23 SEPTEMBER 1986 HPSCI BRIEFING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91B00874R000100270001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 7, 2011
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 1, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/10: CIA-RDP91 B00874R000100270001-2
1 October 1986
SUBJECT: 23 September 1986 HPSCI Briefing
CIA Briefers:
ADDI Helgerson
Congressmen Present:
Hamilton, Daniel, Hyde, McHugh,
Dwyer, Ireland, Stump, and
Kastenmeier
Subjects Briefed:
Terrorism: Karachi and Istanbu
l
Incidents
Angola: Recent Developments
in
the War
Angola: South African Suppo
rt
for UNITA (ADDO)
Iran/Iraq: Developments in the
War
Nicaragua; Developments in the
War
Impact of the Agreem
ent
Questions/Answers
25X1
25X1
;;i Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/10: CIA-RDP91 B00874R000100270001-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/10: CIA-RDP91 B00874R000100270001-2
SUBJECT: 23 September 1986 HPSCI Briefing
Stump
QUESTION: Who is getting the upper hand in
the Iran/Iraq war?
ANSWER: Essentially it is still a
stalemate, although Iran's position has
marginally improved compared to a year ago.
QUESTION: Is Saddam Husayn politically
threatened by the war?
ANSWER: Absolutely, but we can't document
any specific threat.
ADDO. There has been some plotting, but the
Iraqis are known for severely dealing with
such plotters.
No questions.
Kastenmeier QUESTION: Is the Israeli buildup related to
the Peres/Shamir transition?
ANSWER: The transition probably won't
affect what the military does next. The
cabinet was unanimous in its recent action.
QUESTION: Shouldn't Daniloff be considered
a spy?
ANSWER: ADDO. Someone has commented that
80-90% of all US newsmen in the Soviet Union
would be considered spys by the KGB.
QUESTION: Wouldn't we regard his passage of
material to the embassy as a criminal act if
it had occurred here?
ANSWER: ADDI. I don't believe Daniloff's
actions would be a crime in the US.
QUESTION: Any new information on the
bombings in Paris?
ANSWER: I don't know anything new, other
than what is in the newspapers.
ADDO. The big debate in France is whether
the Abdallah brothers are involved.
- 2 -
SECRET
i it Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/10: CIA-RDP91 B00874R000100270001-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/10: CIA-RDP91 B00874R000100270001-2
SECRET
SUBJECT: 23 September 1986 HPSCI Briefing
Heightened security measures by France
should lead to some results.
Hyde
McHugh
QUESTION: Any more on the caches of arms in
Chile?
ANSWER: We don't know anything more than
what I presented last week. The Chilean
Government has made the information public.
QUESTION: Do we know any more about Misha?
ANSWER: ADDO. No, we don't. Daniloff
apparently had contact with him before.
QUESTION: Any activity around Adak in the
Aleutians.
ANSWER: Not that I know of.
QUESTION: Anything new about the situation
in El Salvador?
ANSWER: Neither side is in a hurry to
talk. The Government is stronger than when
the last round of talks occurred two years
ago, while the rebels are weaker. The
recent talks broke down over the location of
the meeting site.
- 3 -
SECRET
;;i Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/10: CIA-RDP91 B00874R000100270001-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/10: CIA-RDP91 B00874R000100270001-2
SUBJECT: 23 September 1986 HPSCI Briefing
QUESTION: What was the material that
Daniloff passed to the US Embassy in 1985?
ANSWER: ADDO. It was related to an'earlier
piece of information we had received, so we
were interested in it. It had to do with
the Soviet missile program.
QUESTION: Was there any CIA action taken
because of this information that would lead
the Soviets to suspect Daniloff was a spy?
ANSWER: ADDO. Follow up action was taken,
but we did not utilize Mr. Daniloff.
Nonetheless, the KGB might regard Daniloff
as cooperating with the CIA.
Dwyer
QUESTION: Was that the only other time
Daniloff received material?
ANSWER: ADDO. That is the only time we
know about.
QUESTION: How common is it for Americans to
be given unsolicited material by the Soviet
public?
ANSWER: ADDO. Pretty common.
ADDI. It is common enough that we tell our
anlaysts not to accept anything.
QUESTION: Is Syria or Libya most to blame
for international terrorism?
ANSWER: My feeling is that Libya is more
involved in specific incidents. But Syria
provides' most of the sanctuary and training,
and appears to be in it for the long haul.
- 4 -
SECRET
iil Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/10: CIA-RDP91 B00874R000100270001-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/10: CIA-RDP91 B00874R000100270001-2
SUBJECT: 23 September 1986 HPSCI Briefing
Hyde
Follow Up:
QUESTION: Have there been any terrorist
incidents in Syria?
ANSWER: It was a major problem three or
four years ago. There have also been
bombings in 1986.
QUESTION: Is terrorism going to move to
Italy?
ANSWER: Italy has indicted George Abdullah,
and before the recent Paris bombings the
French were considering extraditing him to
Italy.
QUESTION: Is the Philippines moving toward
New Zealand's position on nuclear weapons?
ANSWER: There is a danger of that.
Moderates on the Constitutional Committee
claim that the proposal is not the same as
what New Zealand has done, although I don't
find the situation reassuring. The proposed
language in the Constitution is deliberately
ambiguous.
exports.
QUESTION: I understand there are reports
that the Soviets are cooperating with OPEC
to keep prices up.
ANSWER: I don't believe there is any
substance to such reports. Soviet oil
production is at a high level, and there is
no indication of any effort to cut back
In response to the question from Representative Daniel
regarding Adak Island, SOVA produced a short memorandum
- 5 -
SECRET
-I Il Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/10: CIA-RDP91 B00874R000100270001-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/10: CIA-RDP91 B00874R000100270001-2
SUBJECT: 23 September 1986 HPSCI Briefing
explaining the recent Soviet bomber incident in the Aleutians.
This paper was forwarded to Representative Daniel via OCA on 26
September; a copy was also sent to Chairman Hamilton.
- 6 -
SECRET
III Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/10: CIA-RDP91 B00874R000100270001-2