(SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00287R000500280002-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 11, 2010
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: January 4, 1983
• Content Type: REPORT

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Memorandum for: RECORD
The attached was prepared by
to be cabled to General Rogers,
SACEUR, on 4 January 1983
Distribution:
Orig - SACEUR (cable version)
4 - IMC/CB
1-- OCR/EUR
1 - EURA
2 - EURA Production
1 - EURA
2 - EURA/
DDI/EURA/EI/PS
4Jan83)
E U RA
Office of European Analysis
Directorate of Intelligence
(&H g3^~l
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COMMUNIST INFLUENCE IN THE DUTCH PEACE MOVEMENT*
The Dutch "peace" movement is a generally indigenous
phenomenon reflecting popular concerns about the morality of
nuclear weapons and the advisability of their deployment on Dutch
soil. During the initial stages of the campaign the Dutch
Communist Party (CPN) and its fronts maneuvered themselves into a
position where they could channel this popular discontent on arms
issues, but we believe that this discontent would have created a
"peace movement" even without the Communists. The Communists'
relative influence within the movement has diminished steadily
for more than a year. The most important Dutch peace groups
today are the Interchurch Peace Council (IKV), the Catholic Pax
Christi Netherlands group, and a Communist-dominated group called
the "Cooperative Union: Stop the Neutron Bomb/Stop the Nuclear
Arms Race."
The IKV, a church-sponsored but largely autonomous
organization headed by Mient-Jan Faber, is by far the largest and
ost influential "peace" organization. There almost certainly
are some Communists within the IKV,
they are
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not numerous and are no longer in a position to manipulate the
IKV's program. Having largely overcome its earlier reliance on
Communist advice and logistical support, the IKV is now
presenting a more balanced critique of Eastern and Western arms
policies. Nevertheless, the IKV continues to exhibit a
simplistic view of international relations, including the
possibility of convergence between Eastern and Western Europe
which it tries to promote through, contacts with nongovernmental
organizations in the East.
Evolution of the Movement
Large-scale "peace" activity in the Netherlands began with
the campaign against the "neutron bomb" in 1977-78. Recognizing
the antipathy of their countrymen toward this weapon, CPN leaders
were able to get in on the ground floor of the new peace
movement. The Cooperative Union's name--many simply call it "the
N-Bomb group"--still reflects those early battles.
During 1977-78, organizations like the IKV were at a
disadvantage because they were relative newcomers to the business
of agitation. F
S:C T
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Until about a year ago, Communist
participants in the peace movement were generally able to keep it
from allocating any responsibility to the Soviets for East-West
conflict and the arms race. Moreover, the desire of most peace
activists to focus on the emotional issue of nuclear weapons in
the Netherlands usually overrode any concern about skewed
analysis.
After several years of intensive peace activity, however,
the IKV has developed a seasoned leadership cadre, and we believe
that it has eliminated most of its earlier dependence on the
Communists for organizational help. In our judgment, the IKV has
also become much more successful than the Communist-dominated
groups in appealing to large numbers of people. At the same
time, prolonged exposure to East-West issues and public criticism
of the movement's one-sided platforms have made the IKV more
critical of Soviet positions on issues ranging from the SS-20 to
Poland.
IKV Relations with Communists
A small Communist-dominated group called Christians for
Socialism (CVS) had a noticeable influence in the IKV during the
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"peace" campaign's formative period in 1977-78.
overt sources. In various joint activities with the Cooperative
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Union, the IKV probably has made use of transportation or
logistical material provided by the Communists
We do not know whether the IKV receives money from the
East. In our judgment, this type of funding would be a time bomb
which the IKV leadership for public re'ati'ons reasons would be
foolish to risk. We cannot rule out, however, that some money
from the East could be injected without their knowledge. In any
event, we believe that most of the IKV's activities probably can
be financed by the contributions it cites in its financial
statements--the nine sponsoring church denominations and other
The IKV's main interaction with the East has consisted of
contacts with East European church and dissident groups. Again,
the IKV openly boasts of these meetings which, it claims,
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encourage independence and even "non-alignment" in Eastern
Europe.
After a period of disillusionment brought on by Poland, the
IKV's pollyannish world view has reasserted itself. IKV leader
Faber's recent meetings with peace groups in Hungary seem to have
reinforced his impression that Eastern Europe may eventually be
able to free itself from Soviet control through peace activity.
Officials of the Russian Orthodox Church, probably at their
government's direction, are seeking to meet again soon with IKV
leaders to discuss peace campaigns. The false impression of
"parallelism" in Eastern and Western Europe, of course, tends to
expunge doubts within the IKV about the wisdom of their own
efforts against NATO programs. Much of the public, however,
recognizes the grey realities in Eastern Europe, and this strange
emphasis by the IKV is one of its ideological weak spots.
Another possible weak point of the overall "peace"
movement is its likely recourse of at least some elements to
civil disobedience tactics, which could cause disorder and thus
alienate public opinion. The possibility of violence, however,
has little to do with Communist influence. Those who might
crr^r'T
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resort to violence or try to provoke it are generally members of 25X1
uncontrollable fringe elements rather than the CPN. F--]
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During the past year, however, even the CPN and its fronts
have modified their views on some East-West issues.
The CPN,
which is a legal party holding three seats in parliament, has
always had a reputation for
occasionally balking at the
accentuated this tendency.
the September elections
vote), the CPN congress
Polish and Czechoslovak
USSR was not "a natural
peace. The Cooperative
the Soviets last summer
territory in a proposed
independent analysis and for
Soviet line. Events in Poland have
After the party's poor performance in
garnered only 1.8 percent of the
(it
in November voted to break ties with the
Communist parties, and noted that the
and automatic ally" in the struggle for
Union, moreover, complained publicly -to
when they refused to include Soviet
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nuclear-free zone.
L Nevertheless, the CPN and the Cooperative Union undoubtedly
ill prosecute the "peace" campaign to the best of their ability
because it is a cause congenial to the far left. They probably
will remain amenable to Soviet advice on nuclear weapons issues,
and will continue efforts to give the "peace" campaign an anti-US
and anti-NATO slant. Communist prospects for affecting the peace
movement as a whole will depend largely on the willingness and
ability of others in and outside the movement to point out
Communist propaganda on nuclear weapons issues and counter it
with facts. The overall effectiveness of the "peace" movement's
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anti-INF campaign, however, will depend much more on whether
organizations like the IKV can sway politicians than on the
efforts of the CPN, its fronts, and the Soviets.
Government Policy Toward the Peace Movement
The current center-right government is in a stronger
position to support NATO policy on security issues than any of
its recent predecessors, but in our judgment it is not prepared
to undertake an all-out offensive against"the "peace" movement.
The government's response last week to a parliamentary question
about the relationship of the Soviets with the "peace" movement
made clear which elements are Communist-controlled and have links
with Moscow, but it avoided criticizing the movement as a
whole. The Home Affairs Minister mentioned the Cooperative Union
as one group with Communist ties, but specified that he was not
talking about the IKV. Dutch officials evidently hope in this
way to discourage cooperation between Communist and non-Communist*
groups, to make the latter more discerning about the issues
involved, and to encourage the public to reflect on analyses
movement as a whole, and that such a controversy would provoke
bitter accusations about smear tactics. As the Home Affairs
Minister implied to US Embassy officers recently, the government
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ave decided that any indications it may have about Soviet
unding would not be of sufficient scope to discredit the
This Dutch government has made no public statements about
the financing of the peace movement. The government seems to
which may be derived from the Soviet line.
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does not want to create the impression that it writes off
widespread public concerns about nuclear war as creations of the
USSR. 25X1
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