The KGB, P.L.O. and Yassir Arafat

"The First Directorate" Former Chief of Counterintelligence and Major General, KGB ^ | 1994 | Oleg Kalugin

[Orion78]

Among the bolder assaults we planned on the CIA while I was chief of Foreign Counterintelligence was a scheme to abduct a CIA officer in Beirut. We planned the operation over a six-month period in 1977 and 1978. The plot was relatively simple: We would pay the Palestinians to do our dirty work. The KGB had close ties with Palestinian groups in Lebanon. Indeed, we had for years using our own officers and intelligence officers from the Warsaw Pact to forge strong ties with Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yassir Arafat. After receiving preliminary approval from Andropov, we instructed our Palestinian operatives in Lebanon to begin tailing the CIA man, who was posted to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut as a military attaché. Our plan was to pay the Palestinians to abduct the CIA agent and then, under duress but not outright torture, to interrogate him. We would supply the Palestinians with the list of questions, and we also planned to instruct them on how they might recruit the American. The Palestinians were told that they could threaten him with death, but that under no circumstances were they to kill the man or physically torture him. From the start, it would be a KGB job, though our fingerprints would no be on it.

The plan was set in motion. The Palestinians were constantly watching the CIA officer and informed us they could pick him up at any time. They had picked out a safe house in Beirut in which to detain and question him. I then went to Boris Ivanov, my one-time station chief of Intelligence.

"Everything's ready," I told him.

"I have to clear it," Ivanov replied. "It's a major operation. I have to talk to Andropov."

"Why talk to him again?" I argued. "I already have his written permission."

"It's a delicate matter," said Ivanov. "I have to ask him again."

Ivanov telephoned Andropov, and we both spoke to him on a secure Lubyanka line. I described the plot and said we were ready to abduct the CIA agent.

"A kidnapping!" barked Andropov. "Are you crazy?"

"But you gave your permission," I said.

"Maybe I did," Andropov replied, "but I am against it now. We shouldn't do this kind of thing. What if your plan goes awry and somehow the Americans find out about it? Are you going to start a war? They would start kidnapping our people all around the world, and they're better equipped for nabbing our people than we are for kidnapping theirs. It will turn into a war of Intelligence services. It will do us no good whatsoever."

"The Americans won't find out," I replied, still confident it would have been a sanitized way to get our hands on a CIA officer and interrogate him. "The Palestinians can pull it off. I know it."

"No, I don't trust these Palestinians," said Andropov. "Don't do it. I forbid you."

A one-minute phone conversation with Andropov had wiped out six months of planning and preparations.

Nearly a decade later, Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists kidnapped the CIA station chief in Beirut, William Buckley. Under horrible torture, they extracted from Buckley everything he knew about CIA operations. The American died from the interrogation. By then I was no longer involved in foreign operations, but I am confident the KGB had nothing to do with Buckley's abduction or torture, though it is a virtual certainty that the transcript of Buckley's interrogation - the Hezbollah butchers recorded it - was eventually sold to the KGB, and probably for a very handsome sum.

[Orion78]

PING

[anatolfz]

Primakov is another name that belongs in there.

[Alexandre]

Everything I hear from Kalugin causes tons of doubts. Sorry, I prefer other sources than this person.

Ones like him wound themselves not compatible with new situation in Russia. They lost their jobs due to poor performance (or elimination of their positions) - and found nothing better to run around with so called exposures... Who can ever figure what is a true story and what is a fantasy-for-sale in his writings?

[Alexandre]

... but there maybe a seed of reality in this story: despite of continuing verbal support of PLA, the incidents of Brezhnev-style kissing with Arafat were almost gone under Andropov.

[anatolfz]

True. After Brezhnev something happened. But it's still a mystery.

[AmericaUnited]

This does not pass the smell test. It's the little things. Example: Andropov actually saying the Americans are better at kidnapping people than the KGB was? This is ridiculous.

[backhoe]

Here's a little more:

Covering for Arafat the Killer

CIA has tape of Arafat Ordering the Murder of Two American Diplomats

WorldNetDaily: Will real Arafat be exposed?

LET'S TALK WAR CRIMES

USCFL - Frequently Asked Questions

November 6, 2001

THE CONTRIVED MYTHS: of SABRA & SHATILLA; WAR IN LEBANON;

[Orion78]

Thanks for the links. You are an invaluable resource to FreeRepublic.

[Orion78]

You know, I kind of thought the same thing when I read that part. I don't think the KGB would admit the Americans were better at anything either. I did find it somewhat humorous however, that Kalugin says even the KGB director didnt trust the Palestinians. I think about that and wonder why so many today trust Yassir Arafat.

Through the course of reading this book (which I have yet to finish), I have noticed a few other things that Kalugin has said that don't sound quite right. I have a feeling certain parts of his book are nothing but disinformation. However, I felt this piece on Yassir Arafat was worth posting.

[AmericaUnited]

The part about not trusting YassarRat is true. As one KGB defector said "He's so full of cunning, deceit, guile and treachery."

[backhoe]

I do appreciate your encouraging words... I naturally wonder how much good links and commentary accomplish. I have always thought that if just one more person was influenced- by learning something previously unknown, or perhaps just being driven to start asking questions- then progess of a sort was being made.

[Tailgunner Joe]

bttt

[Orion78]

PING!