HOW THE CIA SMUGGLED SVETLANA OUT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000400200019-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 2, 1999
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: March 18, 1967
• Content Type: MAGAZINE

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By BLITZ Delhi Bureau
N W DELHI: Delhi-
based CIA agent Ro-
bert F. Rayle, who master-
minded the defection of
Svetlana Stalin and escort-
ed her to Rome, is back in
Delhi. He is the Second
Secretary in the American
Embassy here.
To the already embarrassed
External Affairs Ministry, his re-
turn is bound to add a fresh irri-
tant.
EXTENSION
New Delhi's embarrassment
arises from the fact that Svetlana
Staiiu name to India on an invi-
tation from Dinesh Singh, former
Minister of State for External
Affairs and now Minister of Com-
merce.
Svetlana, who arrived in India
on December 20, was mostly stay-
ing at his paternal estate at Kala-
kankar and at his residence
New Delhi.
She was to have returned to
the Soviet Union earlier but an
extension was given on request.
Naturally Dinesh Singh is great-
ly mortified over the incident,
which has momentarily clouded
Indo-Sovict relations.
PREPARATIONS
The day preceding the secret
flight by a Quantas plane, Svet-
lana left the Minister's residence
for the Soviet Embassy quarters.
It is, however, naive .to be-
lieve that the CIA contacted
her at the Soviet Embassy
quarters during the few hours
that she was there and made
all the preparations for the
dramatic escape.
Svetlana, escorted by Robert F.
Rayle, went to the Palam airport
a few minutes before the Quan-
tas flight from Sydney landed, ;on
March 6-7 night.
Before they arrived; a small
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contingent of Americans headed
by Dennis Bice of the US Em-
sitions in the
lounge around the BOAL; counter.
BOAC is the Quantas agent in
India.
It was the CIA man Rayle who
bought two air tickets for him-
self and Svetlana for New York
though the Quantas flight was for
London via Rome. Rayle'bought
his.ticket in rupees and Svetlana's
in dollars.
no was, however, short of
dollars. The shortfall amount-
ing to over Its. 100 was made
up in Indian currency. This is
it palpable violation of the
rules.
From the booking counter, they
moved into.the Customs and Im-
migration enclosure. But none
of them, least of all at the im-
migration counter, whose in-
charge that night was Plara
Singh, pondered over the strange
spectacle of a lone Russian wo-
man in the company of about 10
Americans.
DISPOSED
STATINTL
They passed muster and were
about to proceed to the tarmac
but the aircraft developed
trouble. The one-hour delay
caused jitters to the Americans,
especially Dennis Blee who was
in charge of the task force.
The anti-climax came early
next morning when the State
Department disposed what the
CIA proposed. The American
Embassy here, at_Ihe instance of
the CIA, gave Svetlana asylum.
But before she could take off
from Rome, the State thought it
was too hot a potato and dropped
it, with the result that the CIA
~~hhpappd, to find attq the last minute
~`!h5!ii~t~'d'!1'dt1f Obi OVLt
BLITZ MARCH 18, 1967