C.IA. REPORTS TO SENATE PANEL ON SHOOTING OF POPE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000202230074-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 74
• Publication Date: February 19, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/12/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000202230074-3
A. -7,71 C A y Jwf.i U.l~,r fT V YORK '"MES
C? PAGE ) 9 FEBRUARY 1933
C.I.A. Reports toSertatePanel on.S'hoa'
By PHILIP TAUBMAN
spe;kl to The Nrw York T.mrs
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 - The Cen-
tral Intelligence Agency reported to a
Senate committee today about the
shooting of Pope John Paul II. There
has been concern among members of
Congress that the Reagan Administra-
tion has not shown adequate interest in
determining whether Bulgaria and the
Soviet Union played a role in the 1981 as-
sassination attempt.
Several members of the Senate Per-
rnanent Select Committee on Intelli-
gence, including its chairman, Barry
M. Goldwater, Republican of Arizona,
and its vice chairman, Daniel Patrick
Moynihan, Democrat of New York, R'bite House officials said Mr. Casey,
have privately expressed doubts about .had initiated the discussion to deny the
the C.I.A.'s efforts to investigate Bul-
garian connections to Mehmet Ali
Agca, the Turk convicted of shooting
the Pope, according to committee
the C.I.A. had not impeded any investi-
gations.
Secretary of State George P. Shultz,
to discuss the agencys efforts.
As a a result, , Mr. Moynihan said, the
C.I.A. has been unable to collect infor-
mation from investigators themselves
and has had to rely on assistance from
friendly intelligence services in Eu-
rope, most of which have only fond-
hand information about the case.
Mr. Goldwater said, "Since this mat-
ter is being handled by the Italians
there's. a question about how far you
should go in investigating it youaself."
Other co refuse members,-howevli?
criticized the C.I.A.'s efforts. One said,
"The agency has not used its resources
to trace Agca's background and exam:
ine his connections with Bulgaria. The'
C.I.A. could do that without interfering.
with the Italians."
After his arrest and conviction, Mr.
Agca told Italian authorities that three
Bulgarians living in Rome had helped
him plan the assassination attempt, ac-
'cording to Italian officials. Last
November Italian authorities arrested
one of the Bulgarians identified by Mr.
Agca,, Serge! I. Antonov, head of the
Bulgarian airline office in Rome. He re-
;-trains in custody on suspicion of corm.
Plicityin the shooting.
The two other Bulgarians, both em-
ployees at the Bulgarian Embassy, are
in Bulgaria and, like Mr. Antonov, have
denied knowing or assisting Mr A,,
sources. { addressing the Conservative Political
After today's briefing of the commit- Action Conference, said today that the
tee, however, Senator Goldwater said United States had not tried to suppress,
he was satisfied the C.I.A. was pursuing I investigations into the shooting. He
the matter. "I don't think they've been added that the Government could not
dragging their tail," he said. have "a fruitful relationship" with Bul-
Mr. Moynihan also said he had been garia as long as it supported terrorism.
persuaded by the briefing that the The Senate committee scheduled
C.I.A. was actively following develop- today's briefing, committee sources
ments and seemed well informed. said, to learn what the C.I.A. knew
Other committee members, who about the case and find out what steps
asked not to be identified, said the the Administration had taken to pursue
C.I.A. had provided no new information possible Bulgarian and Soviet involve
about the shooting, leaving the impres-. meat. The C.I.A. was represented at the
sion, one senator said, "that they're fol- hearing by Robert M. Gates, the head of I
lowing the case but not very vigorous- the agency's intelligence division, and
ly. John H. Stein chief of clandestine
. The C.I.A.'s interest in the shooting of + operations.
the Pope has been questioned in recent The two officials, according to Mr.
weeks. Earlier this month, after an Moynihan, told the committee that
NBC News report that the C.I.A. had; American efforts to' investigate the
tried to discourage investigations into: shooting were constrained by the 11al-
the shooting by the Italian Government; ian judicial system in which indepet-d-
and American journalists, William J.1 ent magistrates, acting in effect as
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/12/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000202230074-3