JACK ANDERSON ARTICLE(WASHINGTON POST DATED 12 JULY 1984)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000400630017-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 2, 2008
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: August 16, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

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OLL 84-2512
16 July 1984
MEMORANDUM FOR: EPS/LG
VIA: Chief, Liaison Division
Office of Legislative Liaison
Liaison Division OLL
SUBJECT: Jack Anderson Article (Washington Post,
dated 12 July 1984)
1. Thomas K. Latimer, Staff Director, House Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence, passed the attached article
to Liaison from The Washington Post, and asked us if it was
valid or if we knew any other information regarding the
subject.
2. Would you please check it out and let us know as soon
as possible?
Attachment:
.As stated
Distribution:
Original - Addressee
1 - OLL Record
1 - OIL Chrono
OLL/ D (17 July 84)
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STAT
Scheme to
Soviet Tanks '
Gets Untracke,
Did the iT S. Custom s Service
stumble onto a secret operation
that might have delivered a Soviet
tank into U.S. hands? Customs of=
ficials say it isn't so, but the suspi-
cion lingers that they have blown an
undercover caper.
The facts are being kept under
wraps. That lends credence to the
'theory that it involved an intelli-
gence operation. A federal judge
has sealed court records in the
case, but my associates John Dillon
and Donald Goldberg have learned
some of the details.
More than two years ago, the
Defense Intelligence Agency tried
to figure out how to smuggle a So-
viet 772 tank to the West so it
could study the gun barrel, armor
plating and infrared sensors.
Israel, which often turns over
captured Soviet weapons to the De-
fense Department, came close to
sewing a T72 in Lebanon when
one bogged down in the mud. But it
was in Syrian ter?it.ory, and the Is-
raelis had to leave it behind.
Then the Soviets began shipping
T72s to Iraq.
The problem of intercepting
them en route to the Persian Gulf
'war zone remained to be solved.
Enter Leonard Berg, owner of a
New York security company, and
Solomon Schwartz.- a consultant
who has close ties to the intelli-
gence community.
Schwartz also had contact with a
top Polish general through a friend
of the general. This general stood
high enough in the Polish commu-
nist hierarchy to get control of one
or two T72s. -
Schwartz traveled back and forth
to Warsaw to arrange the secret
deal. The Polish general, in ex-
change for help in hijacking two
tanks, wanted money deposited in a
Swiss bank account (as protection
for himself ' and his family if and
when be defected) and a cut of an-
other weapons deal.
The details are still sketchy, but
one source believes the two T72s
were to be diverted on their way to
the battlefront in Iraq.
The arms deal in which the gen-
eral was promised a secret share
was the sale of several thousand
police weapons to Mexico, to be
picked up in this country, Great
Britain and Belgium.
According to competent sources,
Schwartz and Berg hired a pilot to
deliver the arms to Mexico, flying
from New York to London, then on
to Brussels and Warsaw.
Unknown to Schwartz and Berg,
the ,pilot was a customs informer,
and he tipped off officials to the
arms shipment. Customs decided
the weapons weren't destined for
Mexico, but far 'Poland's they
seized the cargo in New York.
Customs' efforts to untangle the
mystery started to go awry. Offi- i
cials got a search warrant for
Berg's company, but for the wrong
floor. While one agent kept employ
es at bay, another hurriedly found-al
judge to correct the.error on tbe'
warrant.
The public may never kngw
whether it was a bona fide military
intelligence operation, ds defense:j
attorneys claim, or if it was a case' i
of rogue spooks out for a fast buck,.;
as customs claims. The case is now'
under the Classified. Information:`
Procedures Act, which Means those
involved are forbidden to discuss it.'
However, sources dose to the
case say Schwartz and Berg be!;
lieved they were working on -a ]e:,,..
gitimate undercover plan to getSoviet tank. They discussed tliit
situation beforehand with at least
.one DIA agent and an FBI agent.
who specializes in . Polish intelli
gence.
The FBI agent would only say'
"The government has a case and';,
the other situation, I believe, has its
case."
'We're going to say the pilot vas j
just a*'flunky and wasn't told the
whole plan in order to protect then,
interests of the United States,"-
J
Schwartz attorney said. -
But prosecutor David Kirby said;
"If the government had authorized
this in some way, it is doubtful we?
would authorize a prosecution." - -
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