A COLD WELCOME FOR THE BLACK WIDOW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000400380018-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 8, 2004
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: May 25, 1979
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For RgeAse AWNR1L/' G1"LRg88-01315
Article appeared 25 May 1979
on page 6 Pt. II
A Cold Welcome, for the 'lack W
assent, publicly or privately, to U.S. plans to fly U-2 the U-2-the same type of aircraft that was shot
spy planes near the Soviet-Turkish border to check down over the Soviet heartland in May, 1060-is
on Russian compliance with the new strategic arms ; indelibly imprinted on Russian minds as a spy plane.
limitation treaty? Or shall they say nyet-and The idea of publicly welcoming the "black widow of.
thereby deal a damaging, perhaps fatal, blow to the . espionage," as it Is called by Kremlin propagandists,
prospects for Senate ratification of the treaty? into the sensitive airspace near the Turkish-Soviet
One of the biggest obstacles facing SALT II, when : border is probably more than they can be expected
it is submitted to the U.S. Senate for ratification, is to accept.
the question of whether it can be adequately.'. However, the Soviet' government wants ' very
verified in light of the loss of two U.S. monitoring:. much to see SALT II ratified by the Senate. And, as
stations in.Iran. American diplomats have pointed out to Moscow, an
Soviet leaders face a dilemma that is unusual, to No doubt the Kremlin feels a strong compulsion
say the least, in the annals of diplomacy: Shall they to respond with a blunt, unambiguous no. After all,
own population at a-time of economic deie'rJoiratio'n,
and'political turmoil-says that such flights will be
permitted only if the Soviet Union does not object.
The United States has already sounded out the
Soviets:on the issue.
rocket complexes in Soviet Central Asia.
-Turkish permission:. is, necessary~~urkey-
be to monitor missile-test launchings from the
answer is yes. But, in order to make that claim more
credible, the .Administration wants to conduct U-2
flights from a British base in Cyprus into Turkish
airspace near the Soviet border. The purpose would
President Carter has repeatedly insisted that the
active Russian effort to prevent the proposed U-2
flights in Turkey would be .a major windfall to.
treaty opponents.
Washington is said to have received some indica-
tions that the Kremlin will try to finesse the issue
by giving the Turkish government a quiet, off-the-
record nod of approval for the flights-or by ignor-
Tui ;'Tf' Izey UFto.interpret silence as consent. o '
The question of whether Turkey will obstinately ~f
demand public rather than private assurances .will "i
be influenced, it seems clear, by whether the United
States and its NATO partners are able; to deliver the
economic and military aid that has been promised. 0
Approved For Release 2005/01/12 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000400380018-1