ESPIONAGE A FACT OF LIFE AT UN DESPITE ITS IDEALISTIC MISSION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000201110059-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 21, 2010
• Sequence Number: 59
• Publication Date: February 17, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
By David Newell
Special to The Globe
UNITED NATIONS - There are
some here who describe the Unit-
ed Nations as "the spy capital of
the world" and others who dis-
miss the label, countering disdain-
fully that there is nothing here'
worth spying on. ? -
But as a meeting place for the
world's diplomats and, with an ex-
tensive foreign staff of its own, the
United Nations is fertile soil for in-
telligence operatives. The contro-
versy over espionage In the world
organization has been revived
with the publication of "Breaking
with Moscow" by Arkady Shev-
chenko, a former undersecretary
general at the United Nations and
the highest-ranking Soviet official
to defect since World War H. '
Shevchenko has created a tem-
pest not merely with his allega-
tions of widespread Soviet spying
but by charging that the spying
had been done by UN staff, mem- I
bers, who are international civil
servants.
There are more than 6000 of
these Secretariat, staff members,
the vast majority of whom are for-
eigners and who present a serious
challenge to US security, Ameri-
can officials say. This is in addi-
tion to the security problem posed
by the presence of missions of the
159 member states, they add.-
UN officials heatedly deny that
the headquarters along the East,
River has become the center of in
ternational intrigue. It is acknowl-
edged, however, that despite the'
instruction in the UN Charter that,
no employee "seek or receive in-
struction from any government,"
widespread intelligence-r?athering,1
or spying, goes on.
"The idea that the founding fa-
thers of this place had, that of an
international civil service above
national problems - we just don't
hare," one Scandinavian ambas-
,ador said. "A number of people
here have close relations with
their governments and missions.
Is that spyin or information-!
gatherin . t s impossible to say."
UNofficials have grappled with'
this .reality since the organization
was. created. ' Senior UN officials
admit that they routinely "freeze
out". Soviet colleagues. for exam-
pie, when important: matters are
being 'discussed. "Nobody tells'
them anything," he said tersely,
"unless they,want it' want it
leaked to the Soviet government."
The notion of an independent
international _civil servant is un-
4ermined by the fact that Soviet
staff members live In the'Russian
housing compound in Riverdale
and are transported to and from
the UN in chartered buses.
According to Shevchenko and
other experienced Intelligence offi-
cials, the Soviet Secretariat staff is
required to inform the Soviet gov-
ernment of developments within
the UN system. to contribute part
of their salaries to the mission, to
forward scientific and technical
papers they acquire and to attend
meetings held at the mission.
The Soviets have more than
400 employees on the UN payroll.
According to US intelligence esti-
mates, a third are considered to be
employed by the KGB.
Former intelligence 'officials
and Western diplomats also list
Cuba, Nicaragua, Laos, Vietnam,
Libya. Israel. Iran. Iraq and virtu-
ally the entire Soviet bloc when
discussing -other Intelligence net-
Two basic kinds of intelligence
o2Mations are-at work here.
In the ;first, a variety of coun-
tries cultivate and recruit as spies
the hundreds of young diplomats
who work here. In years to come,
intelligence officials point out,
they will return_toTheir countries
and assume more influential
posts.
That's what happened with
Arne Treholt. Treholt, a Norwe-
gian who eventually rose to the
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APT11UE APP_
BOSTON GLOBE
17 February 1985
Espionage a fact of life., at UN
Qw;
11 PAZZ
espite its idealistic mission
rank of deputy minister, served as
a specialist in his mission on eco-
nomic and social matters. Arrest-
ed in Oslo. he will stand trial in
;the nextfew weeks - charged with
-' es ion One of his contacts
was -a colleague at. the Soviet Em-
bassy?in New York.
In the second type, intelligence
Is gathered by UN staffers for their
own governments. As internation-
al civil servants, they do not oper-
ate under the same constraints as
diplomats. They`have greater ac-
cess to public records and com-
plete freedom-to travel in the Unit-
ed States. And they can pursue
contacts in a variety`of fields-
communications. banking, elec-
tron ics. {
In addition, the.members of the
Secretariat staff monitor the pulse'
of diplomatic life within the world
body. reporting on a range of sub-
jects from peacekeeping to person-
nel changes.
Many diplomats Interviewed
were quick to charge, that allega-
tions of spying were grossly exag-
gerated and designed to malign
and disparage the United Nations.
One Arab diplomat said the
charges of shy jD,g were "romantic
and sensational." = -
"The UN system is -very trans-
parent," one Scandinavian am-
bassador said. "I have difficulty in
seeing the value of these kinds of
secrets. I'm not in the least wor-
ried about the- possible recruit-
ment of.my staff."
But .some were shaken by the
Treholt.affair. One Western am-
bassador said his staff is now be-
ing carefully briefed -on intelli=
gence issues as ,"part of, their
training back home. Our proce-
dures have been reviewed and se-
curity routines changed.
"But," he said -ruefully, "you
can never be 100 percent secure."
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/21 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000201110059-2