BULGARIAN MAGAZINE LINKS CIA TO ATTACK ON POPE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505140044-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 3, 2011
• Sequence Number: 44
• Publication Date: December 15, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2011/05/03: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505140044-0
THE WASHINGTON POST
15 December 1982
Bulgarian Magazine Links
CIA to Attack on Pope
SOFIA, Bulgaria, Dec. -14 (UPI)-A
Bulgarian magazine turned the tables on
the West, saying the Central Intelligence
Agency and not Bulgaria was behind the
May 1981 assassination attempt on Pope
John Paul IL
Pogled magazine said yesterday Turkish
terrorist Mehmet All Agca, who is serving
a life sentence for the shooting, "was in
seven Western European NATO member
countries" before the shooting. It said the
seven nations harbor "a large network of
CIA agents" who work in right-wing extre-
mist organizations.
"This is where he [Agca] found refuge,
these are the circles the terrorist Agca
moved in, from which he received money
and instructions in the course of many a
month before doing the terrorist act in the
square in Rome," Pogled said.
The weekly magazine joined other Bul-
garian news media in rejecting allegations
of any Bulgarian involvement in criminal
actions in Italy.
The allegations against Bulgaria stem
from three separate investigations. The
magistrates leading the investigations have
been leaking some of their findings to Ital-
ian and foreign reporters.
Approved For Release 2011/05/03: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505140044-0