MCDONALD SAYS U.S. COVERING UP KGB ROLE IN POPE SHOOTING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000403950004-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 16, 2010
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: January 29, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Y
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/16: CIA-RDP90-00552R000403950004-8
CHATTANOOGA NEWS-FREE PRESS
29 January 1983
1.15C.Doffnald Says U.S. Cover 0, ng*
Up KGB Role in Pope Shooting
By JEFF POWELL In an updated version of the pro- Congressman McDonald added
News-Free press political Writer gram Tuesday (Jan. 25) they said that "the thing that is frightening to
There is "growing evidence" that they had 'firm' evidence that the me is the growing evidence that our
U.S. government officials are "trying KGB was responsible, ultimately, in government is trying to suppress that
to suppress" information linking the the attempted assassination, prima- information."
Soviet secret police to the assassina- rily because of the pope's vigorous Mehmet All Agca, a
ti attempt on Pope John Paul II in support of the Solidarity movement jailed by Italian authorities hoots
shoot-
the spring of 1981. Georgia Congress- in Poland, and (NBC) pointed out that ing and wounding Pope Paul May 13,
man Larry McDonald charged Fri- that becomes more significant be. 1981, and authorities have charged
day. cause at the time the bead of the Sergei Ivanov Antonov, former head
In letters delivered Friday morn- KGB was Yuri Andropov, now bead of the Bulgarian Airlines office in
ing to President Reagan, CAA Direc- of the Soviet government."
tor William Casey, and Rep. Ed Bo- Rome, with active complicity in the
f the House Mr' Toles -continued, saying that assassination try.
i
rman o
land, lass., cha
the recent NBC report claimed the
In its latest report
N
ittee on Intelligence
t C
l
S
,
omm
e
ec
Rep. bicDoaald asks the officials to CIA and American officials have "at-
act on published allegations about a tempted to squelch" the investigation
government-inspired "cover-up" de- by Italian authorities into the pur-
signed to keep US./Soviet arms con- ported KGB lucks to the assassination
trol and trade arrangements from attempt through the Bulgarian secret
police.
being jeopardized. According to the NBC reports, Mr.
The letter to Boland asks that be Toles said, the apparent reason for
schedule immediate public hearings the "cover-40" `was that "the US. is
cials into to reported attempts by U.S. offs- afraid of international repercussions
suppress investigations by if it is shown that Andropov, now
the Italian government and news- head of the Soviet government, or-
men, including U.S. newsmen, into dered the assassination, and it would
the reported role of the Soviet KGB endanger on-going arms control talks
in the attack on the pope, Rep. and trade talks between the two na-
McDonald's press secretary, Tommy tions."
Toles, said Friday. Rep. McDonald, when
"The letter to Casey specifically convinced there is a KGB connection
asks whether the CIA is involved in asked if be is
any effort to cover up, and, if so, who to the sponded, "Yes, attempt in to kmyill own the mind popeI, re-
feel
gave the order for a cover-up," Mr. that the evidence clearly and
Toles continued. He added, however,
that "no one expects" the CIA direr- overwhelmingly points that this was
an assassination attempt to destroy
for to admit there is a cover-up, "but the Polish pope who had given sup-
the reason for writing the letter is to to Solidari movement in
f the
ub- -?
ti
i
it t
th
tt
b
p
e a
en
on o
ng
o
r
- Poland ,that was jeopardizing the sta-
lic." bllity of the subjugated countries in
The third letter, to the president, Eastern Europe.
according to Mr. Toles, "outlines evi- "_.The Soviets were very. fearful of
dence that the KGB is involved based what ha
on reports in both the Reader's Di- ppg in Easterm Europe
d f
lt th
t th
t i
P
l
d
gest and the NBC television news.
"Last year, NBC presented a pro-
gram called 'The Man Who Shot the
Pope - A Study in Terrorism,"' the
press secretary explained. "The ten-
tative implications at the time were
that the KGB was, perhaps involved.
,
BC said evi- '
dence is "even more persuasive" than
earlier 'reported that both the Bul-
garian and Soviet secret police were
involved in the incident.
Declaring that "some key officials
of the CIA" in Rome and Washington
are "actively discouraging American
newsmen and Italian investigators,"
diplomatic correspondent Marvin
Kalb said, "Part of the explanation
lies in .the ironic fact that many in
the U.S. and western Europe would
rather not be presented with proof of
Soviet complicity at this time.
'That could shatter hopes for de-
tente, trade and arms agreements,"
NBC said.
an
e
a
e movemen
n
o
an
tempt."
bad to be suppressed," continued the
congressman. "To do that required
the destruction of the Polish Pope
who was giving so much support and
morale to the Solidarity movement.
"In my own mind, very clearly, the
KGB was behind the assassination at-
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/16: CIA-RDP90-00552R000403950004-8