CIA almost recruits a Soviet specialist abroad

(The following appeared in the April 24, 1983, edition of Pravda and has been translated and condensed from the Russian.)

The Soviet specialist Boris N. was sent to one of Africa's developing countries to provide assistance in the training of national scientific personnel.

Some time after Boris arrived in the country, D. Terrence, the second secretary of the U.S. Embassy, approached him, and using the pretext of an impending assignment to a job in the U.S.S.R., asked Boris to tutor him in Russian for a fee. Boris agreed. ...

[During the language lessons,] Terrence asked questions about various aspects of Soviet reality and life and work of scientists. In order not to seem an ignoramus, Boris readily answered his questions, shared in detail his impressions about places he had visited recently during a trip to the homeland, and gave the names of new enterprises and construction projects that "hadn't yet even be written in the newspapers." ...

It seemed to Boris that a feeling of trust and a desire to discuss "crucial" questions of reality grew between them day by day.

"In the States we still have many unemployed people of course," Terrence admitted. "But they do receive assistance. And they can demonstrate."

Trying not to seem a conformist, Boris too began to [invent] shortcomings in his own country. He told about things he had heard from his comrades in the embassy from friends and fellow countrymen. Boris still didn't suspect that Terrence was an experienced intelligence officer who, with methodically directed questions and discussions, was trying to "extract" more and more information that he wanted from Boris, to probe his ideological and moral steadfastness and learn his weaknesses and predilections.

Gradually entangling Boris in a sticky web of espionage, the American paid him more and more money "for instruction." One might think that N. would finally have become indignant and have refused to take the "extra" money, but he didn't, in order "not to offend his new acquaintance" -- thus exhibiting his inordinate vanity ... and insouciance. Terrence made use of this, too. ...

When Boris had begun to trust the American Embassy employee and to pay visits to him, the American started a conversation about war and peace and began to play on Soviet people's sincere feelings against war. "After all, we all are for détente and peace," Terrence said, but "there must be verification -- we must know how well Soviet Union is fulfilling the agreement on détente." "We, too, are for verification," Boris agreed. "If that's so, then help us. There has to be supervision over détente," Terrence noted.

To the surprised question of whom and how he could help, Terrence declared, frankly and without embarrassment, that he was a CIA staff member and was appealing to Boris as an "intelligent person" to whom the goals of the organization that Terrence represented -- an organization that is struggling "for freedom and humane, peaceful goals" -- are "congenial and intelligible." He spoke softly and with authority, in a tone that admitted no argument. A spy in the guise of a diplomat? Now, at last, Boris understood who he was dealing with, and he said indecisively:

"I would rather not discuss such questions."

That was all. Unable to get the better of himself -- after all, it would be a shame to lose such handsome earnings -- Boris continued to give language lessons to the spy-diplomat. The American intelligence service, which had studied Boris for several years, found the "key" to him when it recognized his boastfulness and self-love. Yes, Boris N. was a knowledgeable specialist, but he lacked sufficient political maturity, and he didn't see all the subtleties of the ideological battle in the international arena or the perfidy of the adversary. ...

Terrence began to blatantly blackmail N., citing some facts about his stay abroad and about his contacts with foreigners when he was a student in Leningrad, where he had been given foreign things. "All of this is in the CIA's files," Terrence declared, in an obvious threat, "and it could easily become the property of Soviet agencies. In short, you are already with us: Think about it."...

Shortly before Boris's departure for the homeland, Terrence began to bring another American -- a gloomy, heavy set man whom he introduced as "Sam, a technical instructor who has come especially from the U.S." ...

Sam began to teach him the "spy's craft" -- how to work with ciphers and cryptography, how to read microdots, how to compose cover letters, how to receive encoded radio broadcast, how to use special electronic instruments. ...

As he listened to all these instructions and assignments, Boris was increasingly filled with a sense of fear. ...

After arriving in Leningrad, Boris told no one about anything that had happened to him abroad, calming himself with the thought: "Everything will work out." But it didn't work out. After a few months, he received in the mail his first letter from the CIA's intelligence center. It gave him the assignment of gathering and transmitting information about the city's defense enterprises and their executives, and it told him how to receive radio signals.

At the same time, Boris learned from the newspaper about the trial of an American spy, and he got really frightened...

Belatedly, Boris found the strength to openly talk about his relations with Terrence and his CIA "colleague." ...

Our law reads: "A U.S.S.R. citizen who is recruited by a foreign intelligence service to conduct hostile activity against the U.S.S.R. is not subject to criminal liability if he takes no action whatsoever to carry out the criminal assignment he has been given and voluntarily informs the authorities of his ties with the foreign intelligence service."

Therefore, no criminal charges were brought against N., and he continues to work. Employees of political agencies and Checkists [State Security Committee (KGB) personnel] never forget about their duty to fight for every person and to rescue those who get into difficult situations or stumble.

And that's how it was with Boris.

Such cases are not rare. Mindful of the deeply humane Party goals of the cause they serve, Checkists have helped Soviet people find the right path many times and have protected them from the insidious actions of the imperialist special services.

Boris N. took the CIA's second letter to the KGB office. That letter spoke of placing a cache with espionage instructions for him in the courtyard of the Botkin Hospital in Leningrad. The letter stated: "At the entrance, find the fusebox and take the package. Look at the diagram."

After getting advice from the Checkists, Boris N. surreptitiously took the container and, as the Americans had requested, placed a new one in the same spot -- with information for the CIA. Who would come for it? A great deal of analytical work was done to successfully bring off the operation devised by the Soviet counterintelligence personnel. The clues pointed toward employees of the American consulate general. Studying the materials, the Checkists came to the conclusion that Vice Consul D. Shorer would probably show up at the hiding place. ...

The winter dusk had fallen, and a steady stream of Leningraders were making their way home from work. It was at this hour that Shorer, having left his car parked on a nearby street, glanced around apprehensively and headed for the Botkin Hospital. ... Entering the reception room, he gave the nurse on duty a friendly smile and a cheap souvenir. He came back outside, went up to the fuse box, and with a sharp movement of his hand extracted the magnetic container. He was immediately detained by Checkist counterintelligence officers. At first Shorer tried to resist, but he quickly realized the futility of such an attempt. Then he decided to put on a show: He tried to injure himself by striking his head on the sidewalk, in order to create grounds for accusations against the KGB employees. But all of his tricks were in vain.

The Soviet ambassador in Washington issued a statement to the U.S. State Department concerning Shorer's unlawful activity and demanded that the necessary steps be taken to prevent such actions on the part of U.S. diplomats accredited in the Soviet Union. Shorer was expelled from our country. ...

During trips by Soviet citizens to foreign countries, where the imperialists special services feel safe from Soviet laws, CIA agents have recently become increasingly brazen and insidious in using every conceivable provocation to motivate our people to betray their homeland. As a rule, these attempts are in vain.

In the most difficult conditions, citizens of our country display lofty ideological conviction and loyalty to their homeland and in the overwhelming majority of cases they recognize provocations and provocateurs in good time. They don't allow themselves to be drawn into the nets of espionage.