AFGANISTAN EXPELS TWO U.S. DIPLOMATS AS SPIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000302640042-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 20, 2012
• Sequence Number: 42
• Publication Date: September 16, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP90-00965R000302640042-4
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGE
NEW YORK TIMES
16 September 1983
Afghanistan Expels Two U.S. Diplomats as Spies
By BERNARD GWERTZMAN
? Special to The New York Times
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15? The State
Department said Afghanistan had in-
formed the United States Embassy in
Kabul today that it was expelling two
American diplomats accused of
Spying.
"We are puzzled and concerned by
the Afghanistan Government's inexpli-
cable and outrageous action," the State
Department said in a statement this af-
ternoon issued two hours after the
Kabul radio broadcast news of the ex-
pulsion.
The State Department identified the
diplomats as Hugh J. Turner, a second
secretary, and Rob Q. Blackburn, an
attach?
In May the Afghan Government ex-
pelled another American diplomat,
Peter Graham, saying he had sold
"pornographic literature." At that
time, the department said the charges
were "ludicrous, and wholly without
foundation."
'Unexpected' Move
The State Department .said today
that the Afghan expulsion order came
"unexpectedly."
"We have pointed out in Kabul that
there is no substance whatsoever to the
preposterous explanation they have
given us for expelling these two Ameri-
can diplomats," said Joseph W. Rea'
Jr., a State Department spokesman.
He said the acting head of the Afghan
Embassy in Washington, M. Haider
Refq, would be called to the State De-
partment to be told that the spying
charges are baseless. Department offi-
cials said there might be some expul-
sions in response. Missions in both
capitals are small.
The Kabul radio said the American
charg?'affaires in Kabul, Edward
Hurwitz, had been told that on the basis
of "information and reliable docu-
ments," the Afghan authorities be-
lieved the two men were engaged in es-
pionage.
The broadcast also said that authori-
ties had confessions from two people it
called embassy employees, who said
Mr. Turner and Mr. Blackburn had
produced a letter containing instruc-
tions on opposing the Afghan Govern-
ment that was distributed to insur-
gents.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP90-00965R000302640042-4