BULGARIA SUSPECTED OF SMUGGLING IN ITALY TO FINANCE TERRORISM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505120062-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 15, 2010
• Sequence Number: 62
• Publication Date: March 20, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/15: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505120062-2
I
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ARTICLE AFFEII~RED
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PN PAGE__
WASHTNGTON POST
20 MA P CH 1983
'finance= le rorisin i i
'By Sari-Gilbert' _,
. S1xclat to The Wiu h stop Pont
ROME-Bulgarian -citizensyhave been.Jteavily
implicated here in: arms, drug and-cigarette smug
gling, according to several judicial and- police in-
vestigators. High-level officials suggest that the
East Bloc state may use the proceeds from. smug
gling to finance spying:or terrorist activities.
Bulgarian officials already have been accused of
having a role in the May 1981 attempt to kilt th
pope, and judicial investigators are-studying a pos-
sible Bulgarian-attempt at involvement in.the Red
Brigadea:.kidnaping of_U.S..Brig...Gen..,James,I
Dozier in late ? 1981, Several Bulgarians-also are
under investigation for possible. involvementint an
alleged plot to kill Polish-.union leader, Lech,
Walesa. All of the cMrges have been stronglyder
vied by Bulgaria.
.various investigations' of the Bulgarian govern
rent's role in alleged criminal activities suggests
at least that Bulgaria has had little regard for Ital-
ian laws in its desire to earn, hard.currency,, in the
view of observers here.
More seriously;-'some observers see a pattern of
behavior suggesting that Bulgaria may have re-
placed Czechoslovakia ,' as the,~East>Bloc= country]
most eager to support terrorist activities here-as a
means of destabilizing? this. faithful- NATO coun-'
try. In this ?view,:Bulgaria jisaerving as the Krem
lie's henchman--by planning assassinations :o
'other covert ; operations ;= `'-
'('here have been no ';new majordevelopmentsin
the probe into the attempt;to..killPope John Pau
11 since the arrest last November-of & Bulgari ri
the case and-the later implication-cif: two- former
- Bulgarian Embassy officials in die attack:-'But,the
activities of the .magistrates nvolved-in the papal-
probe and the other . investigations involving. Bulb
garia suggest that the various cases may be related.
Rome magistrates-F.erdinando, Imposimato.and'
Domenico. Sica; 'who. are assigned to. the case re--
Palermo, who heads-an investigation into *a?major-
arms and drug..smuggling ring; have. interrogated,
convicted papal. assailant Mehmet All ;Agra, in
prison- The three: Bulgarian; officials were impli-
cated' in. the papal shooting prunarily:by ;Agra s
v~Palermo returnedThursdar.jrom,e