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LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 01 MOSCOW 24804 01 OF 02 162021Z ACTION EUR-12 INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 PM-05 NSC-05 SP-02 SS-15 CIAE-00 DODE-00 INR-10 NSAE-00 PA-01 SMS-01 /052 W ------------------063603 162041Z /73 P 162009Z OCT 78 FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7933 INFO USICA WASHDC AMCONSUL LENINGRAD LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 24804 SECSTATE FOR EUR/SOV USICA FOR EU E.O. 11652: N/A TAGS: PINR, PINS, PROP, SOPN, UR SUBJECT: LITGAZ POSTULATES CIA-AMERICAN PRESS CONNECTION REF: 1977 MOSCOW 12628 SUMMARY: IN ARTICLE ENTITLED "STAMPED:CIA" APPEARING IN OCTOBER 11 ISSUE OF LITURATURNAYA GAZETA, IONA ANDRONOV DENOUNCES INVOLVEMENT BY AMERICAN JOURNALISTS IN CIA ACTIVITY AND INVEIGHS AGAINST CIA'S USE OF THREATS AND VIOLENCE TO INTIMIDATE CORRESPONDENTS, SOVIET AND AMERICAN, WHO DARE TO EXPOSE ALLEGED CIA TRANSGRESSIONS. CITING MANY NEWSMEN BY NAME TO ESTABLISH CONNECTION BETWEEN AMERICAN PRESS AND CIA, ANDRONOV RESURRECTS TOTH CASE WHICH LINKS FORMER EMBASSY EMPLOYEE VINCENT CROCKETT WITH JOURNALIST, AT SAME TIME PURPORTING TO PROVIDE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 02 MOSCOW 24804 01 OF 02 162021Z TOTH'S OWN CONFESSION OF GUILT. POINT OF ARTICLE, MADE IN CONCLUDING PARAGRAPHS, IS CONTENTION THAT CIA LINKAGE WITH U.S. NEWSMEN IS COMMONPLACE AND CONSIDERED BENEFICIAL BY BOTH PARTIES AND THAT CIA HAS IN AMERICAN PRESS ITS MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR SPREADING "BLACK PROPAGANDA" AND DEEPENING "PSYCHOLOGICAL WAR" AGAINST SOVIET UNION. Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 END SUMMARY. 1. OPENING COLUMNS OF ANDRONOV'S INVECTIVE FOCUS ON ARTICLES BY JACK ANDERSON DEALING WITH SOVIET ESPIONAGE, INCLUDING HIS MOST RECENT CHARGE, BASED ON CIA REPORT ON SOVIET PROPAGANDA. ANDERSON'S LATEST COLUMN ACCUSES RUSSIAN FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS OF DISTORTING NEWS AND ACTING AS AGENTS FOR SOVIET UNION. ANDRONOV CONTENDS THAT NOT ONLY IS THIS NOT SO, BUT THAT REVERSE IS TRUE: AMERICAN PRESS IS INTIMATELY TIED TO CIA. HE LABELS ANDERSON LIAR AND SELF-ACKNOWLEDGED COLLABORATOR OF CIA. 2. ANDRONOV PAINTS FRIGHTENING PICTURE OF "RETRIBUTION" CIA ALLEGEDLY EXACTS AGAINST THOSE WITH TEMERITY TO PUBLICIZE ITS ILLICIT OPERATIONS. HE HIMSELF, HE DECLARES, HAS BEEN VICTIM OF VIOLENCE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. AFTER WRITING ON CIA, ANDRONOV'S CAR WAS RAMMED BY UNIDENTIFIED VEHICLE. FOLLOWING INCIDENT, HE FINDS HIMSELF BRANDED IN WASHINGTON POST AS AGENT WHOM CIA HAS BEEN DOGGING SINCE HE ENTERED U.S. IN 1966. WHEN ANDRONOV WRITES TO POST TO DENY CHARGE AND INFORM THEM HE HAS BEEN IN U.S. ONLY SINCE 1972, HE RECEIVES LETTER THREATENING HIS LIFE, LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 03 MOSCOW 24804 01 OF 02 162021Z PRESUMABLY FROM ENRAGED CIA. HIS CASE, HE COMMENTS, IS NOT ISOLATED ONE. 3. NEXT SECTION OF ARTICLE, SUBTITLED "REPORTERS: UNSATISFACTORY AND SATISFACTORY," CONTRASTS FATES OF THOSE WHO REFUSE TO COOPERATE WITH U.S. SECRET INFORMATION SERVICES WITH THOSE WHO DO. LISTED AMONG FORMER AS "VICTIMS" OF CIA ARE ERNEST VOLKMANN, FIRED FROM NEWSDAY FOR HIS PERSISTENCE IN EXPOSING CIA METHODS, DANIEL SCHORR, WHO "INFURIATED THE CIA WITH SHARP CRITICISM OF LEADERS OF AMERICAN ESPIONAGE," AND SAM JAFFE, WHO "AT FIRST WAS SENT TO MOSCOW ON ASSIGNMENT FOR THE CIA "BUT WHO FELL FROM GRACE WHEN "HE LATTER BLABBED THE NAMES OF HIS FELLOW JOURNALISTS WHOM THE CIA HAD MADE USE OF OVER THE YEARS." 4. ON OTHER HAND, CONTINUES ANDRONOV, JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE PLEASED CIA SUCH AS L A TIMES CORRESPONDENT ROBERT TOTH HAVE PROFITED ENORMOUSLY FROM THEIR CIA CONNECTION. HE COMMENTS THAT TOTH RECEIVED SEVERAL PRESTIGEOUS AWARDS FOLLOWING HIS Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 DEPARTURE FROM SOVIET UNION, THIS DESPIIE FACT, THAT TOTH "IN NO WAY EXCELLED IN THE FIELD OF JOURNALISM" AND WAS UNKNOWN PRIOR TO HIS MOSCOW MISSION. ANDRONOV INSISTS THAT TOTH'S WRITING, EVEN AFTER SUMMER OF 1977, IN NO WAY MERITED REWARD AND THAT HIS SUBSSQUENT EXPRESSIONS OF INNOCENCE REMAINED UNCONVINCING. GOING OVER OLD LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NNN LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 01 MOSCOW 24804 02 OF 02 162028Z ACTION EUR-12 INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 PM-05 NSC-05 SP-02 SS-15 CIAE-00 DODE-00 INR-10 NSAE-00 PA-01 SMS-01 /052 W ------------------063695 162041Z /73 P 162009Z OCT 78 FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7934 INFD USICA WASHDC AMCONSUL LENINGRAD LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 02 OF 02 MOSCOW 24804 GROUND, ANDRONOV REVIEWS TOTH'S CONNECTION WITH MAJOR WATTERS AND LETTER TO TOTH VOICING GENERAL WILSON'S PRAISE. ANDRONOV ALLEGES THAT TOTH HAS FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED HIS GUILT, FORCED TO DO SO BY APPREHENSION OF FORMER AMERICAN EMBASSY EMPLOYEE VINCENT CROCKETT, CAUGHT RED-HANDED ENGAGED IN ESPIONAGE. ANDRONOV USES "WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT DAVID MARTIN" AS HIS SOURCE. QUOTING MARTIN, ANDRONOV STATES THAT "AFTER A SIX MONTH STAY IN MOSCOW EMPLOYEE OF THE U.S. EMBASSY VINCENT CROCKETT AND HIS WIFE WWRE CAUGHT AT THE SCENE OF A DROP, ARANGED BY THEM, AND SENT OUT OF RUSSIA. AN OFFICER OF THE CIA CROCKETT CALLED "ARCHIVIST" AT THE EMBASSY, WAS SUBORDINATE TO MAJOR ROBERT WATTERS FROM THE MILITARY SECRET SERVICE, BUT ROBERT TOTH HAD CONTACT WITH MAJOR WATTERS AND ONCE RECEIVED FROM THE MAJOR A LAUDATORY LETTER..." ANDRONOV THEN MISQUOTES TOTH HIMSELF TO INSINUATE CORRESPONDENT'S GUILT. THUS, TOTH ALLEGEDLY ADMITS, THAT "YES, GENERAL WILSON SAID TO MAJOR WATTERS THAT I WAS Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 AN OUTSTANDING FELLOW AND PERFORMED EXCELLENTLY. THE GENERAL LIKED MY MATERIAL. BUT THAT LETTER, LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 02 MOSCOW 24804 02 OF 02 162028Z WELL, I GAVE IT TO MY WIFE TO READ, AND SHE INADVERTENTLY THREW IT OUT. WHAT A CRETIN I WAS NOT TO HAVE SWALLOWED THE DAMNED LETTER*" ANDRONOV ADDS GRATUITOUSLY THAT "TOTH HAD OBVIOUSLY TRAINED HIS STOMACH IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS." 5. IN SUCCEEDING SECTION ENTITLED "MANIPULATORS OF THE "FREE PRESS' " ANDRONOV TRACES CIA CONNECTIONS TO MANY MAJOR NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES AND TELEVISION NETWORKS IN U.S. DRAWING UPON ALLEGED RECORDS OF CIA'S CONVERSATIONS WITH L A TIMES EDITOR WILLIAM THOMAS, ANDRONOV ESTABLISHES THAT LINK GOES BACK AT LEAST THREE YEARS WHEN THOMAS PROMISED REPRESENTATIVES OF CIA TO COOPERATE BY NOT ONLY PROVIDING INFORMATION BUT PREVENTING ANYTHING DAMAGING OR DERROGATORY TO CIA FROM BEING PRINTED IN PAPER. TOTH, INSISTS ANDRONOV, WAS FINALLY SENT TO WASHINGTON TO ENSURE L A BUREAU THERE TOWED LINE. ANDRONOV ALSO ENUMERATES OTHER PRESSMEN WITH TIES TO CIA. AMONG THOSE MENTIONED ARE WILLIAM BUCKLEY, WILLIAM PALEY (CBS), KATHERINE GRAHAM (WASHINGTON POST), JEREMY O'LEARY (WASHINGTON STAR), ROBERT MEYERS (NEW REPUBLIC), TOM BRENDEN, COPLEY NEWS, BONNER DAY (U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT), PHILIP GAELIN (WALL STREET JOURNAL). REFERRING TO "REVELATIONS" BY FORMER CIA AGENT, JOHN STOCKWELL, ANDRONOV ILLUSTRATES HOW CIA UTILIZES "BLACK PROPAGANDA" AGAINST SOVIET UNION. 6. IN CONCLUDING COLUMN ANDRONOV INSISTS THAT ALTHOUGH NEW GUIDELINES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CIA TIES WITH AMERICAN PRESS HAVE BEEN ENACTED, IN EFFECT NOTHING HAS CHANGED. CITING FORMER CIA LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 03 MOSCOW 24804 02 OF 02 162028Z DIRECTOR COLBY AS HIS SOURCE, HE CONTENDS THAT THESE CLOSE LINKS ARE TO BE REGARDED AS NATURAL AND MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL BY BOTH SIDES. AMERICAN JOURNALISTS WILL CONTINUE TO INFORM FOR CIA, TO PUBLISH ONLY WHAT CIA APPROVES, AND TO SPREAD "BLACK PROPAGANDA" IN SERVICE OF CIA. Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 COMMENT: ANDRONOV PIECE IS MOST VIRULENT ATTACK ON AMERICAN PRESS IN RECENT MONTHS AND OBVIOUSLY PROVOKED BY CIA'S RECENT REPORT ON SOVIET PROPAGANDA. LINKAGE OF AMERICAN NEWSMEN WITH CIA HAS BEEN RECURRING THEME OVER LAST YEAR, AND IF MESSAGE TO AVOID FOREIGN JOURNALISTS HAS NOT GOTTEN THROUGH TO SOME SOVIETS IN ITS MORE SUBTLE EXPRESSIONS, IT IS UNLIKELY THEY WILL MISS ANDRONOV'S POINT. TOON LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NNN Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014