many people in Jamaica who are
against the CIA's destabilization activities in their country, their
call has consistently been for the CIA to leave Jamaica. What is more,
if the person(s) behind the shooting outside the Kinsman residence had
in fact wanted to kill him, they would have carried out the operation
in more than a half-hearted fashion.
There is now a chorus of voices trying to pin blame for the incident
on CovertAction Information Bulletin. There is as well. the CIA's long-
expressed desire to obtain passage in Congress of a pending bill that
would make it a criminal offense for anyone, including other journalists
who, like us, never worked for the CIA) to name names of intelligence
agency personnel. The net result would be to totally stifle the voices
of potential whistleblowers in government, or others outside, from dis-
cussion of-Agency activities. Given the current election-year climate,
this is precisely what those who seek to "unleash the CIA" desire.
The CIA has a lot to gain from this attempt to shoot up the home of
its top operative in Jamaica -- much more than the many Jamaicans or
Americans who-stand against CIA covert operations and intervention.
Attached is the first part of the press release issued last week
in Kingston, Jamaica. For further information, please call the above
number.
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CovertAction
Information Bulletin
1018 National Press Building
Washington, DC 20045
(202) 265-3904
PRESS RELEASE............
Kingston, Jamaica
2 July 1980
LARGE CIA STATION IN KINGSTON
For two years the CovertAction Information Bulletin
has endeavored to expose the abuses of the United States
intelligence complex--operations, "dirty tricks," and
personnel--especially of the Central Intelligence Agency.
We have, in past issues, exposed several CIA officers
stationed in Jamaica, and carried articles about what we
believe to be a_large-scale destabilization program in
operation here in Jamaica.
'As is to be expected, the U.S. government periodically
issues standard denials of these allegations, suggesting
that there is nothing out of the ordinary with respect to
U,S. operations in Jamaica. We have decided that it is im-
perative during this most dangerous period in Jamaican his-
tory to challenge these protestations in the most effective
way we can. We have-conducted an extensive and exhaustive
investigation into U.S. diplomatic personnel stationed in
Jamaica, and have confirmed that the CIA presence here is
on the rise.
In 1976, Philip Agee uncovered nine CIA members here;
we have-uncovered to date at-least fifteen, many recently
arrived. At least one senior case officer has an extensive
background in extremist, right-wing activities. Another
of the case officers here has even been assigned to work
with a Jamaican government agency. We list in this press
release all the particulars of these personnel we have been
able to ascertain, and we will elaborate in our press con-
ference.
We oppose most strenuously the unlawful interference
by the Central Intelligence Agency in the internal. affairs
of Jamaica--and all other countries, for that matter.
These people must leave Jamaica; there must be no destabili-
zation of Jamaica.. The people of Jamaica rust openly and
in the democratic political arena determine their own des-
tiny, and not be bent to the wishes of the U.S. intelligence
forces.
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Philip Agee exposed the presence in Jamaica of the CIA
Chief of Station (Norman M. Descoteaux), the Deputy Chief
of Station (Joel II. Beyer) , as well as two operations offi-
cers, two telecommunications people, two secretaries, and
two other State Department officers whom he assessed as
being involved in some way with the CIA's operations in
Jamaica.
Between that time and 1979, the CIA has-assigned one
Chief of Station (Dean J. Almy, Jr.), and at least two
operations officers, three telecomrunications people, and
two secretaries to Kingston.
At present, there has been a major increase in the size
of the CIA Station. The composition of the Station now is
as follows:
- The Chief of Station;
- the Deputy Chief of Station;
- five operations officers (including one former Deputy
Chief of Station here from 1976-78 who returned to
the island recently, and is now assisting in current
operations);
two telecommications officers, plus one due to arrive
within the next two weeks;
and five secretaries and record-keepers.
In addition, there is one actual Foreign Service offi-
cer who performs some joint activities with the CIA
Station, though he is apparently not a CIA officer.
The total CIA complement at the Station then is fifteen
people, plus the State Department person who helps out on a
part-time basis. It must also be stated that this is,..'
unfortunately, only a partial list. Some may have suddenly
left Jamaica in the past few days in anticipation of being
identified.- most for the first time, a few who were pro-
Viously identified for the second time. Additional CIA
personnel have in all likelihood come to Jamaica recently
to take over the operations of the ones who abruptly left.
Other CIA people may prove more difficult to uncover -- be
they business people, missionaries, tourists, retired people,
or under some other form of "deep cover."
There is in the Kingston station' as in all CIA bases
under diplomatic cover around the world ,.a division of intel-
ligence operations tasks along particular lines of specialty,
including labor, youth and students, media, military and
-paramilitary or police work, liaison with rightist groups,
etc. This division will be made according to the training
and-experience of the personnel'at the Station.
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