DEFENSE ATTACKS DOCUMENTS' VALUE IN VIET SPY CASE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R002000100073-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 1, 2004
• Sequence Number: 73
• Publication Date: May 5, 1978
• Content Type: NSPR

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Defense Attacks
Documents' Value
In Viet Spy Case
,. _ By Jeremiah O'Leary
Washington Star Staff Writer
"THIS COULD BE worth more than $100," said
Marsland.
The defense attorney showed Marsland a cable
reciting what the Wall Street Journal had. to say
about Vietnam's laws on foreign investment and
asked what its worth was. The FBI man said,
"Personally, I wouldn't be interested in this cable.
Less than $100."
The defense then- pressed Marsland about the
value of another cable dealing with Vietnam's
relations with China and Russia. When Foster
asked the FBI man what it was worth, Marsland
said, "It is of value to counter-intelligence people
to know that the U.S. has a third-world source in
Hanoi. I'd pay more than $100 for this one."
Ambassador John E. Reinhardt, head of the
International Communications Agency (formerly
USIA), testified that he did not know Humphrey al-
though he recognized him from seeing him at work
before the arrest. He denied that he had ever di-
rected Humphrey to, keep track of Vietnamese
developments.
REINHARDT TESTIFIED after Raymond Har-
d d {
vey, an ICA historian, testified that Humphrey t had
a
Defense attorneys in the espionage trial of Ron-
ald Humphrey and David Truong have sought to
cast doubt on the real value.. of documents al-
legedly.transmitted to Vietnam. and on the claim
that their. transmission would have damaged the
national security of the United States...
Humphrey, a former U.S.. Information Agency
employee, and Truong, a native of Vietnam, are on
trial in U.S. District Court in Alexandria on seven
charges of conspiracy and espionage
Mark Foster, who represents Hu.,mphrey, ques-.
tioned FBI Special Agent Donald Marsland yester-
day. Marsland testified that a. State Department
"damage estimate" concluded there was little of a
sensitive nature in 61 of the cables. Marsland"said
that the "damage estimate" was made by James
Rosenthal, then the State Department's country
director for Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
Defense attorney Michael E. Tigar, who repre=
sents Truong, said, "If the damage estimate was
accurate, that means the case wasn't as important
as you (the FBI) thought it was."
told him Reinhardt had ordered Hump rey a
that. Harvey said he did not question the state-
ment because Humphrey was cleared to see classi-
fied cables, and he periodically gave Hui
access to messages relating to Vietnam.
THE FBI MAN SAID he asked the State Depart-
ment to. make a new evaluation of the damage to
U.S. foreign relations, and that several new "dam-
age estimates" were made.
These damage estimates have not been made
public but some of the nature of the cables was re-
vealed in cross-examination.
The value factor of the documents sent to the
Vietnamese would be important if Humphrey, 42,
and Truong, 32, were found guilty. Federal law
calls for punishment of up to. two years in prison.
and a fine of $10,000 if the documents involved are
worth more than $100. But for property valued at
less than $100, the maximum penalty would be one
year and a $1,000 fine.
Foster showed the witness one of the cables,.
apparently from Bangkok, and said it purported to
show. what the Thai press said about border inci-
dents. It also referred to a Foreign Ministry offi-
cial confirming the news report. "What value
would you put on this document. '.' he asked..:
Approved For Release 2004/07/08 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R002000100073-9