HomeMy WebLinkAboutU.S. accuses Soviets of disinformation 1981 Saturday, October 10, 1981
U.S.
U.S. accuses Sov of d
By GEORGE GEDDA r Mncrnw'c, rffnrtc, r , undPt'Cllt
Associated Press Writer American policies. V y
• WASHINGTON — The State Department says During 1979 -80, it said the Soviet -based Na-
, • the Soviet Union frequently resorts to "disinforma- tional Voice of Iran repeatedly urged its listeners in
tion," forgery and blackmail in attempts to under- Iran to oppose the release of the American
cut American relations with such countries Egypt, hostages. In contrast, the official Soviet position
El Salvador and Iran. was to support the hostages' claim to diplomatic
In a four -page document, the department alleged immunity.
that Moscow: The report concludes that there is every reason to
—Tried to implicate the United States in the believe that the Soviets "will continue to make
death of Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos last heavy investments of money and manpower in med-
August in a plane crash and in the 1979 seizure of dlesone and disruptive activities around the world."
the Grand Mosque of Mecca.
—Used forged documents to suggest the United
States plotted to overthrow the government of the
late President Anwar Sadat of Egypt.
— Produced and distributed bogus U.S. military
manuals and fabricated war plans designed to
create tensions between the United States and other
countries.
—Used Moscow - controlled "front organiza-
tions" to rally opposition in Western Europe to
deployment of the neutron weapon and NATO
plans for theater nuclear force modernization.
The report, entitled "Forgery, Disinformation,
Political Operations," says these types of activities
seek to "discredit and weaken" the United States.
They represent "a major, if little understood, ele-
ment of Soviet foreign policy," it said.
The State Department said it prepared the study
in response to requests for information from in-
dividuals, private groups and foreign governments.
"The approaches used by Moscow include con-
trol of the press in foreign countries; outright and
partial forgery of documents; use of rumors, in-
sinuation, altered facts and lies; use of international
and local front organizations; clandestine operation
of radio stations; exploitation of a nation's
academic, political, economic and media figures as
collaborators to influence policies of the nation,"
the report said.
It claims the United States is the primary target of
these activities but that Moscow is devoting increas-
ed resources against other nations.
A State Department official who briefed
reporters Friday was asked whether he could give
assurances that the United States had never engaged
in similar activities.
He said he could not talk about U.S. intelligence
operations but added that American activities "are
limited and sharply circumscribed" because of con-
gressional oversight and other factors.
Reminded that the Senate Intelligence Committee
in 1975 implicated the CIA in a number of
assassination attempts against foreign leaders, the
official refused further comment.
The State Department distributed some 14,000
copies of the report to news organizations and other,
interested parties worldwide. The objective, the of
ficial said, was to heighten public awareness abou
the alleged Soviet activities.
The report cited Soviet disinformation and pro - -,
paganda activities concerning Iran and El Salvador