CIA ROLE IN AUSTRALIA HIT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP09T00993R000100100014-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 1, 2013
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: May 5, 1977
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

r.,
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/08/01 : CIA-RDP09T00993R000160100014-7
- Nov mir 1111.
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A Role in Australia Hit 1
. i?.. ? .. ' By; Peter Costigan.. ? : ". ? ' he 'was. :prime. 'minister, the..CIA' tried . ?
Special to The Washialtoaiost .. _..: to frustrate /the Label.: government by
. ?CANBERRA,. Australia, May 4.:_ ?.. encouraging Australian trade unions to ?
termer '..Australian Prune -"Minister block the departure of Russianotiolinist '-
Gough Whitlam said today that while.. George Ermolenko.
was. in office .the -Atherican CIA _. ? Ermolenko, traveling in Australia with
- ? . inyolved Australia in various political ? a group of Soviet musicians, had applied
.- . -.. activities Without his knowledge. - I. for asylum. After the Whitlarn goVerti- .
?. ..? Whitlam,- who? called,in_P.arliament ment allowed Soviet embassy officials.
' lett night fOrlaTgovernMent investiga- . to talk to Ermolenko, the violinist with-? -
:.? tion - of.. CIA -; activities iri ?Australlac ? drew his request for asylum and Said he .
:. said that the U.S,; intelligence agency,?:wanted to return tothe Soviet Union. -
used Australian agents 'as prexies .- The CIA,: according to Whitlam, stir-
. for the CIA in dest.ablilizing the :. red hp' Unions at Perth' airport "to
?Chilean: government .%.. ... Me ?put a : , ground Tony. aircraft-taking Ermolenko - -
prompt end. to. that." ? ; ? - ...- ..' --., out' of the ' country." : Be said that "hi ?
The Labor Party leader, also. said 'this case, the CIA was deliberately try-. .
the agency had interfged in Anstra.: --Sing to: frustrate' a humanitarian ehdeav- .:
'
. Ban politics and union activities and , . or of the Australian foreign. minister."
had deceived conservative as Well: as . "The U.S. government had not told
' -....a-cor governments. - - ' ? : .. - the Australian government that it was
' .. :[In Washington ;I.:spokesman for ? trying to do so" Whitlam. said. "You .
the CIA said the agency had no .cbm-.. cannot have the foreign policy of any
. . . ment on the allegation.] 'r- ? . ? ?-.: . country 'taken 'over by the intelligenee .
Whitlam, who'had strained. relations ?.;.? ? service of another country.".
?, with the United States, said that while -. ? , - See AUSTRALIA, A21, Col. I ?
. , , . .. . .? .
- ?- - .
. , ?
Ii'
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/08/01 : CIA-RDP09T00993R000100100014-7
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Declassified and Approved For Release-2013/08/01 : CIA-RDP09T00993R00010-0100014-7
- .
; !Whitlam Asks Probe
;?
Of CIA in Australia
. , - .?.. ?
... - AUSTRALIA, From Al - Theleft wing of the Labor Party. and'
..
. .
most of the powerf ul lef tist?uniont in ?
I , The Whitlam 'government eventual- . ,
Australia; opposed the agreement.
' ly hew Ermolertio back to the .Soviet.
I...Union In an Australian air force', Whitler:1, supported - Pine,' Gap ?and
... '.plane. ! ', ..;? ... ;? . ,,, :....?, ..: ... .,... I early in 1975 managed (0 41n l'elose ?
an late 1975, Whitler,' 'hi an unpre- vote at tits party's policy?rnitking non-;
I
. ? -
feende endorsing its, contiriuted ex:1st--
Fe en ed move, was dismissed from - - '
itH .of.ficp.by An4strallit:s governoi. general -.?,? . ' .?.... ...r. i 4'????:.? -sr /7-,
., It i
.,41!4-s .allinancitai sCapdai- within his . .Nraii.
,..1toweverc .not nntildlate.ptoher 1975,
.iltati. ft lientrate known
: 2.liere
?,. ?igoverriment. P;O:m..p,ed-the MMOsition ,.?
iiti ?!-:bio-ey,friction',?.?,14?-li ? ???i-4 ? . 1 'that Fine- Gap Wa
i.ss' tie aii:ran--iiat:
-;,/linciget ledgislatitiii.tt214%.,4aTiVIVIA4?11:1-1P;.-419"ifilh 113441.?-'11.3"XPI4it ti:JV
:-
- - , 2, pi xt .7,,...th-?,e,....a,,,,,erywhi?- tu-.101, -",:ansrt-fois-veilist.4/-Z 41;;Iy4,crosortidi?htn.-11thriffijith..,..e."Siffipte,!
zt,..., . -,. -???,-, in charge-of Pine Gap-whenjt was un-
it :
,_,i0ao.c.tsuseceda.thiliercerv.alAtivnefoc:aognns.119inti.%m4rtioneetY;i14..tctodeZ;con.Stru- etton-cfrol.m7:1968.T.?- - tot-1969?j
charc1,11:ie Stallings'-g-as,:a ' CIA;
-alibi,/ ?the rtg'iiithea, btit themost li.'..1"
??agent not a ?Pentagon en:111106e:
.? . recent, attacks. bon:, the' ??GIA . were, ., ..?
.. . . - ? - ? , an Australian newspaper,' bie Elwin- ?
N ? 'touched off hy lestiniony.,in los An-?:: - -
octal Review, identified Stallings': and
I... t, . ' geles at the espionage trial ,of Chits- Wbitlam 'referred to him,. though .not.
? , ttanher Royce, 23, a security clerk 'at by name,' In ?a speech in 'November.
? . .. Boyce . was . Convicted of spying . fcir .... ? -
Although the intelligence-sharing
.. ?. .
'the Soviet Union and, in his trial; les- ' agreement' between the two scriuntries
''? titled that while he Worked 'at a-TRW? . required ,each to, infant' the other of
' 'CIA communications ` office, 'he' had ' its intelligence agents Operatiritin the
seen evidence that the CIA was de,- others territory, thelist the CIA gave
. ceivinft the .Whitlam goiernment. ' WhitlaM dicl:noi mention Stallings. .-
..- ? . .
.?
time Minister Malcolm Fraser Large elemeriti of the Labor Paity
...responded today to Whitlam's ealr for believe.that the did not trust .the
.
,...art iiniestigatiOn by SaYing, "I do not: Whirlam government and deliberately
?? 'believe there is evidence at. the rho- ? deceived it, . . ? ' ? ? ' ?
- . )ment. that 'requires further 'action on ..-? ,The years Madam was prime minis-
' ' the?part of the.goVernment." c ' -.- ? tee Were marked by strain between
, , / ,By. tradition, Australian prime . the Australian aa U.S:governnients.
' miniaters, (including .Whitlam during . : ? Whitlam's first act :on. ,becoming
his ,three_ years* power) have re-' ' prime minister .th ;
1972 was to with-
fused to discuss matters 'relating to. draw Australian military forces from
'. -natio-nil' 'security and -Intelligence./ 'Vietnam. Australia-had been fighting:
?.....Ne prime minister was. ever publicly. there alongside American troops since
? ? taiknOWledged the existence of Atistra- ? '1965.. Personal .relations between him
d.lpresident'Nixin '
' '-ilia's pOuritiipart 'to' thnxiA,.called ' '
;:ari
? 1 :,thel AuStrallati Seenfity ,Ihad 'Intel- ' 'PM early :1973 ivhenhe became strained. Wrote A...letter
tel Nixon: Strongly :condemninttlie
.;?,ligeeep? Serkce, Which has reciprocal .
. bombing of Hanoi. ? ? . .
Whitlam forced a- meeting . with
Nixon ?in July; 1973 only after he de.
' dared publicly here that 'he wbuld?
go to Washington whethei or noc the
president saw him. ? . ?? ? - -
.
' On Nov. 10, 1975'? the' day before
.. ,t,,links with the CIA. - .. ?
:; .Central tocthe CIA debate, in Ails-
? lytralia:ls a secret installation' eovering
' fciiir square miles of desert. Just -out-
'side 'Alibe Springs in central `Austra-
. ? .
.?,..1.t:1i-called. Pine Gap and is Official- .? 1Vhdlam was? removed--a . meskage, re.:
. .
:2j:operated as'a "joint-defense space '..Portedly 'was sent from Washington to
--resdaron..facility", by the Australian the headquarters of the Australian Sec.
"./e.partment of Defense and :the Ad- . . urity Intelligence .Organization: The
nanced Research Projects Agency, an, ;message, froni the organization liaison
' Vagenci,?.. of the Pentagon. " ? c? '' - ? ' -officer 'in Washington, said. the CIA
?''', 51-uch of what happens at Pine Gap , feared that continued reference in Atli.
- .-;;Is still- secret It is known that one ? ' tralia to the CIA could"b161 the: lid off
4.0f...its; major functions' is to receive . those' installations in Australia... par-
,
ranchtransinit to Washington: informa-. ?tictilarly the installation ' -at. -Alice
Akin gained from the U.S. spy satellites
0, . S rin "
,,.watching the area north of ? Indian.
:-Ocpan?includiag China and parts of,
? :-..tbe? Soviet Union.
The Sydney Sun this week quoted
CIritaient Victor Marchetti as
that.Plee Gap also has the
Sources close to the Australian intelli-
gence community' have now disclosed'
that a very senior official'in the Aus-
tralian Defense Department also briefed
Governor General John R Kerr about
the CIA's anxiety in . the days im-
J-capability to ? monitor all telephone mediately. preceding' Kerr's decision
:rand teletype messages into and out to remove' Whitiam: .
of Australia.