Frankly, one of the selling points was that he could talk directly to Bush. The issue of good will
wasn't something that was going to go through 27 buredirectly between him and Bush. '' Ramon Milian Rodriguez was a Republican contributor, who hadaucratic hands. It was something that was (^)
partied by invitation at the 1981 Reagan-Bush inauguration ceremonies. He had been arrested
aboard a Panama-bound private jet by federal agents in May 1983, while carrying over $5 million in
cash. According to Felix Rodriguez, Milian was seeking a way out of the narcotics charges when he
met with Felix on January 18, 1985. TRodriguez had become notorious in the Iran-Contra scandal. The Miami Herald broke the story onhis meeting remained secret until two years later, when Felix
June 30, 1987. Felix Rodriguez at first denied ever meeting with Ramon Milian Rodriguez. But
then a new story was worked out with various agencies. Felix remembered '' the Jan. 18, 1985 meeting, claimed he had said nothing '' during it, and remembered '' that he had filed documents with the FBI and CIA telling them about the meeting just afterwards.@s2@s0 January 22, 1985 (Tuesday): George Bush met with Felix Rodriguez in the Executive Office Building. The agenda may have included the results of the meeting five days before with Medelli@aan cocaine cartel representative Milian Rodriguez. Felix's ghost writer doesn't tell us what was said, only that Felix was able to show [Bush] some of
the photos from my album. The honor of being with the Vice President ... was overwhelming. Mr.
Bush was easy to talk to, and he was interested in my stories. ''@s2@s1
Late January, 1985:
George Bush's office officially organized contacts through tRodriguez to operate in Central America from a base in El Salvador, in a false private '' capacity.he State Department for Felix (^) The U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, Thomas Pickering, then cabled to Gen. Paul F. Gorman, commander of the U.S. Army Southern Command: Rodriguez has high-level contacts at the
White House, DOS [State Dept] and DOD [Defense Department], some of whom are strongly
supporting his use in El Salvador.It would be in our best interests that Mr. Rodriguez confer with you personally prior to coming to El Salvador. I have some obvious concerns about this arrangement.... '' Felix Rodriguez flew to Panama to speak to General Gorman. They discussed his covert aid to the Contrassince the early
eighties.''@s2@s2 Rodriguez, by George Bush's story the private, volunteer helper of the Contras,
flew from Panama to El Salvador on Galso sent a confidential cable to Ambassador Pickering and Col. James Steele, U.S. military liaisoneneral Gorman's personal C-12 airplane. General Gorman (^)
man with the Contra resupply operation in El Salvador: I have just met here with Felix Rodriguez, [deleted, probablyCIA''] pensioner from Miami. Born in Cuba, a veteran of guerrilla operations
[several lines deleted].... He is operating as a private citizen, but his acquaintanceship with the V[ice] P[resident] is real enough, goiI[ntelligence].Rodriguez' primary commitment to the region is in [deleted] where he wants tong back to the latter's days as D[irector of] C[entral] (^)
assist the FDN [Contras military forces]. I told him that the FDN deserved his priority.... He will
want to fly with the E[l] S[alvador] A[ir] F[orce] to establish his credibility, but that ... seems to me
both unnecessary and unwise....''@s2@s3
February 7, 1985:The Crisis Pre-Planning Group (CP (^) PG), subordinate to Chairman Bush of the Special Situation
Group (SSG), met to discuss means to circumvent the Boland amendment's ban on aid to the
Contras. They agreed on a Presidential letter '' to be sent to President Suazo of Honduras,to
provide several enticements to Honduras in exchange for its continued support of the Nicaraguan
Resistance. These enticements included expedited delivery of military supplies ordered byHonduras, a phased release of withheld economic assistance (ESF) funds, and other support.'' The (^)
preceding was the admission of the United States government in the 1989 Oliver North trial--
number 51 in a series of ``stipulations'' that was given to the court to avoid having to release
classified documents.
February 12, 1985: