The entire Agents and Assets script is available for download in pdf format.
THE CHAIRMAN (Mr Goss):
Good afternoon. The committee will come to order for today's
hearing to review the report of the CIA Inspector General regarding
allegations made in a 1996 newspaper series that the CIA was involved in
the trafficking of crack cocaine to California during the 1980's.
how we intend to proceed. The House National Security Committee has
graciously allowed us the use of this room, and we appreciate it. We have
been advised, however, that our lease on this space does expire at
approximately 5 o'clock, and we are planning that our proceedings will
end accordingly.
At the conclusion of my opening statement, I will recognize my
colleagues on the committee for opening remarks, and then we will hear
from other members of Congress. We will then proceed with the
testimony of Mr Frederick P. Hitz, the Inspector General of the CIA,
beginning his presentation no later than 4 p.m. I thank all present today in
assisting us in sticking to this schedule.
Today's hearing marks an important step in the ongoing process of
inquiry the Intelligence Committee has undertaken to assess the validity of
highly serious allegations presented in a series of articles published in the
San Jose Mercury News in 1996.
These articles detailed allegations that the CIA was involved with or
was somehow complicit in the trafficking of crack cocaine to California
during the 1980's. The articles further allege that the proceeds from those
transactions were used to assist in financing the activities of the
resistance movement in Nicaragua, known to most of us simply as the
Contras.
This committee undertook an investigation into these charges in the
fall of 1996. During this time, two separate Inspector General
investigations have been conducted. The CIA IG's review, which is the
subject of today's hearing, and the Department of justice's review, which
is yet to be released. I believe that the CIA IG has presented our
committee with a solid body of work and we intend to consider his
conclusions very carefully.