                                            [napa0421.txt
06/03/92]

Napa Sentinel April 21, 1992 Copyrighted

NOTE: information contained in { } was underlined in print
article.

                               TOP SECRET
    Government documents show efforts being made to stop POW
release
                              Harry Martin
                           Tenth in a series

Elements of military intelligence arrived in Auburn,
California Saturday in efforts to prevent a privately
financed mission to Southeast Asia designed to free three
American POWs. The leader of the mission was tipped off in
advance of the military intelligence unit's arrival in
Auburn and fled with all documentation on the planned
mission.

Top Secret cables from intelligence units within U.S.
embassies in both Bangkok and Guatemala have targeted the
Auburn man for some time -- providing instructions to
interdict any mission to Southeast Asia that might result in
the freedom of POWs.

On March 27, a letter from C.H. Fehlandt to Carl West
addressed the issue of "Neutralization of Private Sector
Recovery Efforts". Fehlandt wrote, " A serious dilemma may
be inflicting its unwanted repercussions upon the party.
Therefore, I can only concluded that your services may be
appropriate for the problem." He asked West to investigate
the matter with "particular attention to anticipated threat
of private sector domestic recovery program. The alleged
leader for the operation may be former United States Army
Captain Allen Goetch." He further indicates that the network
in Southeast Asia being used by Goetch is "impenetrable".

This letter was followed 14 days later by a Top Secret
dispatch from the intelligence community working inside the
U.S. Embassy in Guatemala. The subject of the dispatch was
"Review of Elint (Electronic Intelligence)/DIA (Defense
Intelligence Agency), indig assets (Southeast Asian
residents), {MIA/POW sighting, private sector
intervention"}.

The dispatch reads:

1. Amerembassy (American Embassy) officials and COMUSMILGRP
(Communication U.S. Military Group) reviewed intel
(intelligence), and direct intel from intig assets Laos and
Nakhon Ratchasima. {Confirm private sector receiving intel
via indig network operational"} independent of government.

2. Amerembassy {unable to penetrate operation net suspected
of operating in Northern California. CIA CONUS} (Continental
U.S.) {field ops confirms oper may be directed by Former SF}
(Special Forces) {Goetsch, former TL (Team Leader) Elephant
Project, Individ} (individual) {presently under
surveil/Agency discretion.'}

2. {Amerembassy received validation of visual ID USN Lt.
Larry James Stevens. MIA 2/14/69.}

3. {Amerembassy received confirm sitrep} (situation report)
{CONSU private sector project may have est direct indig
contact with USAF Lt. Col. Charles Stoddard Rowley. Other
contacts not named.}

4. { To preclude anticipated mission, recommend interdiction
of Goetsch. Operational window concludes 4/25/92. Confirm
bank assets frozen Banco De Guatemala De Nationale.}

On April 10, a document was sent from Ft. Rucker, Alabama.
"I have personally confirmed Nazarene Carpenter (Goetsch)
report. {Agency personnel validate location of indig asset
control Larry Stevens. Recommend relocation of same. Should
advise Nazarene Carp regard security precaution.}

More communication traffic occurred from the intelligence
agency in Washington,"Re: Private sector efforts aka
Goetsch/Keplinger." Keplinger is the leader of the other
group attempting to rescue 10 POWs in Southeast Asia.
Goetsch group is after 3 POWs.

"I'm distressed at the progress related in your most recent
conversation. It would seem that Goetsch is  far from being
neutralized. {I should think a call to the prosecutor
(District Attorney of Marysville, California) handling this
matter would be appropriate.}

"Since Max's review, there has been an increased resolve to
strengthen the internal network and as there are just too
many potential targets to aim at; I can see o alternative
but to strike at those which would carry the greatest
psychological impact." The retired general who wrote the
letter is referring to the fact that there are too many POWs
that might be targeted for rescue and that high profile POWs
should be moved. This brings up the critical question of how
does the U.S. Intelligence agency have the power to move
POWs-- who's control are they under, the enemy's or the
American's. {"Stevens, Sharf and Robertson would be my first
suggestion, and as Lund appears to be well controlled; we
might consider using him should we be forced to negotiate
this matter before the 27th."} All those named are POWs. Yet
the official U.S. policy is that all POWs and MIAs in
Southeast Asia are dead. The reference to the 27th is the
fact that the U.S. Senate Select Committee on POWs/MIAs will
be departing Southeast Asia on the 27th and returning to
Washington.

The government document concludes," Confirm the afore noted
thoughts and I will look forward to seeing you on the 15th.
Again thanks for talking with Jim Gritz (Col. Jim "Bo" Gritz
whose team was involved in the mission to rescue 10 POWs),
he will be an excellent conduit as this matter is terminated
once-(and)-for-all."

Another Top Secret communication was sent from Bangkok to
Guatemala on April 15, 1992. It's subject was "indig asset
sitrep MIA/POW sighting. Private sector ops."

The communication states:

1. {Amerembassy Bangkok confirms LULF contact initiated via
Goetsch.} Unable to verify contact 4/10/92.

2. {Amerembassy Bangkok confirms former Raven Papa Fox}
(code name for an electronics warfare pilot shot down in
Southeast Asia during the war) {contact with Goetsch. Have
concerns re possible use of Thai indig resources Chiang Mai.
Unable to impede, suspect close link to Khun Sa elements.}
(Khun Sa is a drug lord in Burma.)

3. {Amerembassy confirm sitrep control USN Lt. Larry James
Stevens, Anticipate elimination at site. Ultimatum given NLT
4/23/92. Essential Goetsch unable to effect extract.}
(American intelligence has given an ultimatum to Laos units
not to allow Stevens to be extracted and that they should
eliminate him if extraction is imminent. Stevens was the
subject of a photograph recently. Even though forensic
scientists and his family identified him, the U.S.
government ruled the photograph a to be a fake.)

4. {Amerembassy Bangkok recommend CONUS interdiction efforts
increase with specific direction applied to Goetsch group.
Keplinger group neutralized and penetrated. Reliable
ELINT/Intel continues via }(Jim "Bo"){Gritz. TM considered
low risk and ineffectual for extraction. Hatchet remains in
place will continue to provide ELINT.} (The government memo
indicates that the leader of the original team to extract 10
POWs is supplying the government with information. Gritz was
recently interviewed by ABC Television.)

5. {Amerembassy Bangkok request validation of former station
analyst (Saigon 73 - 75) inquire the nature of security
following retirement. Contact source with Goetsch group.}

The U.S. Intelligence community has targeted both
Keplinger's group operating out of Nevada (formerly headed
by Jim "Bo" Gritz, and the Goetsch group operating out of
Northern California. Both groups are privately financed and
are seeking to rescue POWs. Keplinger has already testified
to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on POW/MIAs. A pert of
his team is in Southeast Asia at the moment -- as is the
Select Committee. The team was in Vietnam in February,
having been supplied 10 names by the Vietnamese government
of American POWs whose freedom could be purchased for
$200,000 a piece. There has been speculation that H. Ross
Perot might be financing the "hostage money" if the mission
is successful. The group reports it made contact with two
former A6 pilots held as POWs for over two decades. The
pilots were photographed and fingerprinted and the mission
has returned to the area.

Goetsch's group was a much lower profile operation which
does not need the high level of financing the Keplinger
group requires. The Goetsch group is a smaller operation not
dealing with government sources, and thus less expensive.

The Top Secret cables from the intelligence community
through the Bangkok and Guatemala embassies indicate that
Keplinger's group has been compromised, penetrated and
neutralized. Keplinger does not believe his team's mission
has been thwarted. Goetsch, however, has been subject to
various attempts at arrest and prosecution. The District
Attorney of Marysville, according to confidential
Washington, D.C. documents, is being pushed to prosecute or
otherwise delay Goetsch to prevent him from going to
Southeast Asia to extract three POWs.(to be continued)

[PROVIDED BY THE FORGET ME NOT'S POW/MIA BBS 908-787-8383]
                     [FIDONET 107/450]
