STAFF MEETING MINUTES OF 5 MARCH 1980

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00130R000600010258-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 25, 2007
• Sequence Number: 258
• Publication Date: March 5, 1980
• Content Type: REPORT

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The Director chaired the meeting. Mr. Carlucci was visiting NPIC.
Staff Meeting Minutes of 5 March 1980
cussion followed. The Director asked 0 to commence negotiations
with the Committee on that which is to be covered on a classified or 25X1
unclassified basis.)
The Director stated he has revised his thinking of yesterday 25X1
and requested comment on the merits of classified testimony before the
HPSCI on 18 March concerning Charter Legislation. Silver, and
Hetu doubted that the Committee would accept close testimony. Silver
suggested we provide the Committee with a list of that which the Director
will not get into on an unclassified basis, e.g., prior notificaton, the
details of utilizing journalists, a response to Aspin's letter of
25 February 1980, and other topics yet to be identified. A brief dis-
25X1
25X1
noted the Director would be appearing before the Senate Armed
Services Committee tomorrow. Later in the meeting Lehman forecast that
Senators Nunn and Jackson can be expected to focus on some aspects of NIE
11-3/8. 25X1
advised that the Director will appear before the Senate
Energy Committee providing unclassified testimony.
25X1
25X1
McMahon noted receipt yesterday of a letter signed by Senators Bayh
and Goldwater, precipitated by SSCI Staffer Bill Miller, and asking if
two individuals mentioned were agents. McMahon noted that one was and
the other is not, but went on suggesting we maintain the principle of not
confirmin or denying the identities. The Director said this poses some 25X1
problems. 25X1
Zellmer reported that the SR-71 flight over Cuba has been delayed
because of weather.
a traveler to Beirut and expressed concern that a PLO official has
publicly announced the fedayeen plans to assassinate Sadat...indicating
McMahon spoke of work underway to check out a terrorist plot involving
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McMahon noted the Agency is under attack in Nicaragua with claims
being made of CIA support to anti-Sandinista elements and allegations
that CIA is out to kill the AID bill.
Fitzwater announced that former Inspector General John Waller will
receive the National Civil Service League award on 20 March.
Fitzwater said there is no firm information on a hiring freeze but
advised that there are applicants in process,)-]of which are
CTs.
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25X1
Hetu said he would be appearing before the Aspin Subcommittee tomorrow
to brief on the work of the Publications Review Board. 25X1
Clarke called attention to Jack Anderson's article alleging Soviet
use of nerve gas in Afghanistan and went on to note that we have nothing
to confirm the item beyond his 4 March note that the Soviets are using 25X1
some riot control agents.
Clarke reported the identification of an SS-20 base at Verkhnyaya Salda,
bringing the total to 26, against an estimate of 33 bases. 25X1
25X1
In response to McMahon's query, the Director advised that he had
provided, as reported in the Christian Science Monitor (attached) a letter 25X1
to Senator Bentsen on atrocities in Afghanistan. 25X1
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fleowedbythe(COIA
By Daniel Southerland
Staff correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor .
Washington
The US Central Intelligence Agency has revealed new re-
ports of atrocities alleged to have been committed by Soviet-
supported troops in Afghanistan. _
In a letter to Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D) of Texas, CIA direc-
tor Stanfield Turner listed the . following . until-now
unreported events said to have occurred in Afghanistan in
1979:
a In retribution against a village that refused to cooperate .
with the Kabul regime, Afghan troops destroyed the village
and killed 20 of its inhabitants. The children among the vic-
tims were mutilated in front of their parents before the entire
group was slain. ..
a In another incident reportedly motivated by retribution,
Afghan soldiers killed 300 villagers.
In addition, the letter from Admiral Turner said that there
had been reports of several.cases of rape perpetrated by
ARTICLE JL--!:AR,!D
ON PAGE___ - .J_.__.
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THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE 1MITOR
5 March 1980
Afghan soldiers, some of which were alleged
to have resulted in the victims' deaths.
The CIA director said details of all of these
incidents had to be omitted in order to protect
sources of . information. He also said that
there have likely been numerous unreported-
incidents of this kind.
The CIA reports coincided with one from a
Cairo-based correspondent for the London
Observer, who said he had recently seen the
destruction of 80 percent of the villages along
one of Afghanistan's main roads and with new
reports from other US government sources -
that the Soviets have used nerve gas in trying
to crush Afghan guerrillas.
Admiral Turner's letter to Senator ,
Bentsen came in response to a letter from the
'
senator asking for information about a report
in The Christian Science-Monitor Feb. 4 which
quoted survivors as saying that Afghan ?~
troops, under Soviet orders, had murdered
1,170 unarmed men and boys last April in the
village of Kerala in eastern Afghanistan.
The CIA director said in his response that
the agency was "almost certain" that the al-
leged massacre did occur. He said CIA had no
on-the-spot confirmation from its own sources
but noted that a strikingly similar account ap-
peared in a Pakistani newspaper on April 29,
1979.
As a result of Admiral Turner's report to
him, Senator Bentsen has urged President.
Carter to seek a UN Security Council investi-
gation of the alleged massacre at Kerala. In a,
letter to the President dated March 4, the sen-
ator said that if the Soviet Union were to veto
such an inquiry; then "the veto itself would
speak volumes about Soviet conduct, and the
debate leading to the veto will insure that the
whole world will watch the 'debate and evalu
ate the charges." -
He suggested that as alternatives;-the'
President might want to consider an investi-=
gation by the full UN General Assembly or,
..
one by the International Red Cross:.,
On March 3; Shyam Bhatia of the London:
Observer, who was held captive by Afghan;
guerrillas,-reported that 80 percent of the vil
lages along most of the 220-mile main Kabul'
k
"
by roc
Kandahar road "were just flattened
ets fired by - Soviet-supplied - helicopter
gunships. According to a United Press Inter
national report, - the correspondent further
said that -hundreds of -civilians,. including
me and children, were killed in indis-
.,.
o
ps
b
k
emu... g .. _
s
Criminate attac
Carter . administration sources.' mean-
while, said'reports on the use of nerve gas by;
"clinical -evidence" but on. numerous ac-
counts from refugees gathered over a pen
ken chemical warfare and decontamination.:
t
a
equipment with them into Afghanistan `A
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