September 24, 1971
Page 33266
PROPOSED WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF DRUG CONTROL
Mr. RIBICOFF. Mr. President, this statement is being made on behalf of the distinguished Senator from Maine (Mr. MUSKIE) and myself.
No problem is more serious or frustrating in this country than the problem of drug abuse. For 3 months, our Subcommittees of the Government Operations Committee have jointly been considering proposals to coordinate the Federal drug control and treatment effort through a White House Office of Drug Control.
A major question is what functions this office is to have. The administration's proposal is to exclude completely from the concerns of the White House office law enforcement policy and questions involving international traffic in drugs. The administration argues that these matters are better handled by the Department of Defense, the Justice Department, and other agencies.
Letters to me recently have cast great doubt on this position. In response to questioning by Senator MUSKIE concerning the involvement of officials of Southeast Asian countries in narcotics trafficking, Attorney General Mitchell told the subcommittees on July 7 that–
The fact of the matter is that there has been involvement by government officials in some of these countries ...
And he added that our Government had "identified some of them." He further stated that "programs and initiatives" had been taken to remedy these situations.
The Attorney General offered to provide the facts supporting these statements at an executive session of our subcommittees. Because of the importance of this question, we also invited the Secretaries of State and Defense and the Director of the CIA to discuss this problem with us. The implications for treatment programs for servicemen and veterans in Southeast Asia and the United States were serious enough to merit detailed consideration.
The administration's responses to our invitations have been troubling and lead us to conclude that many of the activities of the Department of Defense and the Justice Department in the narcotics field must be among the matters considered by any White House office.
Secretary Laird has informed me that the Department of Defense has "no personnel qualified to testify in regard to the problem of international drug traffic." Drug abuse is certainly one of the major problems facing the Armed Forces in Vietnam. Yet the Department apparently had no personnel able to tell us where these drugs come from and how they are transported into Vietnam and sold to American servicemen. This is certainly the kind of situation that a White House office should be able to look into. Then last week, Deputy Attorney General Kleindienst refuted the Attorney General's earlier comments by writing: We do not have any specific evidence which links any high official in the Southeast Asian countries with the narcotic traffic there. The Justice Department either has the information to back up the Attorney General's statements or it does not. If it does, we believe the Attorney General has an obligation to come before the committee and share the information with us, as he promised. If the Department does not have the information, the Attorney General should explain his earlier statements to our subcommittees and the public.
In either event, it is clear that no meaningful program of drug control can exclude from the consideration of the White House the problems of law enforcement and the international trafficking in drugs. The bill to be reported out by our subcommittees should reflect this fact.
I ask unanimous consent to have the exchange of correspondence with the Defense Department and the Department of Justice included at this point in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the correspondence was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
SUBCOMMITTEE INVITATION TO EXECUTIVE SESSION
(Identical letters sent to above mentioned departments and agency)
JULY 9, 1971.
Hon. JOHN N. MITCHELL,
Department o f Justice,
Washington, D.C.
DEAR Mr. ATTORNEY GENERAL: At the July 7 joint hearings of the Subcommittees on Intergovernmental Relations and Executive Reorganization and Government Research,
you stated that you believe an executive session of the two subcommittees would be the appropriate vehicle for discussion of the complicity of top Laotian, Thai and Vietnamese officials in the drug traffic in Southeast Asia.
Certainly, as the President has indicated in his recent message to Congress, our Nation can have no greater priority than stamping out drug traffic both here at home and among our servicemen in Southeast Asia.
The alleged participation of officials in the governments of our allies in Southeast Asia in the heroin traffic that is infesting American troops in South Vietnam is a matter of the greatest concern. It is imperative that the members of the two subcommittees considering the President's new drug legislation know what part officials of allied governments are playing in the drug traffic and what steps our government is taking and can take to stop that illegal activity.
For that reason, we are requesting that you, along with Secretary of State Rogers, Defense Secretary Laird, and CIA Director Helms, appear before our two subcommittees in executive session at the earliest possible date to discuss this critical situation. Thank you for your co-operation.
Sincerely,
ABRAHAM RIBICOFF, Chairman,
Subcommittee on Executive Reorganization and Government Research.
EDMUND S. MUSKIE, Chairman,
Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT RESPONSE
JULY 23, 1971.
Hon. ABRAHAM RIBICOFF,
Chairman, Subcommittee on Executive Reorganization and Government Research,
Committee on Government Operations,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, D.C.
DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Secretary of Defense has asked me to respond to your letter of July 9, requesting his appearance before your Subcommittee to testify with respect to foreign drug traffic.
This is to advise you that there are no personnel in the Department of Defense qualified to testify in regard to the problem of international drug traffic and we will, therefore, be unable to provide a witness as you have requested.
By separate letter Senator Muskie has been advised of the foregoing.
Sincerely,
RADY A. JOHNSON,
Assistant to the Secretary for Legislative Affairs.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT RESPONSE
SEPTEMBER 13, 1971.
Hon. ABRAHAM A. RIBICOFF,
Chairman, Subcommittee on Executive Reorganization and Government Research,
Committee on Government Operations,
U.S. Senate,
Washington D.C.
DEAR SENATOR: This is in reference to your letter of July 19, 1971, inviting the Attorney General to appear, along with Secretary of State Rogers, Defense Secretary Laird, and CIA Director Helms, before an executive session of the Subcommittee on Executive Reorganization and Government Research and the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations to discuss the complicity of top Laotian, Thai and Vietnamese officials in the drug traffic in Southeast Asia.
The delay in the response to this invitation was occasioned by our efforts to canvass the various sources of information to determine what pertinent facts are available.
Certainly, allegations of complicity on the part of some public officials have come to our attention. At the same time, however, we do not have any specific evidence which links any high official in the Southeast Asian countries with the narcotic traffic there. Thus, we do not feel that it would be appropriate to testify. Further, even a closed session on the subject could fan unfounded rumors and cause possible international repercussions.
You are correct in your assessment of the problem of drug traffic among our servicemen as being most urgent. The ready supply of heroin in Vietnam is a very real problem.
The United States Government has taken a very active role in encouraging the South Vietnamese Government to reduce the supply of heroin. Moreover, the United States military is responding to this problem, not only in Vietnam, but on a worldwide basis. It is taking decisive actions to identify servicemen who are using heroin, to detoxify those dependent on heroin, and to offer further rehabilitation to those who need additional assistance.
Let me express our appreciation for the prompt attention which you have given the Administration's important proposal to establish the Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention.
Sincerely,
RICHARD G. KLEINDIENST,
Deputy Attorney General.