SOVIETS HAD ACCESS TO 'SENSITIVE' CHANCERY FACILITIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000503990009-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 20, 2012
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: April 2, 1987
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
"V
WASHINGTON POST
2 April 1987
Soviets Had Access to `Sensitive' Chancery Facilities
Classified Information Lost but No Codes Broken in Moscow, State Dept. Official Says
T By David B. Ottaway
7 and Bill McAllister
Wadwgtai Pou Stafl writers
The State Department's top of-
ficial in charge of embassy security
said yesterday that two Marine
guards accused of espionage in
Moscow allowed Soviet agents ac-
cess to "very sensitive facilities"
within the U.S. Embassy chancery,
but he denied reports that U.S.
communications codes were com-
promised.
Assistant Secretary of State Rob-
ert E. Lamb said in a television in-
terview that the United States suf-
fered "a serious loss of classified
information" as a result of the chan-
cery access given the Soviets by
Sgt. Clayton J. Lonetree and Cpl.
Arnold Bracy.
Lamb said he has not seen "any
authoritative sources" to confirm
reports that the Soviets had broken
embassy communications codes.
One of his aides was more em-
phatic, saying it "has been estab-
lished. They did not break our
codes."
Another administration source
said that the codes are changed dai-
ly and that code permutations are
"in the billions," making it extreme-
ly difficult for the Soviets to break
the system for any length of time.
Even so, the embassy in Moscow
has stopped using normal commu-
nication channels and is carrying
message traffic by hand to Frank.
furt, West Germany, where it is
relayed here.
Lamb, interviewed last night on
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90-00965R000503990009-0
"The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour,"
said the department continues to
assume the "worst case" in dealing
with what officials have widely ac-
knowledged is one of the most se-
rious security breaches at a U.S.
embassy.
Briefing reporters yesterday,
Col. Q. Del Grosso, commanding
officer of the Marine Security
Guard Battalion at Quantico Marine
Base, repeatedly ascribed to the
State Department responsibility for
enforcing regulations forbidding
unofficial contacts between Marine
guards and Soviet bloc nationals.
"State sets the rules; we live with
them," said Del Grosso, administra-
tive head of the 1,400-member Ma-
rine force charged with protecting
classified material at 140 embassies
and consular posts worldwide.
Del Grosso also said State De-
partment personnel handle the six
hours of the 254-hour course that is
given all prospective guards on how
to combat foreign intelligence
agents.
Marines on embassy duty are
under the operational authority of
the post's regional security officer,
who is a State Department official,
Del Grosso said.
"I'm not finger-pointing," he said.
"I'm just pointing out that it is a
joint enterprise that has worked for
38 years."
Lawrence S. Eagleburger, for-
mer undersecretary of state for po-
litical affairs, said on the Mac-
Neil/Lehrer program that the roles
of the Moscow embassy's security
and administrative officers should
be examined.
He said they appear guilty of
"very serious misconduct" and
should be disciplined for the secu-
rity breaches.
With proper supervision of the
Marines, he said, "I don't think this
type of thing had to happen."
Del Grosso generally sidestepped
questions about the three Marines
accused of misconduct in Moscow,
saying the guard force otherwise
has had great success.
Later, Brig. Gen. Walter Boom-
er, head of Marine Corps informa.
tion and one of Del Grosso's pre-
decessors at the battalion, said,
"The truth of the matter is, I think
we have a leadership problem on
our part."
Boomer said his remarks should
not be interpreted as indicating that
the senior noncommissioned officer
in charge of the Moscow detach.
ment would be charged, but said
more aggressive leadership, check-
ing "24 hours a day" on the detach.
ment, is necessary.
He said he doubts that the cur-
rent reviews of the force will ter-
minate use of Marine guards. "I am
absolutely convinced that no one
can do the job as well as we can," he
said.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90-00965R000503990009-0