- HOUSE WAS H NGTON October 10 1989 MEMORANDUM FOR C BOYDEN GRAY FROM STEPHEN G SUBJECT T a lk in g RADEMAKER P o in ts fo r La w ye rs' M e e t i ng on Panama F o l l o w i n g y o u r c o n v e r s a t i o n w i t h J o h n S c h m i t z t h i s m o r n i n g he s u g g e s t e d t h a t we d r a f t t a l k i n g p o i n t s f o r y o u r u s e i n t h i s a f t e r n o o n 's m e e tin g The a p p r o a c h s u g g e s t e d i n t h e t a l k i n g p o i n t s h a s b e e n t h o r o u g h l y d i s c u s s e d b y N e l s o n L ee a n d m y s e l f They have r e v ie w e d t h e t a l k i n g p o i n t s and I have i n c o r p o r a t e d t h e i r s u g g e s tio n s B e c a u s e B i l l B a r r h a s a l r e a d y b e g u n w o r k on t h e l e g a l a u t h o r i t i e s o u t l i n e we recommend t h a t yo u c a l l h im p r i o r t o t h e m e e t i n g t o a d v i s e h im o f w h a t y o u i n t e n d t o s a y INTRODUCTION L a s t w e e k ' s c o u p a t t e m p t i n Panama r e v i v e d c o n c e r n s a b o u t t h e l e g a l i m p l i c a t i o n s o f s t e p s t h a t we c o u l d t a k e t o b r i n g N o rie g a and o t h e r n a r c o t i c s f i g u r e s t o j u s t i c e We c a n n o t d i s c u s s t h e d e t a i l s o f Panama o r o t h e r p o s s i b l e o r p ro p o s e d o p e r a t io n s i n t h i s m e e tin g and i t i s n o t n e c e s s a ry t o d is c u s s such d e t a i l s i n o r d e r t o re a c h th e is s u e s o f c o n c e r n t o me N B — some p e r s o n s p r e s e n t a t t h e m e e t i n g may la c k th e p ro p e r s e c u r it y c le a ra n c e s to d is c u s s p a r t i c u l a r o p e r a tio n s T r a d i t i o n a l l y we h a v e p l a c e d f o r e i g n o p e r a t i o n s i n t o d i s t i n c t c a t e g o r i e s s u ch as m i l i t a r y a c t i o n c o v e r t a c t i o n o r la w e n fo r c e m e n t i n w h ic h t h e o b j e c t i v e s o u g h t d e f i n e d t h e means e m p l o y e d a n d t h e r e was g e n e r a l c o n s e n s u s a b o u t t h e a p p l i c a b l e l e g a l a u t h o r i t i e s and r e s t r i c t i o n s O ur p ro b le m s w i t h N o r ie g a and t h e n a r c o t i c s c a r t e l s have c a u s e d some b l u r r i n g o f t h e s e l i n e s r e s u l t i n g i n c o n f u s i o n a b o u t t h e l e g a l a u t h o r i t i e s and r e s t r i c t i o n s a p p l i c a b l e t o o p e r a t i o n s t h a t we c o u l d u n d e r t a k e I s u s p e c t w i t h no f i r s t h a n d k n o w l e d g e o f w h a t a c t u a l l y happened t h a t th e A d m in is t r a t io n c o u ld have re sp o n d e d f a s t e r and w i t h g r e a t e r a s s u ra n c e t o l a s t w e e k 's coup a t t e m p t h a d t h e r e b e e n m o re a d v a n c e t h i n k i n g b y A d m i n i s t r a t i o n la w y e rs a b o u t th e le g a l is s u e s r a is e d by th e c o u p s u c h as o u r a u t h o r i t y t o a r r e s t N o r i e g a T he c o u p a t t e m p t h a s a l s o h e i g h t e n e d my c o n c e r n o v e r t h e p r o c e s s b y w h ic h t h i s A d m i n i s t r a t i o n ta k e s d e c i s io n s i n t h i s a re a w h e re la w e n fo r c e m e n t c o v e r t a c t i o n and m i l i t a r y a c t i o n come t o g e t h e r To my k n o w l e d g e t h e r e was l i t t l e c o n s u l t a t i o n b y t h e d e c i s i o n m a k e r s w i t h t h e i r l a w y e r s as t h e c o u p u n f o l d e d T h is i s p e rh a p s s u rro u n d in g th e c o u ld r e s u l t in u n d e r s t a n d a b le i n t h e c r i s i s a tm o s p h e re coup b u t i f re p e a te d in fu t u r e c r is e s i t s e r io u s em barrassm ent t o th e A d m i n is t r a t i o n O u t s id e o f c r i s i s s i t u a t i o n s f o r e x a m p le i n t h e a re a o f o p e r a t io n s t a r g e t i n g m a jo r d ru g t r a f f i c k e r s in v o lv e m e n t o f A d m in is t r a t io n la w y e rs i s a b s o lu t e ly e s s e n t i a l I t h i n k we n e e d t o t h i n k a b o u t e s t a b l i s h i n g a m e c h a n is m b y w h ic h th e la w y e r s o f th e c o n c e rn e d a g e n c ie s a re c o n s u lte d a n d c a n c o n s u l t w i t h on e a n o t h e r i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e s e k in d s o f fo r e ig n o p e ra tio n s D IS C U S S IO N B e fo re d is c u s s in g t h i s y o u s h a r e my c o n c e r n s id e a fu rth e r I want to kn o w w h e t h e r — Do y o u a g r e e t h a t m o r e s y s t e m a t i c is s u e s s u rr o u n d in g th e s e k in d s o f w o u ld be u s e f u l s tu d y o f th e le g a l fo r e ig n o p e ra tio n s — Do y o u f e e l t h a t a m e c h a n is m f o r c o n s u l t a t i o n among us i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h su ch o p e r a t i o n s w o u ld be u s e f u l CONCLUSION B i l l B a rr i s u n d e rta k in g a s y s te m a tic re v ie w o f th e le g a l i s s u e s r a i s e d b y t h e v a r i o u s t y p e s o f o p e r a t i o n s t h a t we c o u ld u n d e rta k e a g a in s t m a jo r d ru g t r a f f i c k e r s I t w o u ld be u s e f u l f o r th e v a r io u s a g e n c ie s r e p r e s e n t e d h e re t o have in p u t i n t o t h i s re v ie w We w i l l b e e x a m i n i n g t h e q u e s t i o n o f how we c o u l d i m p r o v e c o n s u l t a t i o n a n d c o o r d i n a t i o n among u s i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h s p e c i f i c o p e ra tio n s