Page 2

outcry over Tailhook. The panel's report is due anytime. In August, a bipartisan group of 11 senators led by Sen. Alfonse D-Amato, R-N.Y., asked Defense Secretary Les Aspin to initiate an independent inquiry of the deaths of 50 sailors whose parents had complained of shoddy

investigations.

There are two theories: (1) The military can't control the drug use and small-time dealing among its servicemen, so it tries to keep it hidden, including the drug-related crimes. It can't handle the bad publicity because it would affect recruiting and funding. A lot of facts support this theory. (2) There is an element of organized crime within the military the "Secret Team" that deals in arms, drugs

and perhaps pornography. Sources say the organization began in the early 1960s and now infiltrates high offices and virtually all branches of U.S. intelligence, including investigative services. The Secret Team, it is said, operates at a level that enables it to eliminate opposition, or snitches, by staging suicides or accidents and covering all tracks.

Sean Harrison

CONFIDENTIAL

09-08-93 "DEAR WEBB" LETTER THANKING THE ASG FOR MEETING
WITH HIM ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1993. REQUESTS THAT THE ASG GET
INVOLVED PERSONALLY WITH THE INVESTIGATION OF VINCE FOSTER'S
DEATH.

REMOVE THIS CONTROL SHEET PRIOR TO FILING AND DISPOSE OF APPROPRIATELY

William Harrison

150 Sequoyah Drive

Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701

September 8, 1993

Judge Webb Hubbell

Associate Attorney General

The Justice Department

10th and Constitution Ave NW Washington, DC

Dear Webb:

20530

Thank you for seeing Sean and me at the end of a crowded day on September 1.

-

As Sean proceeds toward writing a book for which he has now secured some financial backing we know that he has a factually persuasive story about how the military investigative services abused their authority, covered up and destroyed evidence, and played roles more as public relation agencies for the military rather than as policemen.

-

We're very heartened that ten senators -- including Senators D'Amato, Kennedy, Hatch and Moynihan have called for a wider inquiry. Please believe me when I tell you that helping with the investigation is far more important to both of us than any personal exploitation of it.

Our deepest wish now is that you become engaged in the investigation personally. I don't want to be melodramtic in saying this, but if we are correct in some of our assumptions there is some danger to us in pursuing the story. We need all the friends we can get.

Neither of us want to be viewed as conspiracy theorists, but from our perspective after more than two years following this story the death of Vince Foster has to be viewed -- at the very least - as an extraordinary coincidence. Many familie of the dead servicemen tell of cleverly staged suicides involving firearms - replete with gunpowder traces on the hands of the victims. I have a strong gut feeling about Foster's death -- and, indeed, I never knew him expressed to you in our meeting.

-

that I

In any case, thanks. It was an honor to meet you. Your friends regard you so highly. And, frankly, I was impressed in the way you gave us the benefit of the doubt.

Military framed Arkansans' deaths as suicides, kin say

the oversight subcommittee of
the House Armed Services Com-
mittee. The panel is looking into
the military investigative agen-
cles in the wake of the Navy's
Tailhook sex scandal.

Of 14 families interviewed by
The Inquirer, all but three involve
sailors or Marines whose deaths
were investigated by the Naval
Criminal Investigative Service,
a civilian-run agency known as
NIS.

The NIS has been found by
outside agencies to have bungled
recent investigations into the
Tallhook scandal, the 1989 ex-
plosion aboard the USS Iowa,
spying allegations and the beat
ing death of a gay sallor last year,
according to the newspaper.

The familles accuse the mili-
tary of lying to them, covering up
evidence, losing blood samples
or other evidence, failing to in-
terview key witnesses or perform
basic forensic tests, and provid-
ing contradictory reports of their
deaths.

Louthain and his wife, Carole,
vere among families who gath-son's
red'in Washington last week.
Several relatives privately told
heir stories to staff members of

The families want other agencies to investigate the deaths. Earlier this year, President Clin

families have suspicions
identified by the newspap
Marine weapons expert Lt
Vanderbur, 24, of Mapl
Iowa, who died near Camp
une, N.C., in February 199:
rine embassy guard John
Caskill Jr., 21, of Rockville
tre, N.Y., who died in El Sal
in 1988; and Seaman Martin
sary, 21, of Beebe, Ark., who
aboard the USS Wasp (the
of his death was not avai
Sunday).

Also, Marine Lance Cpl.
Jakovic, of Laurence Ha
N.J., who died at the Earle !
Weapons Station in Colts!
N.J., in 1991; Cpl. Cornelius
tles, 22, of Bloomfield, N.J.
died at the Earle station in
and Petty Officer Christo
Michael Varientos, 19, of W
ta, Kan., who died aboard
USS Cape Cod on Jan. 20.

And Army Sgt. William
Hargrove, 30, of Hot Spr
Ark., who died in South Kor
February 1992; and Army
Nurma "Mike" Carmichae
who died in South Kore
April 5, 1992.

1241000 310