CIA Helped Shoot Down 15 Civilian Planes

(CBS/AP)  With the help of CIA spotters, the Peruvian air force shot down 15 small civilian aircraft suspected of carrying drugs, in many cases without warning and within two to three minutes of being sighted, a U.S. lawmaker said Thursday.

It was the first public disclosure of the number of planes shot down between 1995 and 2001 as part of the Airbridge Denial Program, a CIA counternarcotics effort that killed an innocent American missionary, Veronica Bowers, and her infant daughter in 2001. A State Department investigation at the time said that Peruvian fighter jets forced another 23 planes to land.

Michigan Rep. Pete Hoekstra, senior Republican on the Intelligence Committee of the House of Representatives, told The Associated Press most of the 15 planes shot down with the help of the CIA crashed in the jungle. The wreckage has not been or could not be examined to ascertain whether narcotics were aboard the aircraft.

"The Bowers could have gone in the same category if they had crashed in the jungle," Hoekstra said, speaking of the missionary family from Hoekstra's state, Michigan.

The Bowers' plane made an emergency river landing after it was hit.

Excerpts from a CIA inspector general's report released in November raised questions about whether the missionaries' plane was the only craft mistakenly suspected of drug smuggling. The CIA report said that in most of the shootdowns, pilots fired on aircraft "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."

The IG report said the CIA withheld from the National Security Council, Justice Department and Congress the results of multiple investigations that documented continuous and significant violations of aircraft interception procedures created to prevent the shoot-down of planes unconnected with the drug trade. The classified report was completed in August and sent to Congress in October.

The CIA report directly contradicted the State Department's findings in 2001. The State Department at the time said the other planes were shot down only after "exhausting international procedures for interception."

CIA Director Michael Hayden is appointing a six-person board, including two current CIA officers, to determine whether disciplinary action is warranted, according to spokesman Mark Mansfield. CIA accountability boards can look at both current and former employees.

Hayden also has directed CIA's Center for the Study of Intelligence to identify lessons learned that remain relevant to CIA's current operations, as was recommended by the classified IG report.

"Director Hayden is absolutely committed to a process looking at systemic issues and accountability that is as thorough and fair as possible," Mansfield said.

Hoekstra said the report identified personnel by name who misled Congress and obstructed a Justice Department investigation into whether criminal charges should have been filed in the case. The Justice Department ultimately decided in 2005 against filing charges.

The Airbridge Denial Program was shut down after the death of Bowers and her daughter.

[downsteamjim]

How strange? The article fails to mention who was president during this time.

[charlesmc38]

The killings under this program stopped after the death of the missionary and others. I want to know if the CIA created another identical program and continued helping other countries kill civilians. Once again an investigation of the CIA is needed. Personally I think it would be a great help to the depression we''re in to drastically cut their budget, exempting training in foreign languages and foreign cultures.

[closethippy1]

You know, a 3 year old can tell you drugs are bad for you. Of course they are. I don''t care how much you''re for legalizing them if you have half a brain you can recognize how bad drugs are for anyone who gets in the habit.
But that shouldn''t give any law enforcement official the right to judge you on that basis and put you away because he''s "morally outraged" by it.
I think the anti-drug forces in the US should stop being so apocalyptic about their feelings against drugs and drug users, calm down, and start being a bit more humane in their approach to it.
There''s no need to treat people as if we were a bunch of Saudi Arabian hillbillies.

[armyranger16]

The American government is no different than any other government. When people die or get injured there is a cover up at all cost. Look at the children in America that are killed in foster homes our under the watch of CPS. Hush money is presented and the situation goes away. Look at the US foster care companies that worked with other countries making millions in trafficing children from other countries and bringing them into America. The little girl or boy with blonde hair and blue eyes will bring big bucs to the corrupt system.

[runningralph]

I agree with the poster that says the US is a drug nation. Nowadays modern doctors listen to your symptoms, run tests and prescribe dope. But dope has side effects. Side effects cause new problems. New problems call for new drugs. To stay healthy, eat low calorie,low sugar, low fat, drink moderate, exercise, stay off of drugs, and choose your parents wisely.

[runningralph]

Actually what everyone seem to be ignoring is that these shoot downs had nothing to do with Bush. They were on Clinton''s watch. Maybe that last one.

[impeach___w]

alohaone1 Why do you think Hate Bush equals Hate America?

Bush haters are the true americans, Bush Has no belief in any of founding priciples of this country. I submit that anyone who truley loves Bush''s policies is as ant- american as OBL for they have no understanding of what this country is supposed to be about. Just because we have it slightly better than some other backwards counrty is no reason to give up and let a tyrant run this country too! We need to fix this country before we try to fix any others. It starts with a 180 degree turn from the last 8 years.

[alohaone1]

I am sure some Libs nutjobs will scream "Neo-cons" on my last comment so, look , I am not into arguing with you ,but I would ask that anytime you cry over US injustices , think about millions of Falun gong practioners in China ,or Buddhists in Burma or Freedom lovers in Vietnam or starving NOrth KOreans...who are suffuring under tyranic rulers there or perished in prisons there , maybe it makes you feel better ...

[alohaone1]

I would borrow a line from Scarface : " ...The CIA never whacked anybody who did not have it coming to him...!"...Accidents do happen , but to the Hate-Bush , anti-America fanantics , this country is 100 times better than any communist countries like NOrth Korea , China , Vietnam or the like ...where governments wrong-doings never got reported and where those who dared reporting vanished overnight . And it is certainly better than Mexico where drug-lords'' hit squads are the enforcers as we are witnessing right now....So , While we are waiting for Christ second-coming and the Biblical Kingdom of God where justice is served all the time , I said get over it folks, it ain''t perfect , it ain''t pretty , but it certainly the best country humanity can ever come up with (God excluded!) and it is the ONLY Democratic Empire in HIstory ! and one last advice to those who Hates America , try China , or North Korea , or Vietnam for awhile and see if you can ever have freedom of speech ...if you are willing to shut up like a sheep and make your money , then they are okay , maybe that is better for you !

[babooph]

An interesting secret group -overseas,all know who they are & what they are doing-in the States most is secret-quite odd it seems.