This program, featuring former CIA official John Stockwell and Louis Wolf, co-editor of Covert Action Information Bulletin, begins with an overview of the general nature and activities of the CIA. The two then discussed how the “Intelligence Identities Protection Act” and the Reagan executive order on intelligence agencies would promote media self-censorship and thus repress public scrutiny and criticism of intelligence (including FBI) activities - including assassination plots, destabilization of foreign governments, and assorted “dirty tricks.” 

John Stockwell explained how this legislation in effect amends the First Amendment by abridging freedoms of speech and press - without having gone through the constitutional amendment process. The focus is on specific covert and overt activities of U.S. intelligence agencies and their surrogates: the instruction in torture techniques to Salvadoran army troops by U.S. Green Berets; the attempted coup in the Seychelles Islands; the Argentine torture squads; the South African wars in Angola and Namibia; the attempted Klan coup in Dominica; and attempts to destabilize the Mozambique government – all of which are reported in Louis Wolf’s Covert Action Information Bulletin, which the U.S. government wanted to put out of business. 

The guests also discussed how CIA “disinformation” tactics manipulate public opinion by planting stories in the press and by financing and supporting right-wing newspapers. In the concluding segment the guests discussed CIA operations in Central America, including covert operations and “disinformation” campaigns directed against the government of Nicaragua.

On Aug. 23, 1987, the bodies of two teenagers - Don Henry, 16, and Kevin Ives, 17 - were found close to Shobe Road near Alexander, Arkansas. They had been run over by a Union Pacific train. The state medical examiner, Fahmy Malak, ruled that the deaths were accidental - saying the two boys had smoked too much marijuana, and then had fallen asleep on the railroad tracks.

But an Atlanta, Ga., forensic pathologist named Joe Burton said that prior to being run over by the train, Don Henry had been stabbed in the back, while Kevin Ives had been beaten in the face. A grand jury ruled the deaths a double homicide. Deputy prosecutor Richard Garrett and special deputy prosecutor Dan Harmon said the two deaths were related to Saline County drug trafficking.

Now the police chief of Alexander, John Brown, acknowledges he obtained a taped confession from one of the murderers of the two boys. This admission was prompted by criticism of Brown that came from Don Henry's father, Curtis Henry. According to The Benton Courier, Brown acknowledged during his recent bid for sheriff of Saline County:

"Mr. Henry is accurate about losing contact with me in late 1993. During our last meeting, Mr. Henry heard part of a taped confession by one of the persons involved in the murders" (Jerry Breeden, "Brown says taped confession awaiting action," November 4, 1996). The Benton Courier goes on to say: " 'Unfortunately, Mr. [Curtis] Henry contacted another suspect (who was a prominent Saline County resident) and informed him of being named in this confession. Ms. [Judy] Pridgen [Saline County sheriff] and I discussed the matter, and it was decided to immediately cease contact with Mr. Henry. That decision was reinforced by FBI agent Phyllis Cournan, who was assigned to the case. These allegations made me realize that no one has informed Mr. Henry that this confession and the evidence I gathered while working on this case for 18 months corroborated FBI intelligence files. This evidence is what initiated the FBI investigation.' "