CIA SECURITY CLAIMS CREDIT FOR DUBECK RISE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000100020005-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 6, 2000
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: December 7, 1971
• Content Type: NSPR

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AMONG THOSE taking part
were the late Allen Dulles, first
director of the CIA, and Richard
Hissell, former deputy director
for plans (clamestine opera-
FOIAb3b
for the rise of the liberal and Ili-I'tions).
l_
Chicago Sun-rimes
WASHINGTON The Central
Intelligence Agency has secretly
claimed a large 'share of credit
fated Dubcek . regime 1 n
Czechoslovakia in I9;ig.
The specific claim is that Ra-
dio Free Europe and Radio
Liberty -- two CIA broadcasting
stations in West Germany --
were instrumental in pl'0v0kI'll g
the. ouster of Antonin Novotny, a
IPro-Soviet Stalinist, as head of
the Czech Communist party.,
Alexander Dubcek rcolaced
Novotny in January, IN S and
established a major program of
liberation that led to the Soviet
invasion the follov, ing August.
During the discussion, one of
the participants, o b v i o u s l y
relying upon CIA information,
declared: - "A couple Of much-
criticizcd public media projects
(cited by name) had proven of
value, as the fall of Novotny in
Czechoslovakia suggested."
'Other reliable intelligence
sources confirmed that the
censored projects . cited were
RFE and RI.. The sources said
the two stations - successfully
disparaged Novotny as an anti-
quated Stalinist and
ln
ed u
p
p
h
IN JUSTU i;{G the invasir;n,~the possibility of reform through
Moscov; alleged that mcrilberJ-STtopian socialism.
of the Dubcek 'regiP were
plotting with Western agents to -
upset the Communist s) '.nl in
Czechoslovakia.
But Sedate sorll'Ces, wh0 have
investigated the activities 'of
RFE and RL, discounted any
parallel to the Hungarian up-ris-
in 1953, when RFE was ac-
cused of encouraging the
insurgents to expect the United
States 'to intervene militarily
against the Russians.
A Close Check Of subsequent
tratlslnissions, one source said,j
showed that the two stations
have scrupulously ;voided anyl
statements implying that thef
United States might come. to thr_I
aid' of liberal, anti-Soviet
cginles.in Eastern F.urope.
THE FATE of RFE and RL is
in the hams of a Senate-douse
conference committee debating
hoty to shift their -operations .
from the CIA to above-board
government control. Enmergency'
financing for the stations Cllds
today but enough CIA funds are
thought to be on hand to keep
them going until Congress final-
;ly makes up its mind.
The CIA's role in the events in
Czechoslovakia carpe to light in
a confidential - report by. the - `
Council on Foreign Relations .
that has been obtained by the
Chicago Sun=Times. .
The retiort contains a digest of
a discussion between several ?
former h?r ku R CIA afLi
Appre LKr1?000/06/13: CIA-RDP75-00
Jan. 8, 1;-3S, Hiroo days after,
Dubcek replaced Novotny:
01 R000100020005-0