LETTER TO MR. EDWARD STEPHENSON FROM(Sanitized)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R001500020007-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 10, 2004
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: March 10, 1978
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2004/07/08 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R001500020007-7
THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
Office of Legislative Counsel
OLC: 78-0692/a
Mr. Edward Stephenson
General Government Division
General Accounting Office
Washington, D.C. 20548
. Dear Mr. Stephenson:
/9.
We have completed our review of your draft report entitled,
"Drug Control Efforts in South America Having Limited Success--
Future Outlook also Dim." We have found the report to be well written
and accurate overall, although we strongly recommend that the following
changes be incorporated in your final report.
"CIA's primary focus is on the collection of strategic intelligence
information of use in the formulation of narcotics control policies.
The Agency also provides useful tactical narcotics information
to DEA concerning foreign traffickers and their supporting
networks. "
and the following substituted:
information which is not, in fact, the case. The CIA emphasis is on the
collection of strategic intelligence information such as trends, sources
of supply and foreign governmental corruption. We collect and report
tactical information, generally speaking, as a by-product of our field
operations which are themselves designed to gather information to be
utilized in the formulation of narcotics control policies. It is our
recommendation that the sentence, "In addition, the CIA provides drug
intelligence to DEA," appearing in your report on page 15 be deleted
The report emphasizes the paucity of usable tactical narcotics
intelligence information and the lack of analysis of the information that
is collected. The report also gives the impression that DEA and CIA
share equal responsibility for the collection of tactical narcotics
With regard to the lack of analysis of narcotics information, CIA
and DEA are currently working on a joint effort in Washington to produce
a series of in-depth profiles on major cocaine trafficking networks. The
STAT first of these studies, F_ I
STA has been forwarded to the field. We recommend that following
"Where intelligence data had been gathered,. for the most part, it had not
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been analyzed," which appears on page 15 of the report a footnote be
added as follows:
"It is encouraging to note, however, that CIA and DEA are
currently working on a joint effort in Washington to analyze
and collate all of the available information concerning the
most prominent cocaine networks trafficking in South America.
This material is being included in a series of in-depth profiles
of the major cocaine trafficking networks to support ongoing
investigations."
We wish to note an apparent typographical error on page 16, line
two. The word "collected" should more appropriately be replaced by
the word "collated."
In regard to the cocaine estimates cited on page ii of the Digest and
page 10 of the report, we suggest that GAO contact the Office of Drug
Abuse Policy, as they recently produced a collation of estimates of
cocaine and heroin consumption and production which we believe to be
the best figures now available.
We appreciate the opportunity to present our comments and offer
no objections to the publishing of the report with the above recommended
changes.
Sincerely,
Acting Legislative Counsel
SA/DO/O (D
STAT C/PCS INART
STAT 'CS
Distribution:
Original - Addressee
1 - OLC Subject
1 - OLC Chrono
OLC:MDC:mlg (2 March 1978)
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