ACTIVITIES OF SOVIET OFFICIALS IN LEBANON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002100540006-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 18, 1998
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: December 8, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

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Activities of Soviet officials
in Lebanon
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REPORT NO.
to Yevgeni Podvigin 2nd Secretary of the Soviet Legation in Beirut, was
reported in early Hoverfoer 19118 to have been in the Soviet Union for
about a month and a half. This Soviet 'official is said to be treated
with deference even by Viktor Khangulova now Charge d'Affaires at the 25X1A6a
Beirut Legation. Convent. It nay be significant that the
25X1X6 trip of Podvigin to the USSR coincided with that of Ifinister Daniel So'lod.
2. V1.adirnir Ivanov is definitely considered-as Press Attache at the Soviet
Legation in Beirut. According to source, Ivanov directs the Soviet Hers
Bulletin which is edited by Ra-if Khuri, I'.Mustafa 'Ari.s, and T?Qa L
3. Fyodot Pissarenko and Aleksandr Sergeyyev,, Soviet Attaches, are very much
interested in the current internal dispute in the Greek'Catholic Church.
At Serrgoyev' a request, Dikran Tosbath of the Beirut, daily newspapers,
Le Sair,, and Tawfiq rlahbah of Dunya collect information on this subject,,
25X1A6a C~oraent4 The interest a iese Soviet officials in this dispute
may have some connection with Archbishop Ilya Karam's attempt to exploit
the discontent. of the Greek Catholics and perhaps to win cone of then back
to the Orthodox fold. Karam sent Archinandrite Jammal, who was formerly
a Greek Catholic, to make ovorra to two of the leading malcontents,
25X1X6 Afif Sawaya and Yusuf Ilyas Riyashi,)
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Zayn-al-Din Hasanov, who acts as liaison between the Soviet Legation and
Communist groups in Lebanon,, returned to Lebanon in mid-G ctob - 3948
on a ship bringing pfgrins from Mecca, where he had gone, via Egypt.
Ilasanov left quarantine under an assumed namo, as a Turk from. Malatiyar.
He was accompanied by Zilfakanli Ahmad, a notorious Turk who worked
as an intelligence agent for the Germans during World VIOr II, and
who is-now employed by the Soviet Intelligence Service. The Lebanese
Surete, source states, did not realize the real iditities of Hasenov and
Ahead until a day or two after they had left quarantine
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