ABC REPORT CITES DOUBTS ABOUT TESTIMONY BY AGCA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505120036-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 15, 2010
• Sequence Number: 36
• Publication Date: May 13, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/15: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505120036-1
ARTICLE APPEARED
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ON PAGE __. 13 May 1983
A KC Report Cites Doubts
Abxit'I'sti:nony by Ag U
Reuter '
NEW YORK, May 12-A four-month
ABC News investigation broadcast to-
night cast doubt on -allegations that the
.hooting of Pope John Paul II was part
of a Soviet-Bulgarian conspiracy.
The report said ? testimony by the
..,pope's would-be assassin, Mehmet Ali
Agea, linking Bulgarians to the conspir-
acy, had discrepancies.
ABC also said that what has been of-
fered as a possible. reason for Soviet-Bul-
. garian involvement-a strongly worded
letter on Poland from the pope to the
late Soviet leader Leonid Breznhev-in
fact was never written. .
`The -network said Agca claims to have
spoken with the Bulgarians in English,"
but-his English was poor and the Bulgar-
ians?say they cannot speak the language.
ABC also -quoted high Vatican sources as
saying the pope was convinced there was
a Soviet-Bulgarian plot against him, al-
though he thought it never-would be
proved:.
ABC quoted Vatican sources and Car-
dinal John Krol of Philadelphia as saying
the Polish-born pontiff never wrote a let
ter in Russian to Brezhnev threatening..
that if there was a Soviet invasion of Po-..
land, he would lay down the crown of St,.'
Peter and return to Poland.
"Not only was there not such it letter,
but such a letter, directly from the pope
to Brezhnev would-have been a total de-.
parture from normal procedure. No way.
could you conceive of the Holy Father,
saying `I would resign,' " Krol said.
ABC, quoting high Vatican sources,
said there was a spoken message deliv-,
ered to Soviet officials from the pope in
which he offered to mediate and urged
caution on both sides.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/15: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505120036-1