TO:	Osborne, Michael
FROM:	Mark
DATE:  June 4, 1998

   I just wanted to clarify a few things vis-a-vis Operation SANDMAN's
interaction with law enforcement agencies, specifically the NYPD and the
DEA (and there, specifically Agent "Spooky" Morgan).  I also wanted to
lay out my proposed strategies for spin, damage control, and
the continuing investigation.

   As far as the DEA and NYPD should both be concerned, there's no
ongoing secret DoJ op in NYC.  Brian Lundquist just came to NYC with a
few DoJ investigators, semi-officially at best, to just nose around a
bit.  He was trying to determine both whether or not there was a
significant traffic in DM going on, and if the opening of a real
investigation was warranted.  He hadn't come in on some sort of
unsanctioned op to wipe out drug dealers through illegal covert action.
Instead, Lundquist seems to have stumbled onto some sort of major
trafficking operation with sinister conspiratorial overtones.
Immediately upon doing so he summoned the NYPD in force in order to deal
with the situation, just as he would be expected to do.  As far as
paranormal stuff such as missing ESU troopers go, Lundquist (& his
friends) are as in the dark as anybody else.

   Note that this is almost entirely factually true, so both events &
evidence will support this.

   The following key themes will be stressed:

  1. Martyred hero cop Leroy Lemonde:  We'll portray Lemonde as a tough,
good cop who knew what was going on and was killed as a result.  All of
our information of value came from him.  He is the key link in this
whole investigation, and unfortunately, he is now dead.  Any questions
of how we came to be involved here will be explained away through
clandestine meetings or conversations with him.

  2. DEA/NYPD incompetence: From time to time (being very, *very*
careful not to overdo it) we will subtly and rhetorically raise the
question of how both locally-assigned DEA personnel and the NYPD could
be so ignorant to the presence of this highly dangerous conspiratorial
organization engaged in drug trafficking right in their own backyard.
Why was DM being so openly traded?  What sorts of measures were DEA &
NYPD taking against the dealers?  (Most important)  Why did Lemonde not
go through channels to put a stop to this gang?  Did he suspect corrupt
cops within the precinct?  Were those suspicions warranted?  We'll
always act as if we assume that any particular officer/agent/whatever
that we're dealing with is "clean" and that the dirty cops (if they even
exist at all) are somebody else, so as not to offend anybody more than
we already might have done.

   3. USAMRIID involvement:  This will be explained as follows: DM has
particularly harmful and unexplained side effects whose extent is not
fully understood.  These represent a very real danger to public health
and welfare in general.  It is even possible that there is some sort of
bacteriological threat.  More than that we don't know, that's USAMRIID's
area of expertise, and I'll refer further questions to them.  Our people
did not call them in and we have no control or jurisdiction over them.
Their presence is as much a surprise to us as it is to anyone else.
However, we do not intend to second-guess their expertise in dealing
with matters of this nature.

  4. The need for total secrecy:  This is not due to some sort of
sinister cover-up going on as everyone seems to want to believe but
rather due to the importance of protecting ongoing investigations,
including the protection of CI's and undercover agents whose value and
even safety could be jeopardized if too much is revealed.  We will
explain our collection & confiscation of sensitive materials (like the
braziers at the cult church site) as the need to maintain a secure chain
of evidence in building our case.  We will strive at all times to be
helpful and sympathetic to any other law enforcement personnel who have
questions for us, but we will also let them know in no uncertain terms
that we cannot compromise on this issue.  We will look down our noses at
people who continue to act like they suspect something sinister is going
on here, and try to make them both feel and appear like foolish,
unprofessional "Spooky Mulder" wannabes.

   5.  The bad guys:  Just as was done in Waco, all blame will be firmly
placed on the cult gangster druggies who savagely murdered Officer
Lemonde, tried to murder several DoJ agents, and then instigated a
suicidal armed standoff which resulted not only in their own deaths but
in the loss of several more NYPD officers as well.  Again being
extremely careful not to overdo it, we will never pass up an opportunity
to further demonize them in the eyes of anyone who will listen (the
press, other law enforcement people, and our superiors).  We will also
look for ways to separate them from the rest of African American society
in Harfleur--playing up the pagan religion angle, the drug dealing, etc.
Rob, any suggestions you have on this point would be welcome.  Maybe a
bunch of offensive kiddie porn could be found at the "church" site?

   Given the extreme nature of the events in Harfleur last night I will
request the formation of a multi-agency task force to investigate and
prosecute those who would traffic in DM.  Osborne can stack this with DG
agents and friendlies if he so desires, or he can choose not to do so
and instead use it as a mere smokescreen.  Assuming the former course is
impractical at this time, the latter will provide a very conspicuous and
credible actor for the media to focus on while we skulk around behind
the scenes and continue with our real investigation.  If one or more of
SANDMAN's people are assigned to this task force it ought not to be too
difficult to keep them running around on wild goose chases and out of
our way.  Heck, it'll probably take the better part of a week just to
put the thing together--and we can do a lot of good [damage] in a
week... 


   Be seeing you,

        --Agent MARK