THE MICROWAVE AFFAIR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88B01125R000300120081-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 10, 2012
• Sequence Number: 81
• Publication Date: March 8, 1976
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

I yi In Ll' I
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/10: CIA-RDP88B01125R000300120081-2
THE '-; A:;! I f I;::':'3I POST
8 ?.arch 1 j'?"
Rowland Evans fined Robert Novak
The Microwave Affair
President Ford's administration has
removed some electronics Intelligence i
equipment from the L'.S. embassy roof
in Moscow in return for reduced So-
viet microwave bombardment of the
embassy - a top secret effort to avoid
an open rupture of U.S.-Soviet rela-
u;tns.
Intensified electromagnetic radia-
tion beamed at the embassy to inter
rupt U.S. intelligence=gathering has
produced repeated complaints that em-
bassy personnel, Including Ambassador
Walter Stoessel, have been physically
harried. The Soviet government re-
fused even to acknowledge the micro-
wave attack, much less stop it. Thus,
the Ford-Kissinger policy of detente
was seriously threatened on a periph-
.nral issue.
The result is what critical Officials
!bolt in the Ford administration call
"hand-wringing" diplomacy. Instead of
)utright U.S. demands that the Soviets
observe the bounds of civilized behav-
ior, a bargain of sorts has now been se-
cretly struck. Some electronics equip-
ment on the embassy's roof .used to
penetrate confidential Soviet commu-
nications has been removed. In return,
~lectrumagnetic radiation at the em-
,assy has decreased However radii-
.,tion remains above minimum safety
standards, and the matter is by no
Many nuances and Implications of
this hush-hush affair are not fully
known; nor is its ultimate outcome.
fiut critics within the administration
believe dlr. Ford and Secretary of
State Henry Kissinger are following
tactics that have provably failed in
,ast confrontations with the Kremlin. I
The Soviets began directing
micro-,saves at the U.S. embassy in the c:u'ly
i96)s, obviously as a countermeasure
against electronic spying. By contrast
,
he United States has followed the nor-:
mil diplomatic practice and dealt indi-
,-ectly with similar electronic spying;
roil the Soviet embassy in 1Vashirg-
',on - never by beamin microwaves
igniast the Russians.
TL-,t the radiation in \1osco%v tins
ibove the Soviet's own ,:afaty standard
i::s for years been the subject of in-
n mberable -?onfa.renec's high in the
'overt:n:enl. fee's:dent Joanson rai:scvl
he matter Sit Gla?itnro, \.J., in 1961
cith S'n'ii't Prime Minister Alt -.\(,I Ko-
v:ho c':i~ciaitiutl and I:natclc:,l re
it:icrc,:ra ve l,onittar'rht-~?nt. llcitv'-?er,
;hc l niletl Statt's decried hot to lire's;;
CS gi'ievaatt
What changed this was a drastic in-
crease in electromagnetic radiation at
the embassy in Moscow within the last
24 to 36 months.
The main purpose of that increase is
believed to be courter-measures
against electronic eavesdropping de-
vices in and on top of the embassy,
But U.S. intelligence sources believe
the Soviets might also be pursuing one
or all of three other purposes.
First, actual phy?sie.,-l harm to U.S.
personnel (which some embassy ern-
ployees claim has afflicted litany Gins i
bassy officials, including Ambassador
Stoessel); second, psycholorrical.
trauma, rendering employees tenable
to function effectively (which has
clearly happened); third, to activato
sensors secretly placed inside the em-
bassy to record conversations for So?
net ears (which has not yet been
conrirm '..ec!).
No protest was made to Moscow af-
ter the radiation level increased, but
word inevitably began leakin,; through
1: aashington. Attempting to plug the
leaks, high State Department officials
argued privately that disclosure might
venerate damage suits against the gov-
ernment from embassy employees with
claims of illness. Far more signifi-
cantly, these officials continued, disclo-
sure would compromise the embassy's
electronics intelligence.
ing to American newsmen about the
Moscow embassy's electronic spying.
Faced with growing leaks of secret
information Ilk the press, the adrninis-
(ration moved publicly and privately.
.Publicly, an electioneering President
Ford finessed the issue; his only public,
statement came in a Feb. 8 press con-
ference at Durham. \.H.: "?I have
heard rumors concerning it. but I don't
think it is a matter that ought to be
discussed at this point." Privately, the
United States turned to Dr. Kissinger's
"quiet diplonuiey," the full nature of
which is unknown hut clearly included
removal of embassy electronic equip-
mant and accompanying reduction of
micro:.'ave b'inbnrdment.
officials critical of "quiet diplo-
macy" believe Sta,ie Department cross.
saries should hwvve poundal the table
instead of wrin ing their htech, siirr-riti
have loudly is _ormed the Russians
tat viola tier g the savcrci nit; of an
embassy is an intolli-rable breech of in-
ternational conduct.
'T'hus, the inlcro'?tave affair tran-
scends U.S. jilt elti_ ancc operations and
even a hoped-for successful conclu. on
of diplomatic efforts. Faced with bla-
tant.provacation, the U.S. government
did-ntot react until after pubic diselo-
surL, and (lien employed shrouded
nianuevers to smother and smooth the
trouble. The implications have not
been lost on the Kremlin.
C..i 197$. F:e:d Fnter,rtses. Inc.
Indeed, after the Boston Globe's Wit-
liam Beecher revealed the increased
microwave bombardment and Stoes-
set's illness; Soviet diplomats in Wash-
ington began a campaign of whisper- ;
t
"Officials critical of
`quiet tlij)lrnnflcy'
believe 'State
D&pai- in(;11 t e!t1 iSSoI-ie.
SllO!!i!t rl(L'?;e. f)(;11i1ded.
tlI :((h/(' 1llSi('(((J of-
? t'llI! "'i.II. Ii('!J' ii((12(IS.'
I,~ Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/10: CIA-RDP88B01125R000300120081-2