GIBNEY DEFENDS PENKOVSKY PAPERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600250024-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 18, 2000
• Sequence Number: 24
• Publication Date: November 17, 1965
• Content Type: NSPR

WASHINGTON IYOST
Approved For Release 2001/07 'lJ(5IAlkEiF~M-O0149R000600250024-6
NOV 17 1965
Gibney Defends Penkov.sky Papers
On two separate occasions drove him to take even more
the Soviet Government has at. risks.
tacked the authorship and the Mr. Zorza does have one
authenticity of The Penkovsky point of factual criticism,
Papers. Both the Soviet For- which he interpreted incorrect-
eign Ministry and the press de- ly, however. He asserts that the
partment of the Soviet Embassy account of Col. Penkovsky's
in Washington have commented movements which I gave In my
predictably. introduction to the Papers and
Such terms as "anti-Soviet in- "the record of his trial" show
vention and slander," "provoca- that he was in London on Aug.
tive character," and "crude 9, 1961, the day he found out
forgery" are commonplace in about the proposed erection of
most efforts of the Soviet re- the Berlin Wall. Mr. Zorza
gime to discredit anyone who understandably questions why
disagrees with it. It is typical Penkovsky did not warn his
of this approach that The Wash- Western contacts then about
ington Post and other news- the building of the wall, since
papers running the Papers he had free access to them in
were threatened by unspecified London. From this he somehow
forms of Soviet rgtaliation, if concludes that The Penkovsky
publication continued., Papers are not genuine.
Actually, there is no better I owe him and other readers
evidence of the Papers' honesty, , an apology for this confusion.
accuracy and authenticity than In the process of editing, I in-
this loud, almost unprecedented correctly gave the date for Pen-
protest from Moscow., As I said kovsky's arrival in Moscow at
in the introduction to the that time as Aug. 10, 1961.
Papers, the continuing power Actually, it was Aug. 8-and I
of state security apparatus over have since asked the publisher
Soviet citizens is the greatest to correct this error in subse-
problem in the*way of any real quent editions.
rapprochement between the If Mr. Zorza rereads the Oct.,
West and the Russians. 1963 transcript of Penkovsky's
Penkovsky felt this strongly Soviet trial (page 24)-one of
himself, as the Papers reveal the principal sources of this
The sharp protest of the Mos- book-he will discover that the
cow leadership suggests that correct date was Aug. 8. Hence,
his arrow struck home. Penkovsky was in Moscow at
A. further charge of "forgery" the time he found out about
--or partial forgery, if I inter- the Berlin Wall-and unable
pret his article correctly-was to communicate immediately
made by Victor Zorza, of the with the West.
Manchester Guardian. His com- ' Mr. Zorza points out that Pen-
inent relies on conjectures kovsky's writings were "often
about what Penkovsky would discursive, verbose, almost con-
or should have done. It abounds versational." I am sure any
in phrases like "would hardly expert on Russian-English
write," "it is curious that," "it translation would have his own
is conceivable that," or "he Is pet way of rendering them into
hardly likely to have pro- English-just as Mr. Deriabin,
duced." the translator, and I have ours.
This is understandable. I am But this discursiveness hardly
sure that if Mr. Zorza had been detracts from their authen-
in Cal.. Penkovsky's shoes, he ticity.
would have behaved differ- On the contrary, I deliber-
ently; and if a panel of Western ately held all editing down to
Soviet experts had written the ar, absolute minimum. Neither
papers for Penkovsky, they Mr. Deriabin nor I felt we had
would have undoubtedly writ- the right to add any literary
ten them differently. The fact or factual embellishments to
is that Col. Penkovsky was very the words of a brave man, who
much his own man. He was a wanted to get his own language
lived with risk and whose de- FRANK GIBNEY.
sire to have his views known New York City.
Approved For Release 2001/07/26 : CIA-RDP75-00149R000600250024-6