219. Telegram 161337 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Iran 1 2

Subject:

  • Jack Anderson Column on Narcotics
1.
Today’s Washington Post carries column by Jack Anderson based on CIA reports on narcotics. passages relating to Iran follow: Quote Even our Mideastern ally, Iran, has started to grow its own opium under government control, but the government may not be able to stop illegal shipments from being diverted to America…. Inner quote rumors persist that some members of the royal family and Parliament are narcotics users. Swiss authorities recently charged an Iranian prince, who accompanied the Shah to Switzerland, with having transferred pure opium. End inner quote Afghans already have inner quote professional sophisticated means of getting hashish by air to Tehran, Beirut and Frankfurt and by sea to Karachi. Some has reached the U.S. Iran still doesn’t produce enough legal opium for the country’s registered addicts, who receive the drug under a national program. But the harvest is increasing. Meanwhile, allege the documents, inner quote the estimated 100–300 tons currently being smuggled into Iran, that could become available, exceeds the total opium equivalent needed to supply the U.S. market end inner quote
2.
Anderson quotes CIA memos dated June 26 and June 9. Intelligence memorandum of June 23 titled South Asia: A Potential Source of Illicit Opium for the U.S. Market appears to be a be primary source for column. Memorandum of June 7 is on narcotics in Iran.
3.
We plan no comment on this column.
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, SOC 11–5 IRAN. Unclassified; Priority.
  2. The Department forwarded the section dealing with Iran of a Washington Post article based on CIA narcotics reports.