DEPASSTSEC LAINGEN'S APPEARANCE BEFORE HOUSE SUBCOM CHAIRED BY FASCELL, MARCH 14, 1975

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP77M00144R000300020028-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 7, 2002
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: March 17, 1975
• Content Type: CABLE

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P 1723402 MAR 75
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TO AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0000
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SUBJECT: DEPASSTSEC LAINQ.EN15eRPPARANC B FQRF_Q1SE
S U.KQ M.- C H I. R E 0. _ _R_Y--EASC ELL+--MARCH . 14_,___.. 5.,
1 , DEPUTY ASS ISTANT SECRETARY LAINGEN REPRESENTED THE DE-
PARTMENT A T AN OPEN HEARING ON PORTUGAL BY HOUSE SUBCOMMIT-
TEE ON POLITICAL AND MILITARY AFFAIRS, ACCOMPANIED BY MESSRS.
PEZZULLO AND LUKENS. LAINGEN STATEMENT WAS SENT BY WIRE-
LESS FILE TO LISBON, SUMMARY OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
FOLLOWS$
2 , FOLLOWING FORMAL STATEMENT, LAINGEN EXPRESSED H I S AP-
PRECIATION FOR CONTINUED INTEREST I N PORTUGAL'S PROBLEMS
BUT STRESSED THAT THIS WAS HIGHLY CHARGED AND SENSITIVE
PERIOD, AND THAT DEFINITIVE DECISIONS AND JUDGMENTS ARE
IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE. HE STRESSED POSITIVE SIDE OF SITUATION,
TRADITION OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES, BASIC WARM
FEELING IN PORTUGAL FOR U, S. AS A COUNTRY, AND APPRECIATION
FOR RECENT U,S, ACTIONS SUCH AS AID SUPPORT,
3, FlRST___.QUES.T_ION'.S INyQLVED__-ALI E.CEI1._U..S, tNVOLV~MEN-T, IN
COUP ATTEMPT AND ALLEGAT_L.O.NS. ABO-U-T-_AM$.ASSADDR__CAR111C_DZ
PERSONALLY ._ L AINGEN.. D.EN IED STRO_NG.LY.__ANY._U.S-A-_1N_VDLV_E.MENT
OF ANY KIND AND EXPLAI-NED TH_AT__C.RL.UCC_1._~AQ_.FU_LL. SUPk_'RT
OF USG AND THAT NEITHER HE NOR ANY ONE ELSE IN USG HAD
ANY INVOLVEMENT I N THIS WEEK IS_ EVENTS, SU GGES T 10N-S- TO
CO..NTRARY WERE.__NDNSENSE. IN ANSWER TO QUESTION.-HE
SPEC IF ICALLY STATEQ__._THAT___O_IA_._WAS_N_O.T___ _LNVOLVE-D. LA INGEN
STATED HE R-Em 1 6TTED INSINUATION THAT USG WAS IN ANYWAY
CONNECTED WITH COUP ATTEMPT OR IN OTHER WAYS SEEKING
SUBVERT EFFORTS OF PORTUGUESE REVOLUTION, INASMUCH AS
WE HAD SEEN TRYING TO SUPPORT PORTUGUESE EFFORTS TOWARDS
DEMOCRACY AND HAD SHOWN THIS TANGIBLY BY EXTENDING AID
AND IN OUR PUBLIC STATEMENTS.
3, IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION BY REPO WINN ABOUT WHO HAD
MADE THESE ALLEGATIONS. LAINGEN REPLIED THAT ASIDE FROM
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REPr?SODUCY:{p;11 01Y OTigs:E1 'SC' AS'i
ISSUING O?IFnCE go F UCi`F14^,i` _01.1.,
CA RV AH LO INC I D EN T, THEY WERE COMING FROM OTHER THAN
RESPONSIBLE SOURCES WITHIN GOP. FURTHER QUESTIONS
DEALT WITH HUMAN RIGHTS IN PORTUGAL, AND LAINGEN
PROMISED TO SUPPLY COMMITTEE WITH STATEMENT(WE ARE
SENDING COPY OF HUMAN RIGHTS CABLE TO COMMITTEE ON CLAS-
SIFIED BASIS),
A, IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS ABOUT AZORES, PEZZULLO REPLIED
THAT LADES WAS IMPORTANT FACILITY AND KEY POINT IN ASW
NETWORK. IN LATER QUESTION BY CONG. DIGGS ON AZORES,
PEEEULLO REPLIED THAT NEGOTIATIONS WERE CONTINUING BETWEEN
TWO COUNTRIES BUT THAT WE DOUBTED THERE WOULD BE MUCH
PROGRESS UNTIL AFTER ELECTIONS.
5, WI NN WENT ON T O ASK ABOUT SOVIET INVOLVEMENT I N
PORTUGAL, LAINGEN REPLIED THAT SOVIETS HAD BEHAVED
CORRECTLY BUT THAT THEIR PRESENCE HAD INCREASED SIGN IF'
ICANTLY, TRADE WAS ON THE UP-SWING, AEROFLOT NOW CALLS
AT LISBON, AND, OF COURSE, THE SECGEN OF THE COMMUNIST
PARTY IS IN THE CABINET. NOTED ALSO SOVIET CONNECTIONS
WITH COMMUNIST GROUPS IN PORTUGAL. BIESTER QUESTIONED
LAINGEN ABOUT THE DECOLONIZATION PROGRAM WHICH LAINGEN
EXPLAINED AT LENGTH. THIS LED INTO BRIEF EXPLANATION OF
AID USG PLANS FOR BOTH METROPOLE AND COLONIES. BIESTER
THEN QUESTIONED LAINGEN ABOUT COMMUNIST PARTY LEADERSHIP,
AND WE PROMISED TO SEND AN ANALYSIS TO COMMITTEE ON
CLASSIFIED BASIS.
6, REP, DIGGS BEGAN HIS INTERVENTION BY NOTING THAT IT
PLEASED HIM TO SEE "EUR EAT CROW", AFTER YEARS OF
"SUPPORTING PORTUGUESE REGIME AND APPROVING DECOLONI-
ZATION." HE ASKED WHY AMB, CARLUCCI HAD REPLACED SCOTT
AND WHEN LAINGEN REPLIED THIS WAS PRESIDENTIAL DECISION,
DIGGS ASKED IF THERE HAD NOT BEEN POLITICAL REASON FOR
CHANGE. LAINGEN SAID HE DID NOT WISH TO SPECULATE ON
PRESIDENTIAL ACTION, FINALLY. AFTER SUGGESTING THAT
PERHAPS CARLUCCI'S EFFECTIVENESS WOULD BE DIMINISHED
BECAUSE OF ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM. DIGGS ADMITTED THAT
BOTH AMB, CARLUCCI AND DCM OKUN HAD APPEARED TO HIM ON
RECENT T R I P TO B E DOING EXCELLENT JO B, LAINGEN REASSERTED
OUR CONFIDENCE IN CARLUCCI AND ENTIRE MISSION AND OUR
BELIEF THAT GOP INTENDED T O ABIDE BY ITS ASSURANCES THAT
A,MB. COULD CARRY OUT HIS MISSION.
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7 , REP. B UC HA NA N QUESTIONED A B I L I T Y O F POLITICAL PART I E r
TO BE REPRESENTED IN FREE ELECTION, AFTER SLURS BY NEW
REGIME AT PDC AND CDS, LAINGEN POINTED OUT THAT AS OF
NOW ALL PARTIES WERE STILL O N VOTING LISTS BUT NOTED
THAT RUMORS WERE STRONG THAT CENTER RIGHT PARTIES WOvi.D
BE BANNED. HE WENT ON TO DESCRIBE POLITICAL SPECTRUM,
8 , LA INGEN THEN EXPLAINED I N RESPONSE TO BUCHANAN'S
QUERY NEW ROLE AFM PLANS TO ASSUME, INCLUDING WHAT WE
UNDERSTAND TO BE FUNCTIONS OF REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL.
HE EXPRESSED HOPE THAT HONEST ELECTIONS WOULD HAVE THEIR
EFFECT UPON MODERATES IN AFM AND THAT POLITICAL PARTIES
WOULD HAVE REAL ROLE TO PLAY IN FUTURE OF PORTUGAL,
EXPRESSED HOPE THAT VOTERS WOULD REJECT EXTREMES O F
BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT.
9, CHAIRMAN FASCELL ASKED IF THERE EXISTED WITHIN
PORTUGAL ANY POPULAR SUPPORT FOR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE
U.S. AND NATO. LAINGEN REPLIED IN AFFIRMATIVE. HE WENT
ON T O NOTE THAT THE UNDERLYING FRIENDSHIP FOR THE U, S,
IS STRONG, EVEN THOUGH POSSIBLY SUBMERGED AND MUTED FOR
THE MO ME NT , LAINGEN OUTLINED PORTUGUESE C ON'TR IB UT IONS
TO AMERICAN SOCIETY AND CITED LONG TRADITION, OF CLOSE
FRIENDSHIP, BOTH BILATERALLY AND AS NATO ALLIES, HE
ALLUDED TO COSTA COMES' SUPPORT FOR NATO, AS EXPRES-
SED IN COMMUNIQUE FOLLOWING OCTOBER VISIT. CONTINUING
FUNCTIONING OF I BE RL AN T AND GOP SUPPORT FOR 'RECENT
NATO NAVAL EXERCISE.
10. CHAIRMAN THEN ASKED ABOUT POSSIBILITIES FOR FUTURE
VIOLENCE AND WHAT DANGER THERE MIGHT B E FOR AM CI TS .
SAID HE ASSUMED CONTINGENCY EVACUATION PLANS AVAILABLE.
LAINGEN REPLIED THAT UP-TO-DATE EVACUATION PLAN EXISTED
AND AGREED TO SUPPLY COMMITTEE WITH APPROX NUMBERS OF
AMCITS, BOTH OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL IN PORTUGAL.
HE WENT ON TO STATE OUR CONCERN AT RECENT DEVELOPMENTS,
PARTICULARLY THE EXTREMISM SHOWN IN MEDIA SLOGANS,
VIGILANTES s ETC,, AND AN I N A B I L I T Y T O DRAW CONCLUSIONS
OR MAKE PREDICTIONS. SITUATION CLEARLY DICEY AND IT WOULD
BE WRONG TO PAINT ROSY PICTURE AS TO FUTURE, DESPITE
ASSETS STILL AVAILABLE.
ii, I N SUMMARY STATEMENT, CHAIRMAN CH AR AC TE R I RE D
PORTUGUESE SITUATION AS "CLASSIC POLITICAL PIROBLEM" IN
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WHICH AN ORGANISED INDIGENOUS COMMUNIST PARTY WORKS TO
NEUTRALIZE EFFECT OF USG AND WHERE OUR HANDS ARE TIED
AND OUR OPTIONS LIMITED. HE FEARED THAT POLITICAL FORCES
WOULD BE UNABLE TO WORK FREELY, BUT HOPED THAT EUROPEAN
FRIENDS OF PORTUGAL OR EVEN UN COULD TAKE SOME STEPS 7C
SEE THAT PORTUGUESE PEOPLE WERE GIVEN "FAIR SHAKE'."
(LAINGEN HAD EARLIER EXPRESSED SAME HOPE. CITING SOME OF
RECENT AGREEMENTS FOR COOPERATION WITH SCANDINAVIANS.)
CHAIRMAN CONCLUDED BY HOPING THAT PORTUGAL COULD RESOLVE
ITS PROBLEMS IN LIGHT OF ITS DESTINY, AND TAKE ITS PLACE
ONCE AGAIN AS FREE MEMBER OF ATLANTIC COMMUNITY.
12. FYI (ABOVE C! ASSIFIED LOU BECAUSE OF EVACUATION PLAN
STATEMENT BUT AMBM MAY OF COURSE DRAW UPON ANY SECTION
WHICH MIGHT BE USEFUL IN DEALING WITH LISBON MEDIA REPS,)
13. SUBCOMMITTEE TONE THROUGHOUT WAS CONCERNED BUT
CONSTRUCTIVE. MEMBERS BEING CLEARLY CONSCIOUS OF SENSI-
TIVITY OF SITUATION IN PORTUGAL AND SPECIAL PROBLEMS
FACING MISSION INGERSOLL
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