HAVE AMERICAN SPIES IN THE SOVIET UNION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01495R001200130015-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 15, 2005
• Sequence Number: 15
• Content Type: PREL

TOP SECRET SECRET
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ExD BY FRED COLEMAN DDI
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MOSCOW, MARCH 23 (AP)-HAVE AMERICAN SPIES IN THE SOVIET UNION
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HAS LED TO A CLASH OF WORDS BETWEEN AMERICAN CLOAK-AND-DAGGER
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mea FOR THEM, THE RUSSIANS SAID, SO THEY VOLUNTEERED TO HELP OUT.
mea THERE ARE OTHER THINGS A SPY HAS TO SNOOP OUT BESIDES INFORMATION
"4 *y* ON NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS, MILITARY SECRETS AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
OSP WHICH GIVE THE PROFESSION ITS GLAMOR. THEY MUST KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE:
~bod~ HOW MANY GAS STATIONS ARE IN OPERATION TO SERVE MOSCOW S
AUTOMOBILES?
THE CIA MEN SET TO WORK WITH CHARACTERISTIC SCORN FOR ALL THE
RISKS INVOLVED IN THIS SUPER-SECRET PROJECT,.AND CAME UP WITH A
REPORT MARCH 1. THE CIA FOUND ONLY EIGHT GAS STATIONS IN THIS
CAPITAL OF 6.5 MILLION PEOPLE. &k6,
THIS, IN THE ESTIMATION OF THE TWO RUSSIAN JOURNALISTS, WAS A CHjjz
PRETTY POOR DISPLAY OF ESPIONAGE, AND. PERHAPS A REFLECTION ON THE
WHOLE PROFESSION. THEY FELT, THE WRITERS SAID,. THAT IT SHOWED THE
CIA MEN WERE EITHER LAZY OR STUPID, BUT AT ANY RATE WEREN T
BUCKLING DOWN TO THE JOB. SO THEY VOLUNTEERED TO HELP OUT, AND
SAVE'. THE GOOD NAME OF THE SPY PROFESSION.
"WE ARE WORKING FOR THE CIA," SAID AN ARTICLE N THE WEEKLY
NEWSPAPER LITERARY GAZETTE. .IT WAS SIGNED "AMATEUR SPIES V.
OSTROVSKY AND M. TRAKHMAN."
"A CIA AGENT HAS BEEN GIVEN A COMPLICATED TASK: TO FIND OUP THE
EXACT NUMBER OF GAS STATIONS IN MOSCOW ".THEY EXPLAINED.
"MAYBE MR. X IS- LAZY BY NATURE. MAYBE HE CAN COUNT ONLY WITH
HIS FINGERS, BUT HE HASN T COPED WITH HIS TASK."
A17
THE TWO DECIDED TO SHOW THE CIA HOW TO GO ABOUT SUCH A DELICATE
JOB. THEY REPORTED THEY TOOK A CAMERA, GOT INTO AN AUTOMOBILE AND
SPENT A DAY PHOTOGRAPHING MOSCOW GAS STATIONS, AND CAME UP WITH
.PICTURES OF 99.
"'BY EVENING WE WERE TIRED," THEY WENT ON. THAT WAS ENOUGH. LET
THE AGENTS OF THE CIA GET INVOLVED IN THIS THEMSELVES. THEY GET
GOOD MONEY, BUT WORK BADLY."
AFTER ALL THIS, THE QUESTION STILL REMAINS: HOW MANY GAS STATIONS
ARE THERE IN MOSCOW, ANYWAY? j;
TO PEOPLE WHO KNOW MOSCOW, THE FIGURE OF 99 APPEARED TO INCLUDE
MANY NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: PUMPS. FOR TAXIS, PUBLIC VEHICLES,
FACTORY-OWNED VEHICLES, GOVERNMENT- OWNED CARS, AND SO FORTH.
SO FAR AS FOREIGNERS ARE CONCERNED, THERE IS ONLY ONE GAS STATION
IN MSCOW WHERE THEY ARE PERMITTED TO BUY THE SOVIET VERSION OF
.PREMIUM QUALITY GAS.
ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF STATIONS SELL GAS TO THE PUBLIC.
AN EDITOR AT THE LIBERARY GAZETTE WAS ASKED TODAY HOW MANY GAS
'STATIONS IN MOSCOW SELL GAS TO THE PUBLIC.
THE EDITOR SAID HE DIDN T KNOW.
WWI 53 PES
Approved For Release 2005/11/23 : CIA-RDP80BO1495R001200130015-2