PrintJune 8, 2009
More Cuban Spies?
As Kendall Myers joins the pantheon of civil servant traitors who spy for totalitarian Communist regimes, Americans are left wondering, "who else is out there?" According to the FBI's affidavit in Myers' case, Cuban intelligence has been extremely active over the years-- especially in government and academic circles.
Upon hearing the news of Myers' arrest, my thoughts floated back to a very strange exchange that occurred during John Bolton's senate confirmation hearings between Alan Foley, former chief of the CIA's WINPAC, and Janice O'Connell, staffer for Chris Dodd:
Ms. O'Connell: Do you remember having a conversation7 with the NIO for Latin America?8 Mr. Foley: Yeah, but this is later. I think the first9 time I met the NIO -- the first time I met the NIO LA was in10 the context of the -- a memo he was writing on the Niger11 business. So, this would have been early '03, I guess, or12 somewhere in that time frame. And he had written a memo --13 I can't remember what art form it was -- a NIC memo, or14 something like that -- where, basically, he said, "Look, the15 from a political analyst's perspective, the notion that the16 Nigerians would sell yellow cake to the Iraqis is just17 crazy." I mean, I'm paraphrasing. He didn't say it -- I18 mean, he said it much more eloquently. And my analyst, IPage 30301 remember, came to me and said, you know, "We're concerned2 about this memo, because he doesn't even acknowledge other3 information we have that suggested maybe they did." And so,4 I remember the NIO coming down to my office, and I think a5 couple of my analysts were there, and I made the case to6 him. I said, "Look, you may not agree with this, but I7 think, analytically, you ought to at least acknowledge that8 there are these other reports, and, you know, give your9 reasons why you think they're ridiculous, and then move on."10 But to just ignore this is a little bit arrogant, because11 it's, sort of, saying, "Anybody who could fall for this12 stuff is just totally naive about what goes on in Niger,"13 and it sort of gives an incomplete picture. So I think that14 --15 Mr. Levine: Why would the NIO LA be talking about16 Africa?17 Mr. Foley: Wasn't he -- didn't he have Africa in his18 portfolio? Africa, Latin America?Page 31311 Mr. Levine: I don't think so.2 Mr. Foley: I thought he did, Ed.3 Mr. Levine: I won't necessarily rule it out.4 Ms. O'Connell: It's news to me. It's news to me.5 Mr. Levine: I believe there was a separate NIO for6 Africa.7 Mr. Foley: Well, you know, that's interesting. That's8 my recollection. The first time I met him had to do with
What was the National Intelligence Officer for Latin America doing in the office of the head of WINPAC, complaining about Niger? Great Question, especially when considering the political turmoil caused by "Plamegate" and the forged Niger yellow cake documents.
Let's remember, Myers not only harmed national security by passing on highly classified information, he also damaged American foreign policy by undermining confidence in the Bush administration. Would anyone have paid any attention to his infamous speech on Anglo-American affairs if they had known of his special relationship with the Castro Brothers? Were CIA agents in Castro's hire guilty of the same types of crimes?
As we now know, the NIO LA was Fulton Armstrong, a veteran CIA agent whom many feel torpedoed John Bolton's nomination to the UN. Armstrong has since retired from the CIA, and is a staffer for Chris Dodd -- the Senate's most vocal proponent for lifting the embargo against Cuba.
According to Scott Carmichael of the Defense Intelligence Agency , Norman Bailey and Paul Cerepso, in a seminar given to the American Enterprise Institute in May of 2007, Fulton Armstrong was considered a "vigorous supporter" of Fidel Castro within intelligence circles. He was also on a first name basis with, and a supporter of the work and analysis of notorious Cuban Agent Ana Belen Montes, who infiltrated the Defense Intelligence Agency, and was arrested and convicted in 2001.[2]
Indeed, Armstrong's advocacy for Cuba was so disturbing that Former Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roger Noriega refused to work with him. John Bolton voiced support for Armstrong's removal because he completely lost confidence after Armstrong fought to downplay evidence that Cuba was developing biological warfare capabilities.
Is Fulton Armstrong spying for Fidel? I don't know. But I certainly hope someone in law enforcement is looking into the possibility.
[1] See Interview of Alan Foley with Regard to the Bolton Nomination, Wednesday, April 28, 2005, US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Washington DC.
