"Drugs, Law Enforcement and Foreign Policy" (the Kerry Report transcripts)

[Zhade]

Via The Memory Hole:

>>> In 1987, two subcommittees of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held three days of hearings on drug trafficking. Headed by Sen. John F. Kerry (D - Mass.)—who has since become a candidate for President—the panel heard evidence of official corruption in Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and the United States. The next year, the government published the transcripts in a 4-volume set that has remained a touchstone for anyone interested in narco-corruption, particularly as it involves US intelligence agencies.

The trouble is, this 1,800-page goldmine of information has been incredibly hard to find. The Memory Hole's copy was given to me by a friend of the family—Lorenzo Hagerty—who told me an interesting story. As soon as the Kerry Report was published in 1988, Lorenzo ordered a copy from the Government Printing Office. When it arrived, he began reading it and realized how important it was. He immediately called the GPO to order another set. He was told that the report was already out of print and would not be published again. It had been available to the public for one single week.

Small portions of the Kerry Report transcripts have been published online, but they are only a fraction of the entire four volumes. The Memory Hole is planning to scan and post the entire thing. It will be uploaded on the installment plan, 20 pages at a time. The segments will be added in order—starting with volume 1, page 1—on this page. The front page and the email updates will contain notifications when new portions are posted.

December 1988 saw the publication of the one-volume report based on these hearings. This report--also very rare--has been scanned and posted by the National Security Archive. It's available here .