DRUG LEAKS DENIED

Military report 'out of context'

OTTAWA -- The military's top cop insists there is no evidence of any
breach of security by drug-using spies at the top-secret Canadian Forces
Station Leitrim listening post.

Provost Marshal Col. Patricia Samson issued a written statement last night,
claiming a CTV news report that a botched investigation two years ago may
have allowed classified information to be leaked to drug rings was "out of
context" and could "alarm and confuse Canadians." The report was based on a
review of a 1995-96 investigation into an informant's claim that a circle
of drug users was operating in the Leitrim station which, among other
things, eavesdrops electronically on international drug ring targets and
other organized crime gangs.

Samson said the review, which called the investigation "a recipe for
disaster," was set up to be highly critical so that her new office of
provost marshal could learn from mistakes.

The review stated that the possibility of classified information being
passed on to the criminals the station was targeting should have led to
expert civilian police being called in.

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)