Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
CIA-RDP90-00552R000100460001-1
Body:
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/21: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100460001-1
BALTIMORE NEWS-AMERICAN (MD)
16 August 1985
Your CIA in (in)action
Col. Charlie Beckwith, the John
Wayne-like former Green Be-
ret - he commanded the 1980
hostage-rescue effort that came
to grief in the Iranian desert - is out of
the Army now and in the security busi-
ness, whatever that means. Last year in
Miami he was approached by some Latin
American types, including a general who
is now the Honduran military attache in
Chile: Beckwith and another former offi-
cer say the general and his friends want-
ed help in assassinating the Honduran
president.
Beckwith wasted no time in telling
the CIA - or at least trying tell the
CIA. The CIA man he knew best was on
vacation but even when the man re-
turned, a secretary told Beckwith sorry,
he can't see you for a week. 'This is a
hell of a way to run a railroad," said
Beckwith. Beckwith and the other for-
mer officer flew to Washington anyway
and finally got to see some CIA officials
- who said they'd rather turn the mat-
ter over to the FBI. Happily the FBI set
up an undercover operation: Two men
have been indicted and will stand trial.
The Honduran general remains in Chile.
The obvious question: Does the CIA
habitually show such a lack of interest
,when somebody of Beckwith's stature
approaches it claiming to have vital in-
formation?
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/21: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100460001-1