INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN SPY COPELAND COMES HOME TO BIRMINGHAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01350R000200810003-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 17, 2004
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: October 9, 1974
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2005/08/22: CIA-RDP88-01350R
BIRMINGHAM NEWS
9 Oct 1974
BIRt" 1 HAS, ALABAb4A.
rIEWS
OCT j" 1974,
E _ 181,051
CL _?223,626
BY PEGGY ROBERSON
News staff writer
Miles Copeland, a Birming-
ham man who left the city as
a youth to join the Army and
became an internationally
known spy, came home Tues-
day night.
He will speak tonight to
members of the Birmingham
branch of the English Speak-
ing Union at the Birmingham.
Country Club.
His second book, "Without
Cloak or Dagger: The Truth
about the New Espionage," is
just off the press. In an air-
port interview Tuesday night,
Copeland jokingly said be
urged the to censor it and
assure its success, but they
threatened to say they like it.
Copeland, 53, a big, tall,
grey-haired man is warm and
friendly and reviewers have
described his writing style as
"clear, funny and frank."
SOME OF THE insight he
gives in the spy business isn't
funny. He agrees that it
would "scare hell out of you."
The current controversy
over the CIA's role in the
overthrow of Salvadore Al-
lende in Chile lilt the news He contends that the CIA
about the time Copeland's involvement is not secret, but
book hit the bookstores. Al. that any congressman who
though he retired from the wants to can find out what's
government in 1857, he cheer- going on. He amends that
fully admits he "knew all slightly to say some-be-
about Chile," and is perfectly cause of their leftist lean-
willing to talk about it. ings - are not. granted
His major criticism of the
CIA in Chile is that "they did-
n't do enough." He explains
that the U. S. superspys
should have seen to it that one
of Allende's "democratic"
opponents won a majority in
the election which put the
pro-Soviet president in
power.
Also,:he says, the CIA pull-
ed out too quickly and al-
lowed a. "military dictator-
ship" to take over.
COPELAND BELIEVES
no country would voluntarily
be-Communist. For example,
he says, the U. S. did not over-
throw Allende-the CIA sim-
ply enabled the local citizens
to "resist."
Career CIA officers are
leaving the service in large
numbers, Copeland said, be-
cause of pressure from the
press and certain congress-
men and senators.
"security clearance" and
thus might not be privy to
some of the plans of the intel-
ligence agency.
Copeland prefers that
Americans not think the C!
is protecting "business inter-1
ests," although he makes the'
point that the nation's inter-
ests and business interests
eidentical.
In addition, he said, all of
the countries where Ameri-
cans have invested and
brought their technological
know-how, have henefitted
and prospered.
Copeland won his first job,
with Gen. "Wild Bill" Dono-
van, through U. S. Sen. John
Sparkman of Alabama. He''
was then in the Army and was
placed on Donovan's staff as
an information coordinator.
He now lives in London, Eng-
land, with his British-born
wife.
Approved For Release 2005/08/22 : CIA-RDP88-0135OR000200810003-2