EMBASSY ADMITS RADIATION EXISTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88B01125R000300120099-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 10, 2012
• Sequence Number: 99
• Publication Date: February 11, 1976
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

I _'I! I I W t. 1
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/10: CIA-RDP88B01125R000300120099-3
THE WASHINGTON POST
11 February 1976
PAB - 81
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>. -t"' ~;,~ '"- .: ByPeterOsnoe ~.~.:~ A
f+iOSCOW?;."Feb---.j0:" :.;;"Reports of- the 'radiation
`American officials confirmed . problem began circulating
tonight. -that:. there is. -a .. last week when the embassy
radiation. problem. in the U.S.::!,scheduled and then cancelled
embassy.' building here.-. a. general briefing. After-a
apparently -.'caused. by Soviet,. smaller session was held with
surveillance equipment - but..; key personnel Friday. reports
they refused to discuss the: .circulated' attributing the
extent ;of the danger to em- radiation to Soviet microwave
bassy personnel- and others'':,,, beams . apparently designed
who use the building..., *."~--:.'--;/to .'activato-' surveillance
As explained- by officials,;' equipment already installed in
?the radiation is of the ? non- theembassy.:
ionized. 'variety ?found in ; today's briefing, the
medical :: equipment ? . and officials would not say hether.
' microwave. ovens. They said the radiation was caused by
t...-that: .scientific investigations-?. surveillance equipment; But -
`of this-ty pe of radiation have this has been the repeated
trot. been conclusive.as to the ' ?? assertion.of other sources who,
threshold--; where ?; :danger..- .would not allow themselves to
I.begins .:. K~?. ?? ~~c';:~,~= :be Quoted: t. c
At a briefing called to"allay L Yesterday. wives. of the
fears;'' in- the a~Americaa- ? embassy officers were gisen-a
community;isofficials said ":brieftng;apparentlysimilarto
''there-"is no significant health t the one today .While stressing
`:hazard" on the ground floor of . t ab there is no reason for
the=.embassy "-where?:.such_ .'outsiders to be::.worried, of
facilities as the nursery school;'" ficials frequently, stated that
and snack bararelocated...: .;the full-effects of this type of
Journalists,:.businessmen '=s radiation ..;are: ,poorly : un=
_? and-others .who come to: the- ;' derstooct";::': ==.r=.
',-embassy occasionally? of- ' Sources. said-:that in past
ficlals. said;,. are in. ' no ''years; at least. ? there have
danger:. :.; 1 .rr .. A;:.been no medical .incidents
The fmpllication seemed fo _ among ,.members ? of the -
. be that the hazard is ;rester in ? American community that
the oftjces of the embassy on .? could . be attributed to
.t
the upper: floors of the ten- ,:. radiation effects. However, it
story building - but just how is' was acknowledged that j
great was not disclosed. To all ?:; medical ? records of: past
questions on- that, officials .'.,embassy employees are being
-answered "no comment" and .:'scrutinized.
-said they.:were.doing so. on.",:- An-. official said that a
instructions ::n%??:''.= ?;+i:.. laboratory specialist-had been
assigned to Moscow to r
About 125 people work-in the forperiodic tests on em-
embassy.and 46 live there,' bassy staff in an effort to
including. a number of discover what consequences
children. It is unclear whether .;f any --are caused by the
the apartments are con ..,.. radiation
? sidered haiardous't `~"~..:,?.~ ?.: , .. ' '"'~'~-4--~=. ' ;?_-
L 4L'f1;7 _1M C
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/10: CIA-RDP88B01125R000300120099-3