IAD/(SANITIZED) BRIEFING FOR SSCI AIDES ON MAY 1981 ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST THE POPE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00049R000802050025-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 14, 2006
• Sequence Number: 25
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2033/861(74RCA ;DP84B00049R000802050025-5
MEMORADUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
VIA: Deputy Director for Operations
Chief, International Activities Division
SUBJECT: IAD/Q Briefing for SSCI Aides on May 1981 25x1
Assassination Attempt Against the Pope
1. On 14 September, a member of IAD riefed two staff 25x1
aides of Senator Richard Lugar of the Senate Se ect Committee on
Intelligence concerning alleged Soviet/Bulgarian complicity in
the May 1981 assassination attempt against the Pope. This
briefing requirement had been prompted by Claire Sterling's
article in the September edition of Reader's Dige titled
"The Plot to Murder the Pope". (See previous IAD memo dated 25x1
3 September 1982 on this same subject.)
3. In anticipation of high-level queries from various
U.S. officials following NBC's upcoming special on the Soviet/
Bulgarian connection, IADIpent a cable to Stations in Europe 25x1
asking for a status report an any new information bearing on
the subject. As of 14 September, however, CIA has no infor-
mation to support the thesis of the Soviet/Bulgarian role in the
attempt against the Pope.
 Approved For Release 2006014: QIP-RPP84B00049R000802050025-5
SUBJECT: IAD/[_JBriefing for SSCI Aides on May 1981
Assassination Attempt Against the Pope
4. NOTE: Mr. Andre said that Senator Lugar was scheduled
for a breakfast meeting with the DCI on 16 September and that
this subject would be discussed at that time. Mr. Andre thought
that Senator Lugar might suggest to the DCI that more resources
of CIA might be applied to the resolution of the possible
Soviet/Bulgarian sponsorship of the attempt against
S E C R E T
Approved For Release 2006/06/14: CIA-RDP84B00049R000802050025-5