SOVIET HARASSMENT OF AMERICANS REFLECTD NEW FLOWERING OF ARROGANCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP05S00620R000601430028-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 24, 2009
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: August 20, 1978
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

HE SAN DIEGOO.s.11..~.
B
~
Approved For Release 2009/07/24: CIA-RDP05SO062OR000601430028-8
Adrn. Stanfield Turner, U.S. director-of central Intelligence, pointed out
sersral signs of continuing Soviet pressure against the United States in an
'exclusive interview with editors of The San Diego'Union...' =
of. American reporters and businessmen In Moscow, the discovery of a
KG>is tunnel into the American Embassy. and harsh prison sentences given
In the latest trials of dissidents. He called the harassment of Americans 'an
apparent response to the U.S.' arrest of two Russians caught spying in this ' .
The CIA, .director also expressed concern about what or who may be
'behind what he described. as continuing; efforts to 'undercut America's
intelligence gathering, services. He. included former : CIA. agent Philip
Agee 's threat to reveal the`iderititles of as many:overseas CIA agents as
'he can, saying that such 'a disclosure: would. Jeopardize thelives, of these::
agents, as ? well, as seriously damage U.S.. ability,ao ,collect. needed .'
Question:-'Admiral, why is the So-
viet Union harassing American busi-
nessmen.and newspaper people in
Answer: -The Soviets have. taken
these unconscionable actions appar-
ently in retaliation. for the perfectly
proper. arrest of two Soviet spies who
were caught in the process of spying
in this country;
Q: What: Is -the *realtionship of,
what's happening there to detente as
A: I think you have to recognize
that detente' has never meant that
there is no competition between our
countries. It has tried to dampen the'
military element of that competition
-A:';I think that it is:very difficult to
spe,culate'on what'the legal process
es ' in the Soviet:'Union might do. or -?
might not..do. They are certainly
.carefully controlled, as contrasted
with our country I don't readthe
'sentencing 'of?'.Shcharansky, ..,for
instance, as having been:., terribly
'influenced, by the',publicity. I:think,
perhaps the fact that he was brought
Jo trial was a rejoinder to the public
criticism; they were' showing that
they were. not going to let the Public,
:criticism., completely . control their
internal domestic activities as they.
r-,-.Q:, 'Do you think the Russians will
..be.more tough as the Soviet leader--
ship changes and Brezhnev disap-
in the relationships over periods of Pew' ",.
dollar
time: ,-'A::-That's, a re al sixty-four
don't a this oarticular ?
qie.:
series ries of events s as s aueston. And I don't really believ',
major impact ' - .
on detente.,'; .%*, there's a way to speculate in a very
gent or more open? Brezhnev clearly has been one of the.
the KGB has dug into the' United
-States Embassy in Moscow and they
file the protest with us,. they're
damned'arrogant
Q: What should the United' States
response be? .
f tarS.of State and the President.
Q: Do you think the trials' of
dissidents are -going , to result in
harsher sentences because of the
SALT, so one. has to, be concerned
whether with the loss of his infltfence,-:
there will be as much emphasis on.':
Q: Phillip Agee,'the renegade CIA ?
agent,. recently announced his inten-
tions of exposing every CIA agent,
abroad. How much of a danger do'
yoa regard this as being?
A-: -A very serious one and one that,
I can do very little about. A like to
see you do something about. it. I'm. ?
not 'allowed to investigate Ameri-
would have been the case??,.,., (cans, quite,properly,.but I'd like to,
there are bound to be ups and downs
'1.. don't really believe there's a. way, to'
speculate in a very informed manner as to
whether they (the Soviets) will be. tougher
or less cooperative.'':
lay before.-you the question for a i
good investigative reporter. What is
going on here? We've got Agee pub-
lishing a very smooth, expensive but
free distribution publication strictly
against the CIA. We've got a world
youth festival in Havana with Agee .
on the forum and others who have
been brought down for that purpose.
We've- got other activities in this
country directly pointed at undercut-
ting our intelligence activities. They
are not cheap; somebody's behind
this, somebody's funding this and
moving it. I think it's insidious, but
within the limits of the law I have no
authority to go out and try to either
find out who's doing it or to curb it.
Approved For Release 2009/07/24: CIA-RDP05SO062OR000601430028-8
 caused by unauthorized release of';
A: The long term damage t6,'our4S
country is. that people who are will- `,N
ing to work with us and-support us g ,
overseas,. individuals or. foreign gov-^a
ernment agencies, ., are losing their-*.'!.
sense of confidence that, a relation
ship with us can be kept confidential.
Therefore,, to some extent our sourc- i
up by this process.' Some of they
factual data released is also?injuri-r
?ous. We've, had specific 'complaints'.
from people whose interests were
Q: Frank Snepp maintains that be
he could find no one within the CIAJ
management who was' willing' to?~?
bear his complaints on the American:
withdrawal from Vietnam or to even
admit 'that there were mistakes
made by the CIA. What is your
assessment of this? ,9 .
' A: Snepp's allegation is basically
untrue. He had opportunities to get.a
hearing.. He did get some hearing
before he left, he raised. some corn-
plaints. They weren't. that well' -
founded,.-in the agency's(view at the.
time. On top.: of that e- have an
Intelligence Oversight':: 'Board to,
which he could have gone with his
complaint, or he could have gone to
.Congress-. He came to see me per-..
?sonally and;I gave him my assur-
ance that L;wanted to find out what.-
was wrong., He lied to mein saying
that he 'was: going to give me his
book to review before he published .
Q: Inl;your... reports' to the state
Department and to the President, I
assume you warned of this danger
that you are talking about. Is there
anything our government can do in a
formal way to draw attention to this
problem?
A: Rather little, in view of the fact
' that Agee is unwilling to come back :
.legal .jurisdiction. Even then there
can do:..without some questions
whether. he has broken the law or
whether he has not.. We have. been
attempting in many ways over the
last year or so to tighten our overall
Frank Snepp for violating his secre-
cy agreement with the Central Intel
' ligence_Agency was in part to indi-
cate our government's strong con-
releases.