9 JUNE 1987 HPSCI BRIEFING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91B00874R000300230001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 4, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: June 11, 1987
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/12/04: CIA-RDP91 B00874R000300230001-4
11 June 1987
SUBJECT: 9 June 1987 HPSCI Briefing
CIA Briefer: ADDI Helgerson
Congressmen Present:
Daniel, Hyde, Kastenmeier(chair),
Kennelly, Dwyer, McEwen, McHugh,
Lungren, and Wilson
Subjects Briefed: Rome: Bombing of US Embassy
Persian Gulf-
Cuba: Debriefing Defector
Sino-Indian Border: Recent
Developments
Questions/Answers:
QUESTION: With respect to bombing, any
particular significance to heads of states
congregating in Venice? Any implications
for the Summit since bombing not even close
to Venice?
ANSWER: We can assume the significance of
the attack only from the mind of a
terrorist. They do it to demonstrate their
presence. There is no question that it is
not a coincidence; they can't hit in Venice
so the US and UK Embassies get hit in Rome.
QUESTION: On the Persian Gulf, the Iranians
are citing "anti-Iranian" actions that they
will respond to. What are these actions?
ANSWER: The Iranians, including the most
recent statements by President Khamenei, are
really pegged into the future, not to
actions that have already been taken.
Certainly the Iranians see US and Soviet
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SUBJECT: 9 June 1987 HPSCI Briefing
actions as supporting Iraq. We think they
would attack unescorted American flag
vessels. It is not likely they would attack
warships, but we can't be sure of that. If
the US goes ahead and flags ships, the
Iranians are likely to attack first by
turning to small patrol boats'using RPG's
and mining actions. They are less likely to
do something as visible as Silkworm, but we
can't rule that out. They clearly want the
US and the Soviet Union out of the Gulf.
QUESTION: What are the other Arab states
doing, with respect to basing and so on?
ANSWER: The small Gulf states are
supporting us and asking us to go ahead with
the flagging of Kuwaiti ships. But they are
asking us to do it quietly, with cooler
rhetoric. We haven't asked for basing and
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SUBJECT: 9 June 1987 HPSCI Briefing
if we do, I would be very surprised if they
don't drag their feet.
QUESTION: I just wanted to ask, as I did
before the session, about the airfield we
built in Egypt but we haven't used since
1983.
ANSWER: I don't have the precise
information for you, but we'll get back to
you.
QUESTION: On the Cuban defector, why.did
del Pino defect?
ANSWER: I am not sure we know the full
answer. He had not already been discredited
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SUBJECT: 9 June 1987 HPSCI Briefing
in Cuba and still had a good job. But his
son had been cashiered from the Air Force
for crashing a plane in Zaire and seemed to
have serious problems.
QUESTION: Anything about Grenada?
ANSWER: I don't think we have discussed
that yet. We have also held off on
personality and politics topics,
concentrating instead on specific military
matters so we can check out his veracity.
QUESTION: What are our Western Allies doing
in the Gulf and what is President Reagan
going to ask them to do?
ANSWER: On the second question, not sure
exactly what the President is going to do
but suspect he will explore the problem with
the Allies but not make concrete requests--
partially because we do not want to receive
a negative answer. Allies continue to
express full support for fredom of the seas
but drag their feet on specific actions. UK
and French trumpet their longstanding
presence in the Gulf while noting we are
Johnny-come-latelys on this. They argue
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SUBJECT: 9 June 1987 HPSCI Briefing
McHugh
that market forces will get the oil out,
noting there are 30 empty tankers just
waiting to ship oil out. Europeans also
know that only 3 European ships--with the
exception of Greek vessels--have been
attacked out of the hundreds that have
passed the Straits. Europeans fear we may
be adding to the problem, not solving it.
QUESTION: What is the French and British
presence?
ANSWER: UK always has one ship in the area,
sometimes two or three. The French usuallly
have three.
QUESTION: Has the oil supply from the Gulf
been affected?
ANSWER: The supply of oil has not been
affected. The price jumped about $2 on the
spot market over the weekend, but it is
usually up and down--I don't follow it
religiously. But there is substantial
unused production capacity worldwide.
QUESTION: How much of the Gulf oil goes
through pipelines rather than tankers?
ANSWER: A substantial amount--all Iraqi
oil, much of Saudi Arabia's, and the
Kuwaitis are thinking of building a
pipeline. About a third to half of all
Persian Gulf oil goes via pipeline. All
Iranian oil, however, goes by tanker which
is why they care so much about shipping.
QUESTION: Difficult to understand the risk,
what we are protecting by escorting Kuwaiti
oil.
ANSWER: From Kuwait's point of view, the
two dozen attacks this year represent a
significant jump. Oil still goes out but
the Kuwaitis have to worry.
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31UIthi
SUBJECT: 9 June 1987 HPSCI Briefing
QUESTION: But you just said that the
Iranians are the ones most interested in
keeping the shipping going?
used. We have to guard against the threat
posed by their new capabilities.
are procuring the Silkworm--which could
close down oil supply--for some reason.
cannot assume this missile will not be
ANSWER: The Iranians are interested in the
shipping and have said they will stop
attacking it when the Iraqis stop. But then
the Iranians won't stop the land war which
is really what the conflict is all about.
The Iranians are an unknown quantity. They
QUESTION: I know that policy matters in the
Persian are not your area, but it all seems
a little esoteric to me, our snap decision
to protect Kuwaiti tankers with an American
flag in a war in which we have not taken
either side. As. a country, we have no
interests there, only marginal interests in
the economic area. We protect Kuwaiti
ships, which carry Iraqi oil, in the Gulf
where we are not militarily involved. And,
the Kuwaitis don't even want us to be seen
from shore, and will provide no base for
airplanes. Why?
ANSWER: I could add something you didn't
mention--the Soviet role. State's concern
is the need to avert a growing Soviet
presence by showing that we can help our
Arab friends and not leave it to the
Soviets.
QUESTION: It just doesn't make any sense.
It would be wise for you at Langley to
undestand that I haven't met any strong
defender of this in Congress.
Kennelly QUESTION: Who does defend it?
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SUBJECT: 9 June 1987 HPSCI Briefing
QUESTION: On India, Gandhi is in a strange
position, confronting Sikhs, Sir Lanka, the
Paks, and China. Doesn't the Indian
Government feel overextended?
ANSWER: Absolutely. There is also an
important state election putting pressure on
Gandhi. I think that is why India did the
air drop in Sri Lanka--Gandhi needed to do
something positive. Publicly it was'well
received. India couldn't do anything about
Pakistan or China so it acted against Sri
Lanka.
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