COSTA-GAVRAS' NEWEST LEFT-WING PROPAGANDA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000200030073-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 5, 2007
• Sequence Number: 73
• Publication Date: March 6, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2007/04/06: CIA-RDP99-00498R000200030073-0
ARTIC PPEA ED
0i, EAGZ C;2
`missing'
Costa-Gavr' Newest
Le t-Wing Propaganda
Commercials for the film, Missing, say that it's
HM?L-N EFTS
6 MARCH 1982
{
Missing is based on a book, The Execution of !
Charles Horman, written by Thomas Hauser,
who, according to syndicated columnist John Lof-
ton, is the same Thomas Flauser who perpetrated a
hoax on the New York Times in 1975. At that time,
"based on a true story" that "the events portrayed
are real," and that the "incidents are documented."
was missing, to assist his relatives in their efforts too
l
Horman from the moment it'was learned that he
- sive and comprehensive efforts to locate Charles'
? "The Department of State undertook inters-
Lofton reports in his column, the Times published
a series of letters from an alleged nine-year-old
"Martin Bear," and the responses he received
from leading politicians. "Martin Bear" turned
out to be Thomas Hauser: The Times apologized
and questioned Hauser's ethical standards. -
Responding to the film and the book, the State
Department released a three-page white paper
which made the following points: .1
? . ? Although the U.S. government was sued in
1977 in connection with the- case, the parents and
-widow of Charles Norman dropped the suit in
1981. During the four years of litigation no infor-
mation was uncovered which implicated any U.S. officials in the Horman disappearance or death.
ocate him and also to learn the circumstances of
his disappearance and death. These efforts con-
tinued for eight years and involved many special
investigations.... However, no light was shed,
upon the circumstances of his death and little upon
the circumstances of his disappearance. Further-
more, nothing was discovered. to support any such
charges, rumors or inferences as contained in the
complaint against U.S. government officials:"
Director Costa-Gavras sets up a sequence in
"Missing," an. anti-American propaganda film.
about the 1973 military coup in Chile.
But the theme of the film--that the U.S. govern-
ment was involved in. the inurderof an American
journalist in Chile nine years ago--is not true, not
real and not documented.
Nevertheless, in any critics have treated the film
as if it were an historical documentary. What they
should be doing is examining the political motiva-
tions of the film's director, Constantin Costa-
Gavras, and asking whose interests are served by
-this anti-American propaganda film. ? .
The movie deals with the case of Charles Hor-.
man, an American journalist who disappeared in
Chile after that .country's-;Marxist_ president,
Salvador Allende, was overthrown in. A popular
military coup in 1973. Norman was later found
dead.
The facts of the case cdo riof make for anf ex
citing and dramatic film. So they have been al-
tered. Ignoring the 1975 Church C'ommittee'
report, which found "no evidence" of direct
U.S. involvement in the 1973'coup, the. film'-
implies that Horman was executed because he .
"knew too much"about thealleged U.S. role-'
in that coup. .
? Secretary of. State Edmund Muskie testified
by'affadavit in the Horman case "that the State
Department officials who investigated and consid-
ered this matter have found no evidence of involve-
ment by any United States government personnel
.in, the disappearance and death of Charles Hor-
man." .
? CIA Director Stansfield Turner testified "that
no evidence was found bythe CIA to support the
Hormans' contention that agency personnel had
advance knowledge .of the abduction or of the
subsequent death-of Charles Horman." - =
Interestingly, a co-star in Missing is Jack. Lem-
mon, who starred in the film, China Syndrome
with Jane Fonda. China Syndrome distorted the
problems associated with nuclear power just as
Missing distorts the facts in the Horman' case.
Lemmon himself seems to recognize this. He has
stated that the film is "one hundred per cent true"
from "one aspect"-the point of view of the Hor-
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