THE KGB'S BEAD ON THE MEDIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000605730010-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: April 14, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/30: CIA-RDP90-00552R000605730010-1
A,T1CLE
ON FAGI
THE WASHINGTON POST
14 April 1981
Arnaud de B?rchgrave
Stephen S. Rosenfeld recently wrote
an article about two journalist, "close to
[Alexander] Hain." who. have written a
novel-"The - Spike"--that makes "a
deadly charge of journalistic corruption,"
namely the notion that the Soviet KGB
manipulates the Western media by "dis-.
information" operations An incredulous,
Rosenfeld further points out that Robert
Moss, my co-author, has- carried then
charge into the real-life arena- Count me.
in, too. ~.? -
I am sure that Roeenfeld.would agree.
that Dr. Andrei, Sakharov's- liberal:
credential, are-beyond challenge. Sakha?
rov invented the Soviet H-bomb and was
a member irt, good standing of the Soviet
establishment, with access to the.Krem-~
yin for many yaar% befom becoming {
'
Russia
s Ieadiar dissident. From his-i
KGB-imposed exile in Gorki, Sakharov;
managed to smuggle nut a long letter a.
year ago that.was published as the cover-
story of the June 8. 1980, New York-.
Times Magazine, If Rosenfeld read Sak-;
harov'3 letter carefully how could he dis--.
miss with such al&Lriw our revelations;
about KGB disinformsdoss.operations in
the Western media? .
Salcharov warned us about four cats..
cries of agents or , Gnce m Western
countries busily promoung oovrer ex-
anstonsst o ~ wnicn.. included,.
'
accor in to.
hatzasov, a great many
writers and toi . That s ou
ave. a ict some =term rrom? a boviet
expert like not to mennoa-a,
enemy report reteasea oy the oti e
subcommittee on tIXSrW.V in a ru-
a r 198 on iovfetdrsmrarmauon opera -
Lions. a J.* mews were ex uded
from this the
rem tnesube sens-ave.
First, said Sa+4sarov, mere are then
ideologically motivated--motivations, he
conceded, that were worthy of debate.
But second, he explained, there is a cats-.
gory of people who can themselves "pro-:
gressive" because they consider it "fash=
ionable, prestigious or profitable." A,
third category, Sakhstov wrote, consists...
of "naive, poorly informed or indifferent
people who close, their eyes and ears to
the bitter truth and eagerly swallow any
sweet lie," provided, as Rosenfeld must.
know from his long experience in. Soviet
affairs, it is appropriately sugar-coated
with. disarmament proposals and peace
's Bead an he Media.
Takiiig Exception.
'offensives. Perhaps Rosenfeld will recall'
that this third category used to be called
"useful idiots" by Lenin.
Finally, said Sakharov, there is the
fourth group-people-- who' have been.
"bought in the most direct sense- of that
word, and not always with money." And
here he was referring to ,some political
figures,,- businessmen, . a great many
writers and journalists, government ad-
visers and heads of press and television."
I hope that Rosenfeld will, recognizes
that Sakharov speaks from more inti-
mate knowledge about KGB disinforma
tion operations than he himself ever pos- j
sessed; even while stationed in Moscow.
He may also be interested to know that
Dr. Igor Glagolev, a former consultant to
the Soviet Politburo and a former mem-
ber of several prestigious Russian aca-
demic institutions, who chose asylum in
the United States four years ago, has
said that our novel, "`The Spike' under-
states the truth about how the KGB's
disinformation operations work inside
the Western media." : ' - .. -
The KGB's "dysinfornatsya" depart-
ment was elevated to a full directorate of
the Soviet-secret service, in 1968. Since
then, it has averaged more than 600
operations a year in this Western, media
-Western Europe, Japan, the United:
States and friendly Third World coun
tries. Much of this work is done through.
proxy services, such as the Cuban DGL
Rosenfeld says that Moss and I should
name names. Does he really want to trig-
ger a witch hunt and revive Mctarthy-:
ism in our country? Our purpose was to,
explain through the vehicle of a political
spy novel a little-known but. tremen
dously important aspect of Soviet intelli-,
gence inside the Western media.
Isn't Rosenfeld aware that a promi
? nent French. journalist; Pierre-Charles'
Pathe,..was tried,- convicted and sen
tenced to five years in jail last May by;
the French State Security Court. after.
making a full confession? He had'
worked for the KGB's "disinformation".
department for the past 20 years. During.
that'period he had been handled by sir
KGB case officers. It was not a case of.
classic espionage. But it was the first
time ever to my knowledge that a mem-i
ben of our profession was caught literally
red-handed receiving documents
(in a
remote secon?of'Paris) from his KGB
control agent, which he was to publish as
his own work, as he had been doing foe
years.
Paths also wrote a private, newsletter,
financed by the KGB, which was widely
quoted, as authoritative because the
Soviets had established his reputation
with some straight scoops at the begin.
ning of his- endeavors for his new mas.
tens. Some 4C0 French parliamentarians,
50 foreign embassies in Paris and about
50 publications and other journalists
subscribed to this outlet for Soviet disin.
formation operations.
I hope Rosenfeld will have a better
perspective on the last 13 years--if not
the last 64 years---after reading what the
then head of the KGB's disinformation
department,. Gen..Agayants, a brilliant
Armenian, told '.is agents in 196& "We
must constantly encourage Western
journalists to write precisely the opposite
of our-real intentions and anyone who
writes or speaks about our real inten-
tions accurately or, impartially in the
Western sense of these words- must
quickly be dismissed .and ridiculed as
someone of the right or a fascist, some-
one who wants to bring back McCarthy
The writer was formerty chief for
eign correspondent forNewnweek....,..
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/30: CIA-RDP90-00552R000605730010-1