Nexus - 0225 - New Times Magazine-pages

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... GLOBAL NEWS ... NEWS Huge Drug Exposé Misses The Post It might almost be called The Greatest Story Never Told, The article was typeset and scheduled to run in today's edition of The Washington Post (29 January 1995). Tt had the enthusiastic backing of the editors and staff of the 'Sunday Outlook’ section, where it was to appear after eleven weeks of soul-searching and debate. Lawyers had gone through the text line by line. Supporting documents had been examined with meticulous care. The artwork and illustrations had been completed. The contract with the authors had been signed. Leonard Downie, the executive edi- tor of the newspaper, had given his final assent. But on Thursday morning, the piece was cancelled. It had been delayed before— so often, in fact, that its non-appearance was becoming the talk of Washington—but this time the authors were convinced that the story was doomed and would never make it into the pages of what is arguably the world’s most powerful political news- paper. They withdrew it in disgust, accusing The Post of a vever-up of the biggest scandal in American history. In stark contrast, the managing editor, Robert Kaiser, left a message on my answering machine saying that there was really nothing to “this non-existent story”. | In a subsequent conversation, he dismissed the article as a reprise of rumours and Lallegations. “I am confident that it doesn't have any great new revelations," he said. Others are less confident. A copy of the article passed to The Sunday Telegraph —not, it should be stressed, by its authors—appears to be absolutely explosive. Based on an archive of more than 2,000 documents, it says that western Arkansas | was a centre of international drug-smuggling in the early 1980s, perhaps even the’ headquarters of the biggest drug-trafficking operation in history. It asks whether hundreds of millions of dollars in profits made their way "into criminal laundering -in Arkansas’ notoriously freewheeling financial institutions and bond houses". | The activities were mixed up with a US intelligence operation at the Mena airport hin Arkansas that was smuggling weapons to the Nicaraguan Contras. Bill Clinton is not specifically accused of involvement, but he was Governor of : Arkansas at the time. The piece also notes that some of his prominent backers had been the subject of extensive investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI, and had been assigned files in NADDIS—the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Intelligence System. The article makes clear that the alleged scandal is not confined to the activities of the Arkansas political machine and Mr Clinton. It embraces the highest levels of the federal government over several years... It is clear that The Washington Post took the article extremely seriously. It was to :be run at full length—roughly 4,000 words—taking up several pages in an almost Funprecedented spread across the ‘Sunday Outlook’ section. i | The authors, Dr Roger Morris and Sally Denton, were told that they were being offered the highest fee ever paid for a contribution to ‘Outlook’. They are veteran .investigators with established reputations. Morris worked for the National Security® Council staff at the White House during the Johnson and Nixon Administrations,’ 'He has taught at Harvard and has written a series of acclaimed books on foreign policy. Denton is the former head of news agency UPI's special investigative unit, and is tthe author of The Bluegrass Conspiracy which exposed the involvement of } Kentucky political and law enforcement figures in an international arms and drug- . Smuggling ring... | The broad picture is not new to readers of The Sunday Telegraph, which pub- lished a story making some of the same points on 9th October last year. The Wall | Street Journal has also done original reporting on the subject. Morris and Denton have added fresh evidence, but the real political importance of ithe piece is the fact that it was going to run in The Washington Post. The Post still }sets the agenda in Washington and guides many US press and TV reporters on what :they are supposed to think. Up to now, The Post has conducted no more than a desultory investigation of the Mena affair, and its reporters have persistently treated it as a ludicrous conspiracy theory. (Source: Abridged from an article by Ambrose Pritchard-Evans, published in’ The Sunday Telegraph, 29 January 1995; reprinted in New Dawn #29, 1995); environmental laws which caused the death of at least one man, and the serious illness of five others from toxic fumes generated by burning leftovers of top- secret aircraft paint. Helen Frost, the litigant whose case has been taken up by Turley, alleges that her husband, who worked at the facility for ten years, came home one day, complaining: "My eyes are on fire, my face is on fire." Frost lost weight, developed rashes and weeping sores, and he finally died almost blind. Tissues from his body were analysed by Agent Orange specialist, Dr Peter Kahn. The results showed the pres- ence of highly toxic chemicals. Turley's suit alleges that all paint residues and leftovers not used were ordered burned. The resulting toxic fumes, he says, enveloped Robert Frost, resulting in his illness and death. Five other litigants have joined Helen Frost's suit, but have not been named for fear of reprisals. The complaint was heard in US District Court in Las Vegas, and a trial date is believed set for some time in May. Turley found himself opposed by a team of ten federal government lawyers who tried to have the complaint thrown out on the grounds of national security privilege. However, the judge said national security could not be used as blanket-coverage. Turley then asked a single question: "What is the name of the facility?” As yet, the government hasn't answered. If the Defense Department admits that there is such a place as Area 5] or Dreamland, it will bring the facility under the jurisdiction of the court. Turley says he will subpoena Perry, Lake and Widnall as witnesses. In the case of Perry and Widnall, Turley says that both formerly headed companies with financial ties to Area 51. Turley further stated in court papers that, “if a corporation had committed these violations at a secret conclave in which domestic laws were applicable, someone would be heading for jail right now." Soon after the case was brought to US District Court in Las Vegas, the Air Force suddenly claimed 4,500 square miles of land—including all high ground overlook- ing Area 51—to head off what may be a rush of hardy souls anxious to get a view of Dreamland. If the claim is granted, public access will disappear altogether, and Dreamland will remain Dreamland. (Source: World In Review, vol. 4, no. 2, February 1995) NEXUS ¢ 9 APRIL - MAY 1995