MOSCOW BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000100740017-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2010
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: September 19, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/18: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100740017-3
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGE 19 September 1981
Behind R
oleo Closed lb"Dors
Kremlin Allows `Pressa-Pool' to Join Britons in Seeing Brezllnev
By Jonathan Steele out to be less romantic and less
n18nenaU.raw, imperial than the White House,
MOSCOW-"How many of which combines the grace of a
them are there?" the elderly man 19th century country house with
asked,- as. he stood stiffly with his armed Marines outside the pres-
slightly puffy face-toward .the >ident's door.
open door. "Two of them plus-an Journalists with Foot? were
assistant," replied, Boris 'Pono- A- " given a red pass with letters say-
marev, -candidate-member of the - - ing pressa-pool, an example of the
Soviet, Politburo in the rather-;; way "Rusglish" is infiltrating the
loud, deliberate voice that people Russian language. Carrying this
use when they are talking to the.-. simple card and our passports we
hard of hearing. ' . " " :, were waved through a gate in the
"What are we waiting for now?` Kremlin wall. There was no body
asked the senior man a moment .. search or security check The sot-
later, with ? the punctiliousness itary policeman did not match
born of an . army background:. faces with passport photos.
Thus did President Leonid Brezh- . Inside a building marked Coun-
nev prepare to greet a slightly late cil of Ministers an elderly woman
Michael Foot and Denis Healey of hung up our coats. We walked up
the British' Labor Party in the three flights of stairs, turned
Kremlin Thursday. down a long corridor with a dull
It' was the first . time ' in 6'/: carpet and several closed,. doors,
years that the Soviet leader had and were ushered into an ante-
received a British politician. For room with two television sets, sev-
the waiting Britons it was a rare eral phones, and a few armchairs.
chance to step inside the swite of There were no uniformed police,
offices where the Politburo takes' no secretaries, no officials pacing.
its decisions ' If we were about to enter some
In Washington, the. media inner sanctum, it certainly did not
tramp in and out of the Oval Of- feel like it. The door from the an-
fice about twice a day for Whits teroom was wide open and we
House "photo opportunities." The marched straight through to a
big desk with the American flag at larger, room with a table long
one end of the room and the fire enough for the Politburo.' The
place with the wingback chairs at room must be - behind Lenin's
the other are known to millions of mausoleum on Red Square but
viewers of "All the President's the Kremlin wail blocks the view.
Men" and "Washington 'Behind In the room stood Brezhnev
Closed Doors." and Ponomarev and an interpret-
Brezhnev's working environ- er. Next to the president on a
ment is hardly ever seen. It turns table stood a three-foot-high por-
celain vase decorated with his por-
trait. Another table had neatly,
folded, perhaps never unfolded,:
copies of Pravda and the rest of
the Soviet press and some group
photographs of Brezhnev ? and
other Soviet officials. . -
When Foot entered, Brezhnev,
greeted him with a broad smile
and a rather formal pumping
handshake. If there were any CIA
health experts hiding on our side,
they would have a to pronounce
t e 74-year o Soviet presi dent.
rim an i RUE analysts on the.
other side might have thought
Foot looked older and less sure of
himself than their own man. Foot
had discarded his walking, stick
but his glasses had a special plas-
tic. piece on the side suggesting
there may be continuing trouble.
in his left eye. Was this a future
prime minister, the Soviet experts
presumably were asking.
- After Brezhnev had steered ``
Foot, Healey and Foot's press
spokesman to the conference ta-
ble, the president asked, "What do
you people in England drink, tea
or coffee?" "Coffee please," said-
Foot.
There was an awkward pause,
which Foot proceeded to -fill. "We
had some of your vodka last night...
It was very good," he volunteered.
In' a firm no-nonsense tone,
Brezhnev put the `trivialities
down. "This is not the place for
vodka now." Healey's eyebrows
went up and down like an eleva-
tor. The press was ushered out.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/18: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100740017-3