CIA Helped Shoot Down 15 Civilian Planes

Report Points To Cover-Up Of '90s Anti-Drug Program; Criminal Charges Possible

(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.

[cdfoxtrot6]

I wonder how many innocent civilians our brave CIA helped murder. Why on earth are they involved in internal affairs in Peru? This kind of cr*ap is exactly why many people all around the world despise Americans and why we''re all targets the moment we set foot on a plane or in another country.

[straightmate]

That''s our big war on drugs. What a government us slaves serve. If you''re poor and desperate, you''re the scurge of the Earth. If you''re rich you get away with anything including murder-unless you write a book with a cover that says "I did it", then some bigshot might get mad enough you might do some time.

[bushie3]

CIA stands for Central Intelligent Agency. So how is shooting down civilians plane gaining any type of intel? IRAN-CONTRA, OLIVER NORTH, an a host of other black ops is just sticking our nose in other country
business

[yohnvilson]

The article seems to imply that it would have been OK to shoot down the planes if they WERE carrying drugs. Is smuggling a capital offense? Does Peru not have due process? Why are we always on the wrong side of stuff like this?

[timothyone-2009]

cdfoxtrot6 wrote:
This kind of cr*ap is exactly why many people all around the world despise Americans and why we''''re all targets the moment we set foot on a plane or in another country.


How can you say such a thing? We all know they hate us for our freedoms!!! LOL What a dip-shi* that goofy azz Bush is. And any of you out there who supported him are just as stupid. If the recession were not so hard on the poor I
I''d be happy watching those who voted for Bush lose their stock market millions. All of this pain for some tax cuts for the rich and war profits that nobody even got to keep. Greedy morons!

[gca2]

The so-called "war on drugs" has been a blessing to the drug lords..... Sort of like how prohibition was to the mob. You have to wonder how many politicians are backed by the drug bosses for this very reason. How much has the "war on drugs cost"?? With our current economic crisis, it is time to really think about questions like this seriously....

[johnthegreen]

So many mistakes, and they seem to grow exponentially.

[lady54-2009]

Lets not make the mistake of concluding that because the CIA made mistakes that the campaign against illegal drugs should be stopped. We just need to put more competent people in charge of this important mission.

[rwsmith29456]

THERE''S A PLANE, SHOOT IT DOWN!!! I support the war on drugs, but this sounds kinda crazy.

[rhs648]

Lets not make the mistake of concluding that because the CIA made mistakes that the campaign against illegal drugs should be stopped. We just need to put more competent people in charge of this important mission.

Posted by lady54

lady54 - Your argument is far too rational for most posters on this board.

[irkulyen77]

Sounds like murder, pure and simple. Typical CIA operation.

[thisisfunny]

Let me get this right...You lie,cheat,steal, give the middle finger to congress and the morons at the justice dept and you still keep your job...*** where can I get one of these jobs?

[oldpoet-2009]

C''''mon folks! Hate your country some more! It''''s what the commie democraps want you to do! They''''ll be pulling this ***** out of their arse and I smell a CHICAGO rat behind it!
Wakey! Wakey!
C''''''''mon people! Read what the article SAYS! Ask yourself why this is being released NOW!!!
Wakey! Wakey!
C''''mon HATE YOUR COUNTRY SOME MORE!!!!

Posted by RowdynTex at 11:11 PM : Dec 11, 2008
---------------------
Did you even bother to read the article mr RowdynTex?

If you had you''d see that the person who ''released'' the story was Michigan Rep. Pete Hoekstra, senior Republican on the Intelligence Committee of the House of Representatives. Please note he is the SENIOR REBUBLICAN on the House Intelligence Committee.

WAKEY! WAKEY!

A Republican doing the right thing. How about that?

[oldpoet-2009]

Lets not make the mistake of concluding that because the CIA made mistakes that the campaign against illegal drugs should be stopped. We just need to put more competent people in charge of this important mission.

Posted by lady54

lady54 - Your argument is far too rational for most posters on this board.

Posted by rhs648
------------------
So we should get more competent people who will make sure that in the future all aircraft will crash in the jungle so we can''t find out their not smuggling drugs?

Get real. We lost the ''drug war'' while Reagan was president. The only way to win the ''drug war'' is to help develope economies in those third world countries so they won''t grow and export the drugs! It''s the same reason we''ll never win in Afghanistan until we help them move away from poppy growing in the regions where the Taliban hold sway.

[andrew_693]

as long as there are americans, there will be drug dealers and drug addicts.

[blitzder]

The only way to win the ''''drug war'''' is to help develope economies in those third world countries so they won''''t grow and export the drugs!..Posted by oldpoet at 01:28 AM : Dec 12, 2008


Old poet, you live in a dream world. The only way to stop the export it is to QUIT USING THE DRUGS. So instead of blaming other countries, why don''t you tell your kids to stop buying the poison. The growers will dissapear once demand is eliminated. Blame everyone but yourself. That is the users mantra. STUPID.

[likenoone-2009]

You think this is new hahahahahaha

[piercetheval]

This story is propagana.
The CIA shot down the ones who did not pay the lady.


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Posted by republic76 at 04:30 AM : Dec 12, 2008
+ report abuse


As long as the CIA is allowed to conduct its own investigation, the outcome will be one that exonerates the CIA. When a branch of the government is allowed to investigate itself the results are predictable and the CIA knows this.


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Posted by mtee12 at 03:48 AM : Dec 12, 2008


....Bingo Me Bucks...that''s telling it like it is!

[piercetheval]

....everyone knos that the CIA is the biggest ''player'' in the drug game south of the border...and they don''t like competition!

[idnnsg]

"Old poet, you live in a dream world. The only way to stop the export it is to QUIT USING THE DRUGS. So instead of blaming other countries, why don''t you tell your kids to stop buying the poison. The growers will dissapear once demand is eliminated." - blitzder

Blitzder is also living is a dream world. Telling your kids to stop buying drugs will not eliminate the demand for drugs. You''re right about the need to eliminate the demand for drugs, but you are completely wrong about how to do it.

[eclecticman1]

One shooting down without warning or being given a chance to land would be a mistake. But what would you call 15?

[slim1h2o]

as long as there are americans, there will be drug dealers and drug addicts.

Posted by andrew_693 at 02:37 AM : Dec 12, 2008

I think you mean, as long as America is the country that it is, we''ll have drug users to help cope with the reality that America has reached its zenith.

And continue its downward spiral to oblivion....

[slim1h2o]

And continue its downward spiral to oblivion.... or to Bolivia, however which way you''d like to look at it.

[pirmin3]

Shoot first and ask questions later. The Bush doctrine for the world. WMD''s, drugs? What, me worry??

[biblethumpar]

this is nothing new...
the CIA Helped Luis Posada Carilles Blow up a much bigger plane wiht 73 people on board.

[Razzl]

This is the nightmare of abuse of power--you can rail like a redneck against drug runners and say "shoot ''em all down!" until one day a plane carrying your innocent relatives back from vacation or study gets shot down, when you come to realize that the perps hide behind that public mentality and nobody will do anything to bring on justice or stop it from happening. Democrats in Congress and academics in the political science depts. need to stop worrying about whether prosecuting Bush officials will create some kind of division among the public (it won''t), and start worrying about how to throw fear into the hearts of these corrupt *** in the future by showing them the threat of long jail time for their misdeeds...

[digimedia-2009]

more info on CIA shooting planes:
http://www.70news.com/2008/12/12/cia-helped-shoot-down-15-planes/

[slim1h2o]

Or could it be the rampant drug use is what CAUSED us to reach our zenith and start downhill?

Posted by txgrouch2008 at 09:22 AM : Dec 12, 2008

Maybe, but probably not though.

[dangyankee69]

Another Black Eye for the Good ole U.S. of A. What''s Chavez got to say about this one? Once again the Ollie North types have given our enemies more evidence that the horrible things they say about U.S. are true.

[swingset4u]

U.S. officials may have misled Congress and withheld information from the Justice Department.

So whatelse is new???

[ford555551]

If you guys (Republicans) are so patriotic that you claim 24/7 then stop using drugs. No drugs will flow into this country if there is no demand. Rush Limbaugh got caught using drugs.

[culturechang]

There is some good govt for you. And do you know when this kind of thing will stop? Never.....as long as we have secretive and unaccountable organizations like the CIA.

[middleman8]

More of the same, same.
USA blaming everyone else for their drug problem
Is it no wonder the world hates the USA.

[mahdeealoo]

The human condition: Brutal

[caligula1--2008]

ford555551 : "If you guys (Republicans) are so patriotic that you claim 24/7 then stop using drugs. No drugs will flow into this country if there is no demand."

Yo, Moron, first, who says all Republicans are all so gung ho to fight the war on drugs. If you learned to read and comment on the story instead of whatever world lives in your fevered imagination, you''ll note the program ran entirely during the CLINTON Presidency, and that Bush shut it down in his first year in office.

Learn to think objectively, or at least give it a good shot.

[runningralph]

Why was Bill Clinton shooting down planes in South America? Maybe he didn''t approve of missionaries.

[bbilhou]

How can America be anything but a drug country? Every magazine has full page drug adds. They''re drugging our kids in school to calm them down. Feeling bad, take some of these! The problem is America''s hunger for something to take their minds off of how screwed up everything is. These third world countries are supplying the demand, by America, for the illegal drugs. Trying to remove the supply only makes it more of a carrot to Americans. I don''t think anyone has the real answer to this problem. It may be too late!

[sconan56]

Yo Bigger Moron, if he did in fact stop it, which i doubt... it was probably because they were shooting down his family''s planes

[niceface19]

they should have shoot down, Enheinsebush beer company''s air craft, that''s #1 drug, but no....let them all get drunk and die.

[impeach___w]

hmm. The purposeful downing of civilian planes sounds a bit like terrorism sponsed by our government.
"The Airbridge Denial Program was shut down after the death of Bowers and her daughter" but this activity did not stop in 2001 as the article states- it is simply called something else now.
This is going on Right now and only now are our forces being scaled back. I know our some our military men are driving around delivering backpacks full of taxpayer cash in "South America". I know some of these people personally.

This is a US sanctioned murder of american citizens (missionaries at that)the CIA is admitting to. "A six-person board, including two current CIA officers, to determine whether disciplinary action is warranted,"
Disiplinatry action needs to be 25 to life or a death sentence. Too bad Missionaries aren''t big on suing or revenge. If this were my family, I would never stop until these people were punished.

[impeach___w]

I bet no CIA owed or contracted drug planes were downned in this manner. Some did crash on their own. you should look ''em up

http:// www.madcowprod .com/

[Jim1900]

Director Hayden seems to be the most competent CIA administrator we have had in years. That is no surprise to me, since he was an Air Force four-star general. I think when you look at his civilian predecessors, you will find them to be mostly less competent.

But there seems to be a mythology that some people believe that opposes military officers serving in civilian jobs. They don''t remember that Ike was the last competent Republican president we had either.

[Jim1900]

Thinking is so hard for many people that they don''t bother.

[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.

[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 !

[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 ...

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.