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(editor's Note: nvjWmwg apr/iite afrr internal 'tie only arid KzpoiuU lo thewofw stories alvnt the killings inheniencin citizen Michaelf Ukeh llutt the mediat conlinue lo run stories nlwit Ciialem.va for tit foist the next several daus. In Ihe meantime, tins update is Iving fwUcAjCf CIA employers.*
Accounts of th* tragic death* ot* Michael Devine and Efrain Bamaca Vebfqwi have implied and in some cases stated that :he Central Intelligence Agency lied- purposely withhold information, or was implicitlyin theseuch accounts are wrong and mislead the American public.
Recognizing thai independent confir-malion of the acts would be needed. Ihe Acting Director of Central Intelligence directed onhat the CIA's Inspector Generalhorough investigation of the alleged relationship oetween CIA and Guatemalan officials. That effort is well underway and should be completed ineeks. The current level of misunderstanding demands, however, that we provide an accounting of the facts that are available atime. However, the conclusions contained in
I thii commentary are consistent with the IC
1 inquiry to date.
Charges thatithheld information or that it is "out of control" are without foun-datioa The Agency fulfult its mission at the direction of the President; its function* and performance are determined by law and moniioted by Congress.
Questions about whether we should be operating in Latin America disregard the fact that the United Slates has extensive national interests in that region of the world. The
on Guatemala Case
Intelligence Community's role there, asis 'o support US policymakers by providing informationide range of issues, including drug trafficking, political and military trends, active insurgencies, and human rights issues. Importantly, had it not been for its intelligence collection capabilities, the US government still would know virtually nothing about the circumstancesIhe deaths of Michael Devine and Efrain Bamaca Vylasquez.
In developing sources or information, our intelligence services must deal with many types of people, including some ofcharacter. These often are the only people with access to important informationillingness to share it with the L'SOn occasion, intelligence assets take action that is neither directed nor condoned by us and is in direct contravention of US law. When that occurs. Agency policies require that such relationships be ended and that possible violations of US criminal law be reported to the appropriate US law enforcement
US intelligence agencies have several independent statutory responsibilities with respect to possible violations of US criminal taw. One is to report the facts to theUS authorities. .Another is to protect sources and methods, an obligation that often limits our ability to make public allacquiredhird is to keep our oversight committees in Congress rully and currently informed
In the cases of Michael Define and Efrain Bamaca Velasouez. CIA fulfilled these responsibilities with the exception of itsfailure, as noted below, to inform
jjrvs* inimely fashionome porting on (ho cWalh of Michael Devine.
Inc.isc or" Michael Devine. who was murdered inft
CIA received ^formation concerning Devine's death in0 and promptly disseminated it to the appropriate US authorities. This information helped lead to the arrest and conviction by the Guatemalan governmentumber ol those involved.
Inhe CIA receivedinformation about anotherpossibly involved in Devine's death. This information was provided promptly lo appropriate L'S authorities.etter containing further details to the Department of Justice on.
Basedearch to date of1 records, it appears that CIA may not have briefed either one or both of ouroversight commiHees on theof possible violations of US criminal law. We should have done so, and we are discussing this matter with the committees.
In the case of Efrain Bamaca Velasquez, who was murdered in or about1
CLA received intelligence reporting on the disappearance and possible death of Bamaca in the spring2 throughe received conflicting reports; some indicated that he was dead, some that he was alive. This information was disseminated immediately to the appropriate officials and agencies.
InA received credible new reporting with miornutkm regarding Bamaca 's death and the circumstances ot his death. This imorrnation wasimmediately to the National Security Council staff, the Department of State, and a
number of other government .liMKk*.
The National Security Councilomplete review of the new information which had not been corroborated and which conflicted with previous informal ion. also widely disseminated within classified consumer channels. Two days later. CIA's completed analysis was provided to both the National Security Council staff and the State Department.
The CIA worked quickly and closely with the National Security Council staff and the State Department lo clear the information for useemarche to the Guatemalan government in early
By earlyIA had briefed the starts of both oversight committees, as well as the Chairman and ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, about this information.
It is appropriate and desirable that CIA's performance be examined. When the Inspector General's report is completed, it will be made available to the Administration and the intelligence oversight committees. Within the necessary constraints imposed on CIAhe statutory obligations to protect classified information, the results of that report will be made available to the American public
The inability to discuss publicly all the facts involved in this case has made CIA the target of inaccurate charges that it has acted irresponsibly and withheld information from appropriate recipients.is responsible for providing all information concerning possible crimes to the appropriate US executive branch authorities; in the cases of Devine and Bamaca, it has done soimely fashion. It is the responsibility of those authorities topossible violations of US criminal law and to determine how the information should be used in lepresentations to foreign govem-ments^ftMfaeWWffflJllLlJIlL 'I'llLR-
Original document.
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