POWERS' VINDICATION HOLDS VALUABLE LESSON FOR U.S.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000400080148-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 8, 1999
• Sequence Number: 148
• Publication Date: March 6, 1962
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2000/08/03.:' CIA=R-.
Valuable Lesson'ForU. 5
Those who eagerly awaited the moment veals that be followed Instructions of the
when U2 Pilot Francis . Gary Powers CIA to the extent that he could.
would beroasted over the coals.of na- - A review of Powers' record prior to the
ti pal indignation
mt go elsewhere
t 0 urn their
w hes.
Both the Central
' lptelligence Agen-
c and a Senate
t mmittee h a v e
1Iteite?. to his
home , ., eon,: 24 is
forgiven
Powers emerged
from his dual interrogation more in the
role of hero than, ttfrncoat. An intensive
debriefing by the CIA and other intelli-
gence specialists, aeronautical technicians
and experts concerned with various as-
pects of his mission and capture has
swops away the cloud of suspicion that
enveloped him.
A board of inquiry found. that Powers
compiled with "the t.fpms of his employ-
ment,,and 'his oblig
One fact stands iitzt. 4 large.segrr.ont
of the Americanlec4iie, lncludiag mucb
of the press, war !coo quick to think the
worst of Powers dirt g the spy trial iv.
Russia. His loyalty as ques..toned +It
great Injustlet to ' 1,p , 'a his family.
The story emccp$ . 'ce his releao j1
exchange for ;W,nltiudolf JeI
Approve))Mle'ase 20001
,fated flight over the Soviet Union es-
ill-
tablished that he was one of the outstand-
ing pilots An the U2,program. He was
`carrying out a gllng assignment when
shot down and went through a harrow-
ing experience In escaping from his plane.
These facts weren't, available to the
American people at the time of the inci-
dent. And This 'ma have -accounted for
The to to believe-toe worst..
But ~tihe >eODle..of this -country' '
that their' attitude toward those who. even
iii 1{orW Aar't #f "two key Na? "
0 Se OMY +n! Opwyes anew.
;E .eindlatihl+bt
ovCrco the habl ot,
AmerIc 4sm of errlf>tt
rating - a ' our goV ~
g ~shortl the morale-
dl
QQL J~h
performsncnpf,M
n ;Gl
our people apd,~esources that is 1