ALLEGED KGB RECRUITER DENIED VISA AS SOVIET OLYMPIC ATTACHE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000200860025-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 24, 2010
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: March 3, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/24: CIA-RDP90-00806R000200860025-8
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BALTIMORE SUN
3 March 1984
aeged KGB recruiter denied
visa as Soviet Olympic attache
By Henry Trewhitt
Washington Bureau of The.Sun
Washington - After weeks of pre-
gam gamesmanship, the Americans
accused the Soviets publicly yester-
day of trying to run a recruiter for
the KGB into Los Angeles as_ chief
Soviet arranger for the Summer
Olympic Games in July.
The U.S. response was the diplo-
matic equivalent of "no way." State
Department spokesman John Hughes
said Oleg Yermishkin has been denied
a visa on 'national security grounds..".
Beyond that be refused to specify
grounds for visa denial. But be did
say the administration would be
happy to admit anyone "acceptable."
For acceptability, he explained, the
United states thought the Soviet
Olympic attacbe'"should bean Olym-
pic attache."
Another official described Mr.
Dviet tan1assy in WasMnatc
e lest jM31 o 'ce and tells.
service. The problem, be vx-
p was_ ess any real threat Mr.
Yermishkin might pose than "the in-
sult" of his nomination.. , -
The denial has irritated a number
of people including, of eourse,'the
Soviets. Peter Ueberroth, president of
the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing
Committee, has complained not at the
U.S. decision as such but at the delay
- until February 28 - in making it
In fact, Mr. Hughes disclosed, the
to and fro between Washington and
Moscow began weeks ago. Mr. Yer-
mishkin had been in Washington and
Los Angeles in November for prelimi-
nary discussions. In December, the
Soviets notified the administration in-
formally that he would be their offi-
cial Olympic attache.
They were told then, init. Hn .
-said, that be was "macceptabk." But
;February 10~they applied for a six.,
month visa anyway - one command-
ing full diplomatic immunity. At that
Point, a U.S. diplomat recalled; "It
was obvious they were doing a job on
us, -banking on our not wanting to in.
terfere with the Olympics."
`Somewhere in the background of
all this was a keen awareness of the
sensitivity o the Los Angeles area in
Soviet-American relations. Down-
town is open to Soviet diplomats.
I~~y tthe surrounding counties, hose -with Important h ~
technology and- defense industries,
are not
Visions of Mr.. Vermishtin, . with
his diplomatic immunity, busily re-
cruiting a spy network danced in
cialsaid, "it was more the symbolism
that was bad. You can just sort of see
him prowling around followed by a
.herd of FBI agents."
The upshot was denial of the visa,
.which happens surely had expect-
--What nest depends on
;whether Moscow is ready to send
pomeone more palatable. Time is
growing short, as Mr. Ueberroth
pointed out, with ether* controversies
almost certainl> ?: ahead'- and the
g~Ied to begin July 28.
Are the Soviets laying the basis-for
boycotting the gams? U.S. officials
say they think -not. For one thing,
Moscow television bas arranged for
coverage- But they also concede that
Soviet leaders probably still
smarting over the U.S. boycott of the
1980 games in Moscow.: _
President Carter declared the boy-
cott then because of the Soviet inva-
sion of Afghanistan. But both govern-
ments have 'showed interest in im-
proving relations recently, and the
administration doubts that Moscow
favors the deeper chill that would ac-
On tb : boywtL
other ohand, the Soviets
have expressed dissatisfaction with
some Olympics arrangements. And
their actions generally have been
noncommittal.
The appearance of known' KGB
agents in official delegations has of-
ten caused brisk debate within U.S.
administrations. The FBI doesn't like j
it. Diplomats have argued that keep-
ing them out is not worth the hassle.
,Better, they say, to be able to keep an
eye on the ones you recognize than
the sleepers.
It was suggested to Mr. 'Hughes
yesterday that the United States;
would have an image problem from
barring Mr. Ye ihishkin.
"Image problem?" be asked
rhetorically. If there was an image
problem, be said, "it's theirs."
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/24: CIA-RDP90-00806R000200860025-8