U.S., SOVIETS TALKING, BUT IT'S JUST WORDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00587R000100580002-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 9, 2011
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: September 8, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/09: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100580002-8
v
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
8 September 1986
STAT
STAT
U.S., Soviets talking,
but it's just words
By Terry Atlas
Chicago Tribune
WASHINGTON-In Moscow,
in Washington, and in neutral
locales such as Geneva, this is
the season of superpower dia-
logue.
Americans and Soviets are
talking about arms control,
about regional hot spots, about
human rights and the myriad.
other issues of common interest
or, more often, fundamental dis-
agreement.
Arnold Horelick, a Rand Cor-
poration expert on the Soviet
Union, said this activity reflects
the political and diplomatic "re-
engagement" underway between
the two nations-a tentative and
fragile process imperiled by the
dispute over the detention in
Moscow of Amer~can journalist
Nicholas Daniloff on what the
U.S. regards as "trumped up"
spy accusations.
"Whether this diplomatic re-
enagement can be sustained long
enough to alter substantially the
political environment of the rela-
tionship, what concrete results it
can produce, particularly in
arms control, and what shape
the U.S.-Soviet relationship will
ultimately assume, all remain
highly uncertain," said Horelick,
formerly the CIA's top Soviet
analyst.
The Reagan administration
last week calibrated its initial re-
sponse to Danilofrs seizure by
the KGB to avoid prematurely
scuttling the schedule of diplo-
matic discussions intended as a
prelude to a summit this winter
between President Reagan and
Soviet leader Mikhail Gor-
bachev.
Administration officials said
Saturday that Reagan has sent a
personal message to Gorbachev
appealing for DanilofFs release
and warning that failure to free
him might harm future U.S.-So-
viet relations.
In the last week, U.S. and So-
viet experts huddled as sched-
uled in neutral Switzerland over
Daniloff for Zakharov.
Upon learning of the charges,
Mrs. Daniloff said, "I'm terribly
disappointed, but I'm taking heart
from President Reagan's letter."
She was referring to a message
Reagan sent last week to Soviet
leader Mikhail Gorbachev asking
that her husband be freed.
Trimble said Daniloff's voice
during the 20-minute telephone
call sounded strained, and that the
jailed correspondent said he did
not believe he was entitled to legal
representation at this stage of the
proceedings.
"Nick said he would like to see
a solution in which charges against
him are dropped in order to clear
his name here," Trimble said. He
was not sure if Daniloff was reject-
ing any exchange plan or simply
stating that he wants his reputa-
tion cleared.
Meanwhile Pravda the Commu-
nist Part newspaper, claimed
Dani o worked or the CIA, an
that the United tate wa in
the
Soviet-U.S. talks.
Pravda suggested that the U.S.
uproar over DanilofFs detention
showed a "need to divert attention
both from Soviet peace-loving ini-
tiatives and from the poficv of
Washington aimed at committing
the robbery of the century: To rob
mankind of the hope of a world
without nuclear weapons and sui-
cidal war."
The official news agency Tass
also called the outcry over
Daniloff "a diversionary theme"
and said Western news media have
made him "the hero of the day."
"But what we have here is the
case of a run-of-the-mill, not even
very big spy caught in the act,"
Tass said.
Pravda said, "Now when invisi-
ble servants of the CIA are re-
vealed, as it was for exam a with
American spy ani o ... they
on the Potomac have started an
"Even leading officials up to the
head of the State Department Mr.
Shultz are not squeamish about
joining this farcical chorus," the
paper said. "They even hint at
possible sanctions against Mos-
cow: For example they are threat-
ening to frustrate important diplo-
matic meetings between the
U.S.S.R and the U.S."
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/09: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100580002-8