C.I.A. REPORTS TO SENATE PANEL ON SHOOTING OF POPE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000404440132-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 27, 2010
• Sequence Number: 132
• Publication Date: February 19, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/27: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404440132-1
YORK TTh S
19 FEBRUARY 1983
24
CZ PAGE -
C.I.A. Reports to Senate Panel on Sooting o r ope
By PHILIP TAUBMAN
Sprdal to The New Ymk Times
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-
manent 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, ( White House officials said Mr. Casey
have privately expressed doubts about I. had initiated the discussion to deny the
the C.I.A.'s efforts to investigate Buli charges and reassure Mr. Clark that
garian connections to Mehmet Al the C.I.A. had not impeded any investi.
Agca, the Turk convicted of shooting gations.
the Pope, according to committee Secretary of State George P. Shultz.,
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 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
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 operatiow.
the Pope has been questioned in recut 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 Ital-
the shooting by the Italian Government; ian judicial system in which independ.
and American journalists, William J. ent magistrates, acting in eff:Act as
Casey, the Director of Central Intelli- grad juries, conduct icquiries witbeu
gence, met with William P. Clark, the, reporting to the Government or its Intel'-
White House national security adviser, ligence agencies.
to discuss the agency's efforts. As 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 second-
hand information about the case.
Mr. Goldwater said, "Since this mat-
ter is being handled by the Italians,
there's. a question about bow far you
should go in investigating it yourself."
Other co#4:mittee members, however,
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,, Sergei I. Antonov, head of the
Bulgarian airline office in Rome. Here.
mains in custody on suspicion of coin.'
plicity in 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. Agca.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/27: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404440132-1