BLOCKING SOVIET PHONE SPIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000100120045-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 20, 2007
• Sequence Number: 45
• Publication Date: November 22, 1977
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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Approved For Release 2007/08/20: CIA-RDP99-00498R000100120045-2
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
22 NOVEMBER 1977
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7-President Carter has come. in from. targets, with units that scramble con-'
the cold in the matter of Soviet inter- versations; and persuade vulnerable
ception. of domestic. American, long- industries to secure their telephone
distance telephone calls. ., > :. communications,, : .?:::=:_ ' .: :--~
Previously, Mr. Carter and, his Byy-ii, on American
medrate predecessors had stonewalled:-' long-distance calls, the Soviets and l
in public when-asked about foreign, some of their-satellite countries,have
.natiojis, particularly-the Soviet Union, . been gathering military and other in-
eavesdropping ...on Americans'. tele- telligence data, including economic
phone conversations. However, .last . data.. Adm.-, Stansfield. Turner, direc-
week', in a low-key announcement and ' tor. of the CIA, warned ia: a Chicago'
it somewhat cryptic briefing, White. ' last week that hijackers, gangsters
House spokesmen disclosed that Mr.: and industrial spies, as well 'as foreign'
.Carter has approved. a program. to agents, could be involved in the.eaves4
hamstring the . eavesdropping......... dropping: ; .:~ . ,,-s{ ~; : ;-; ' _, . F'?
The fact.that Mr: Carter decided to The decision to, go:public with tlie.
go. public. with his program is signif- program- appears, partly in .r?sponse.t
icant considering that he. ad respond. . to Senator..Moynihan's prodding anded tartly and* evasively. when the mat-' ' Tartly to encourage industry to-take-$'
ter came - up in a.. press. conference :'.'security, measures.. It' also appears to 'l
laastuly. The President took a cheap- :..represent failure on the part of. thel
shot, at Sen. Patrick Moynihan (D.;-*'government -to. persuade the Soviets
it-Y.), whose criticism of the govern= to desist... .:; _ - {
meat's inactivity. had triggered the. ' = In any event, it is a welcome an
press conference question,. and then,-. nouncement,. though long overdue..,.
not ng that nations have a "common
ability" to intercept-. long distance -
phone calls, said- ?::~'-_ : _
":... I would "sot interpret this use
by the Soviet Union.or by other em-
bas ies to be an- act-of aggression.--
And although it may -be an intrusion;,
intd our security,: I -think we: are- tak
'ing:adequate steps now to prevent its
creating a' threat to our country
The steps, disclosed last week by ;.
Mr: Carter's. aides,'-are to. complete-
work- underway. to route government
telephone calls through 'underground
cables rather than through microwave.,
radio towers; enlarge an experimental
program to. equip key survelliance
Approved For Release 2007/08/20: CIA-RDP99-00498R000100120045-2
locking - Soviet phone spies
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