THE POPE...THE KGB...THE SILENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505120083-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 27, 2010
• Sequence Number: 83
• Publication Date: February 14, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
14 February 1983
The Pop~...theKGB...the siie4'ce1
Beth
-IF THE KGB and its for.
mer chief, Soviet leader
Yuri Andropov, had a
hand in the attempted mur-
der of the Pope, do you want
to know it? That is a question
of the Western democracies of Why the truth is not being sought with vigor by anyone`
ought to be considering very but the Italians. And also why a policy of strict realism is
seriously. Few-are experts in not being made to underly Western efforts and hopes for,
profoundly prefer thatn) the.. There are many possible reasons for Western silence.;
Fallon Pope had never been shot Some are prudent and logicaL Others are illogical and-
and b, the Russians had noth- frightening. If somehow a smoking gun is put, figurative-
ing to do with it. But the ly speaking, in Andropov's hand. some analysts argue,.it.
Pope was shot in St. Peter's will ruin any chance of a U.S.-Soviet summit and
Square in May, 1981, though not fatally, and the Italian . meaninful arms control It will, wreck any chance of
investigation into the alleged "Bulgarian connection"
raises very serious questions - questions, mind you, not
conviction - regarding possible Soviet complicity.
A great many people and institutions are responding
with either a peculiar and resounding silence in the face
of, or an active will to rebut the trend of, such questions.
The' distinguished foreign affairs columnist of The New
York Times, Flora. Lewis, reported recent'y.that an
unnamed British historian "warned against pursuing the.
facts of the 'Bulgarian connection ... Remember; be
said, 'the echo of a bullet at Sarajevo set off World War
L'" Ms. Lewis argued forcefully against the presumption
that ignorance on such a phenomenal scale could ever be
a secure foundation for contemporary peace, but so far
she has few allies.
The,American, British, French and German govern-
ments, while deeply deploring the attack on Pope John
Paul II, have been remarkably cautious and restrained in
their comments on speculation that the Russians wanted
The details and available evidence regarding D'Ama-
to's charges can and will be weighed in future columns,
as can evidence linking the Turkish gunman, Mehmet Ali
Agca, to Bulgarian officials. But the question for Amer=
icans and their allies right now is not so much "Is the
Soviet union responsible for the attack on the Pope, and
to what degree?" Much more fundamental is the question;
detente and might even provoke armed hostilities. It is
even alleged by some sources that exposure of KGB'
involvement might lead to revelations of American
intelligence blunders and even crimes in other areas.
Furthermore, the papacy itself is not the most popular
institution in history, and some of its historical un-
popularity may be haunting it now. Moreover, John Paul
himself, out of action for many weeks and still not the
man he was before someone put a bulletin him, has seen Solidarity crushed by the Polish government without
direct Russian interference. Some Vatican sources say
privately that he wants to "forgive his enemies," forgive
and forget and get on with his much-cherished second
visit to Poland next June.
FORGIVE AND FORGET?may be the very best
I counsel for those primarily interested in the'.. Kingdom of Heaven, but it is sometimes remark,
ably poor advice-for those charged with the safety of the
e woe for exampl
e, if the
thise
be
the Polish Pope out of. the way so they could more Br t shh histor w ou
effectively crush the ndependent' union, Solids quite s so o urbane victim
rhY?w-- had been Elizabeth II. Or the Archbishop hop of if Caanterbury..
Some say the Western goverments have been worse than Or the Metropolitan of Greece. Or the Chief Rabbi of
silent. After a five-day woiidng trip to Rome last week.; Jerusalem.
Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, a conservative Republican from Because if, if these allegations of Soviet complicity are ,
-New York and a longtime Central Intelligence Agency' true, then the next victim could be any one of them, and.
'supporter, accused the CIA of providing "disinformation the political landscape has changed fundamentally in a
- misleading analysis and data - to Western reporters in way that cannot be ignored. Why this is so, and why the
Rome "to discredit the Italian investigators - that's' ? free peoples of the world must face it, deserves much
intolerable." 'D'Amato has asked for and received an examination. The people who aspire to self-government
appointment with President Reagan's national security have not merely, a right, they have a solemn duty.-to
chief, William Clark, to discuss his. allegations. decide whether ignorance means bliss..
0L4,
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/27: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505120083-9