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New Report: CIA Lied About Missionary Plane Shot Down Over Peru
In 2001, the
Peruvian Air Force shot down a plane flying over the Amazon after
receiving information from the CIA that the plane was trafficking
in narcotics. It wasn't. It was filled with Christian
missionaries. The attack resulted in the death of 35-year-old
Veronica Bowers and her infant daughter Charity. The CIA was
working with the government of Peru as part of a program to
intercept drug planes en route—another part of our disastrous drug
interdiction efforts in Latin America.
Seven years later, CIA Inspector General John Helgerson has issued a blistering report finding that the CIA repeatedly lied and covered up details about the intercept program, about the downing of Bowers' plane, and about other incidents that never made the news.
Unfortunately much of Helgerson's report is classified, so the conclusions, while damning, are frustratingly lacking in detail. Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), whose district Bowers was from, is trying to get the entire report declassified. Here are a few excerpts from what's been released to the public [pdf]:
The plane, following the Amazon River in its westward journey in daylight, was tracked by a CIA aircraft as a suspected narcotrafficker and was fired on by the Peruvian Air Force. The mother and infant were killed; the American pilot was seriously wounded. Within hours, CIA officers began to characterize the shootdown as a one-time mistake in an otherwise well-run program. In fact, this was not the case.
[...]The routine disregard of the required intercept procedures in the ABDP led to the rapid shooting down of target aircraft without adequate safeguards to protect against the loss of innocent life. Key Peruvian and American participants in the program told OIG that, in many cases, performing the required procedures would have taken time and might have resulted in the escape of the target aircraft. In addition, because the required procedures to establish contact with a target aircraft were difficult to conduct, it was easier to shoot the aircraft down than to force it down. The result was that, in many cases, suspect aircraft were shot down within two to three minutes of being sighted by the Peruvian fighter – without being properly identified, without being given the required warnings to land, and without being given time to respond to such warnings as were given to land.
[Emphasis in original.]
In other words, the risk of the loss of innocent life was acceptable if it meant more efficient ways of inhibiting the delivery of narcotics. Lying to Congress and the exeuctive? All worth it. Because it's all about stopping people from getting high.
Collateral damage—and let's face it, that's how the CIA and federal drug warriors view Veronica and Charity Bowers—has always been an accepted part of drug prohibition, but this callous disregard for the loss of life and human rights seems particularly egregious in our foreign interdiction efforts. See the House of Death case, where federal agents looked the other way while one of their Mexican informants participated in a series of brutal and entirely preventable murders. See our pre-September 11 anti-narcotics alliance with the Taliban, or our continued drug interdiction aid to Thailand after the government mass executed thousands of suspected drug offenders, sans trial.
My favorite most recent example is an op-ed in the Arizona Daily Star by a former DHS counter-narcotics official insisting that the increasingly bloody and brutal drug-related killing in Mexico is a sign that the U.S. and Mexico are "winning" the drug war. Because what's a few thousand dead Mexicans if we can point to a 19 percent drop in the use of cocaine here in the U.S.?
Bingo|11.21.08 @ 11:20AM|#
But think of all the lives that have been saved from this program! Our children would all be junkies if it weren't for the sacrifices that the CIA makes.
|11.21.08 @ 11:22AM|#
I'm still not understanding the concept of "shoot down planes that might be trafficking drugs". Isn't that the equivalent of firing a machine gun into a car that might have drugs in it?
|11.21.08 @ 11:25AM|#
Radley-
There was a story (AP, I assume) in my local paper, yesterday,
about a police officer (FBI agent?) killed in a dawn drug raid in
Pennsylvania.
Do you have details/ post?
CIA|11.21.08 @ 11:29AM|#
So we missed the fall of the Soviet Union, said we were sure
we'd find WMD in Iraq, and got a few God-botherers killed. So
what.
But by God, if one of our agents working at a desk in Langley sends
her husband on a trip to Niger, who then goes all over national TV
lying about it, we will spare no effort to find the evildoers
responsible for leaking her name!
Won\'t somebody please think o|11.21.08 @ 11:32AM|#
You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs! I mean, sure this might have SEEMED to have been a missionary flight and not a drug-running flight, but HOW COULD WE KNOW! We should be shooting down MORE planes, just to be sure. Since Miami's the hub for most of the drugs coming in and out of America, I say we shoot down every plane taking off from or trying to land at MIA. It's the only way to be sure.
Just Plain Brian|11.21.08 @ 11:34AM|#
P Brooks, it was in his Morning Links on The Agitator yesterday.
|11.21.08 @ 11:37AM|#
Because what's a few thousand dead Mexicans if we can point
to a 19 percent drop in the use of cocaine here in the
U.S.?
Silly Radley, Mexicans aren't people; they're not even semi-human
like Canadians. So what's a few dead ones to the US Government?
|11.21.08 @ 11:40AM|#
J P B- thanks.
I only scanned the first few paragaphs of the story I saw.
*******
Those darn South American oppressors, and their evil human rights
abuses! We must prevent them, at all costs, from selling their
goofy flapped hats in our country!
CIA Barbie|11.21.08 @ 11:42AM|#
performing the required procedures would have taken time and
might have resulted in the escape of the target aircraft. In
addition, because the required procedures to establish contact with
a target aircraft were difficult to conduct, it was easier to shoot
the aircraft down than to force it down.
Procedures are hard!
Doug|11.21.08 @ 11:43AM|#
Now I'm confused. I thought the elimination of religious wingnuts was supposed to be a good thing.
Bingo|11.21.08 @ 11:48AM|#
Wow this policy sure is expensive and awful! Well, it's okay I
suppose... as long as it's for ________.
-Average American Voter
Fill in the blank:
A) the children
B) the economy
C) our noble troops
D) our boys in blue
E) senior citizens
F) sick people
|11.21.08 @ 11:49AM|#
What's really nice is that the arbitrary abuse of power at the FBI, CIA, ATF, etc. just keeps humming happily along no matter who occupies the White House. Here's some change that I could believe in, Mr. Obama. Gonna do anything about it?
disgusted|11.21.08 @ 11:51AM|#
From the link:
"We cannot have a community that operates outside the law and
covers up what it does and lies to Congress," Hoekstra said
today.
It is oddly gratifying to read that these words came from Hoekstra,
even if I don't expect their full implication to play out in
Hoekstra other work on the House Intelligence Committee.
As for the incident itself...Well, I don't read Radley Balko posts
to brighten my day.
Zeb|11.21.08 @ 11:52AM|#
I'm still not understanding the concept of "shoot down
planes that might be trafficking drugs". Isn't that the equivalent
of firing a machine gun into a car that might have drugs in
it?>/i>
Shut up Episiarch. Don't give them any ideas.
Other Matt|11.21.08 @ 12:08PM|#
Where's joe to justify this kind of stuff as proper application of violence?
Johnny Nowhere|11.21.08 @ 12:10PM|#
the CIA lied?
I'm shocked, shocked!!
fortunately, Obama will make sure this never happens again.
|11.21.08 @ 12:17PM|#
I read the link from the Agitator. That FBI agent was a fucking
SAINT! I anticipate a National Day of Mourning in his name.
I shouldn't be a dick, but his death was stupid and unnecessary,
and a woman will in all likelihood spend the rest of her life in
prison for no good reason. Why couldn't those dumb fucks just walk
into his office in the middle of the day and arrest him?
CIA Barbie|11.21.08 @ 12:20PM|#
Flight 93 was shot down.
Fucking no-good drugrunners. Serves 'em right.
My nails look fabulous!
Just Plain Brian|11.21.08 @ 12:26PM|#
Why couldn't those dumb fucks just walk into his office in the middle of the day and arrest him?
Exactly. And all the talk about them expecting a fight from the guy
only reinforces that point.
|11.21.08 @ 12:42PM|#
Quiet arrests don't make the news. If you don't get noticed cracking skulls, how can you justify buying those reinforced boots?
|11.21.08 @ 12:57PM|#
Flight 93 was shot down.
With ultra super top secret particle beam weapons.
By the Romulans.
|11.21.08 @ 1:00PM|#
I'm still not understanding the concept of "shoot down
planes that might be trafficking drugs". Isn't that the equivalent
of firing a machine gun into a car that might have drugs in
it?
Yeah. What's your point?
|11.21.08 @ 1:02PM|#
Another happy thought which occurrs to me; not only will they charge the wife, who is alleged to have fired the fatal shot, with first degree murder, but probably the husband, too. Because Agent Whosis was killed as they were both committing the "crime" of being invaded by the police. Maybe they'll charge the children, and try them as adults.
|11.21.08 @ 1:03PM|#
New Report: CIA Lied About Missionary Plane Shot Down Over
Peru
When I first read this, I thought it said "News Report," and I
wondered how "Dog Bites Man" could qualify as news.
|11.21.08 @ 1:03PM|#
With ultra super top secret particle beam weapons.
By the Romulans.
The Romulans wouldn't dare breach the Neutral Zone for this. Unless
they were posing as Vulcans...
|11.21.08 @ 1:05PM|#
J sub D | November 21, 2008, 12:57pm | #
Flight 93 was shot down.
With ultra super top secret particle beam weapons.
By the Romulans.
Don't be such an idiot. Everyone knows it was the Rigelians. The
Autonarch Faction, to be precise.
Just Plain Brian|11.21.08 @ 1:08PM|#
Doubt all you want, but tell me this - why was there not a single Romulan on board Flight 93?
tarran|11.21.08 @ 1:12PM|#
You know what the big difference between the mafia and the U.S.
government is?
The mafia steals less, kills fewer people and generally avoids
killing women and children. ;)
|11.21.08 @ 1:13PM|#
Doubt all you want, but tell me this - why was there not a
single Romulan on board Flight 93?
Uh...transporters and cloaking devices, dude. It's the sneaky
Romulan way.
|11.21.08 @ 1:19PM|#
No, no... the Romulan embassy called them that morning and told them not to go to work. They all went uptown for a bagel and a nice schmear.
Just Plain Brian|11.21.08 @ 1:21PM|#
Uh...transporters and cloaking devices, dude. It's the sneaky Romulan way.
Sure, but the Vulcans know that, and they know we know that. Maybe
it was Vulcans, pretending to be Romulans pretending to be
Vulcans!
|11.21.08 @ 1:22PM|#
Who invented the cloaking device?
The Romulans. If you watched the episode Balance of Terror (I know
you did), you know they have to unmask to engage with weapons. This
explains how all of the eyewitnesses, folks who routinely stare at
commercial flights overhead, managed to be eyewitnesses to the
engagement.
|11.21.08 @ 1:27PM|#
Sure, but the Vulcans know that, and they know we know that.
Maybe it was Vulcans, pretending to be Romulans pretending to be
Vulcans!
Only Kirk can beat a Vulcan at 3-D chess, dude, so you trying to
out-think them is pointless.
they have to unmask to engage with weapons
The Romulans were the second gunman on the grassy knoll!
Just Plain Brian|11.21.08 @ 1:30PM|#
Only Kirk can beat a Vulcan at 3-D chess, dude
True, but there's not a Vulcan alive I can't destroy at Dance,
Dance Revolution!
|11.21.08 @ 1:40PM|#
True, but there's not a Vulcan alive I can't destroy at
Dance, Dance Revolution!
Dance, Dance Revolution is not logical.
Naga Sadow|11.21.08 @ 1:43PM|#
Whoa! This thread has descended into a "swirling miasma" of nerdiness. Epi, what are you? Some kind of coked up nerd?
Just Plain Brian|11.21.08 @ 1:44PM|#
Dance, Dance Revolution is not logical.
Hence my dominance over Vulcans, because I'm definitely not any
good at it.
Just Plain Brian|11.21.08 @ 1:45PM|#
Some kind of coked up nerd?
Wow, you say that as if it were a bad thing to be.
Naga Sadow|11.21.08 @ 1:49PM|#
Just Plain Brian,
Just throwing some insults towards Epi. Picture Dennis from Always
Sunny in Philadelphia in that episode where he and Dee are on
smack. That's the way I picture Episiarch.
|11.21.08 @ 1:49PM|#
Epi, what are you? Some kind of coked up nerd?
Nerd is inapplicable to someone with my looks, Naga. Coked-up
asshole probably works better.
|11.21.08 @ 1:50PM|#
This thread has descended into a "swirling
miasma" of nerdiness.
Been waiting all day to use that, or did you fit in it somewhere
last night?
|11.21.08 @ 1:50PM|#
19% reduction in cocaine use? That's easy to figure out, the pin-striped bandits can't afford it after losing their jobs. Cocaine is a hell-uv-a-drug and it ain't cheap.
Naga Sadow|11.21.08 @ 1:53PM|#
SugarFree,
I was unable to use the phrase at work yesterday. Almost no
customers. Made a whopping $117 and I didn't wanna waste it on
buying some of my co-workers dictionaries. Still . . . props to you
for introducing the phrase to me.
Just Plain Brian|11.21.08 @ 1:53PM|#
Picture Dennis from Always Sunny in Philadelphia in that episode where he and Dee are on smack.
I haven't seen that episode yet - I only started watching recently
as a result of the talk about the show here, but I do plan to watch
all of them eventually.
|11.21.08 @ 1:54PM|#
Picture Dennis from Always Sunny in Philadelphia in that
episode where he and Dee are on smack. That's the way I picture
Episiarch.
Dee: When you become a veterinarian, will you buy me head shots,
please?
Dennis: (yelling at a dog) Hey, hey, get outta here, you piece of
shit! (to Dee) Yeah, I'll buy you stuff. I'll buy you lots of
things. I'm definitely gonna buy a bunch of crack.
Just Plain Brian|11.21.08 @ 1:56PM|#
19% reduction in cocaine use? That's easy to figure out, the pin-striped bandits can't afford it after losing their jobs
I'd figure you could cut out 19% by simply being stingy with that
one person (different person each time) who simply "doesn't have
any cash on them, and will get you back later".
I mean, so I've read.
Naga Sadow|11.21.08 @ 2:02PM|#
J P B,
I don't wanna spoil that episode for ya but you gotta watch it.
It's the one entitled "Dee and Dennis go on Welfare".
|11.21.08 @ 2:05PM|#
I only started watching recently as a result of the talk
about the show here, but I do plan to watch all of them
eventually.
Go to hulu.com and you can watch that episode (and many
others).
Just Plain Brian|11.21.08 @ 2:07PM|#
I don't wanna spoil that episode for ya but you gotta watch it. It's the one entitled "Dee and Dennis go on Welfare".
Thanks, I'll see if I can find a place to download it.
Don't worry about revealing spoilers, though, I don't really care
for surprises anyway.
Just Plain Brian|11.21.08 @ 2:07PM|#
Go to hulu.com and you can watch that episode (and many others).
I'll check it out. Thanks for the tip!
|11.21.08 @ 2:15PM|#
Naga,
Lovecraft is a fantastic source for funny sounding archaic
terminology, if you've never indulged. It's all "eldritch" this and
"horripilation" that.
Naga Sadow|11.21.08 @ 2:17PM|#
WHAT!!! Are you doubting my Lovecraft credentials? I own just about everything he ever wrote! That's a lot of insanity, chaos, and troubling words that I don't entirely understand or care to look up! Horripilation sounds worth it though.
|11.21.08 @ 2:20PM|#
Naga,
Not at all, but some of you kids these days don't like to read.
What with your World of Witchcraft and your Facialbook.
Naga Sadow|11.21.08 @ 2:21PM|#
Well . . . god damn . . . goose bumps? Gonna use that word
tonight in front of the co-workers and tell em' "it's a me-chung
word, don't worry your little Asian heads about it.
*I bartend in the Asian fusion retaurant in my casino now*
**me-chung means white people**
Naga Sadow|11.21.08 @ 2:24PM|#
I don't have the inclination for video games that a lot of my generation have. I was an avid bookworm till I lost my virginity at 14. Since then my free time is either reading, homework, drinking, or trying to get laid. Not a lot in between for me.
Just Plain Brian|11.21.08 @ 2:29PM|#
Go drink some cranberry juice.
Give him a break, clearly he's on his period.
Just Plain Brian|11.21.08 @ 2:33PM|#
It helps with the bloating. I was trying to be helpful.
Gotcha, my bad. It appears I have much to learn about
menstruation.
|11.21.08 @ 2:33PM|#
It helps with the bloating. I was trying to be
helpful.
Some laxatives and a saline enema would work wonders.
|11.21.08 @ 2:35PM|#
It appears I have much to learn about
menstruation.
I wish I did. Never get married, dude.
Naga Sadow|11.21.08 @ 2:40PM|#
SugarFree,
When you said "Facialbook" I had a different type of facial in
mind. Also, most of the workers in my restaurant are Korean and
Vietnamese.
|11.21.08 @ 2:42PM|#
I didn't know an actual site existed, I figured facebook would be cybersquatting on the eddress just to keep people from putting up the sticky-fun type of facial.
Naga Sadow|11.21.08 @ 2:51PM|#
SugarFree,
Same here. I would be very surprised if such a site doesn't exist
however.
Just Plain Brian|11.21.08 @ 2:52PM|#
Ok, just finished, good call on the episode Naga Sadow.
"We shouldn't be calling Hector or Wallace or any other large
pimp"
Douglas Gray|11.21.08 @ 3:10PM|#
Suppose the plane did have drugs aboard, but one of the drug lords has has his 4 yr. old daughter aboard? Is it worth it to kill a child just to bring down a drug shipment? Not in my book.
|11.21.08 @ 3:16PM|#
Suppose the plane did have drugs aboard, but one of the drug lords has has his 4 yr. old daughter aboard? Is it worth it to kill a child just to bring down a drug shipment? Not in my book.
You know as well as I do that you could have one low-level cartel
member with 2 grams of coke, 60 orphans, and 20 nuns on a plane,
and the CIA would shoot it down and say it was justifiable. As long
as the 60 orphans and 20 nuns weren't American. Then they'd
apologize. But it would get us to about the same point either
way.
|11.21.08 @ 3:31PM|#
What's really nice is that the arbitrary abuse of power at
the FBI, CIA, ATF, etc. just keeps humming happily along no matter
who occupies the White House. Here's some change that I could
believe in, Mr. Obama. Gonna do anything about it?
Let us not go off half cocked here. The president needs to assemble
a team headed up by the vice president. The committee will liason
with the CIA, DEA, Coast Guard, the Peruvian government and members
of congress. This working group will then submit recommendations to
the president who will act on the in a deliberate, thoughful
manner.
Any more questions, dope fiend?
|11.21.08 @ 7:05PM|#
Aggressively targeting the competition? Maybe someone could sue
the CIA on anti-trust grounds.
http://www.narconews.com/darkalliance/drugs/start.htm
|11.22.08 @ 3:12PM|#
Our government is run by cowards who see hedonism as evil as
Nazism or what ever -ism they see as immoral. If they believe that
getting high is a sin then they should go to S. America, Asia ECT.
and fight their own wars. How many more mass murders and fear
tactics is going to take before people start throwing molotov
cocktails at the white house?
SERVEY SAYS: When the government starts shooting their own
citizens.
Oh wait its already happening, so much for angry riots.
jaralero|11.27.08 @ 5:13PM|#
"According to the inspector general's report, agency officials
sought from the outset to conceal the program's serious problems,
while portraying the 2001 shooting as an aberration."
(washingtonpost.com)
Aberration: departing from the right, normal, or usual course. From
Latin ab- + errare 'to wander'
This stuff is wanderful!
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