MEETING BETWEEN THE DCI AND (SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86M00886R002600040002-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 21, 2008
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: January 31, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

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?' Vo~.~3
SUBJECT: Meeting Between the DCI and
1. On 25 January 1984 from 1100 to 1130 hours the DCI met
with an independent television producer, (Subject), 25X1
whose father arranged an introduction to the DCI through former
Commerce Secretary Maurice Stans. The undersigned also attended
the meeting.
2. was accompanied to the building b
who is with the International Committee for a Fre s an.
She did not attend the meeting itself but waited outside in the
DCI's reception room.
3. Subject began by telling the DCI that he had spent some
two and a half months inside Afghanistan in the company of the
National Islamic Front for Afghanistan (NIFA) and particularly
with one of its leaders, Asad Gailani. His film will be
incorporated into a documentary in ABC's 20-20 series. Subject
was about to go into the narration phase and wanted to get some
idea of what U.S. policy is regarding Afghanistan and the Afghan
resistance. What could he say that the U.S. Government was
doing? The DCI said we don't talk about such ma~+-AYE
him saying, "You can do a lot of harm."
Subject said
e wanted to do some good in this matter. The Director cautioned
5. The DCI stressed the geostrategic importance of
Afghanistan to the Soviets, and the fact that roads and runways
h
h
ave
PPn r~r,nat,ructed in western Afghanistan to enhance Soviet
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25X1
~~x~
25X1
25X1
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access to the Persian Gulf. Subject said he would like to have
some facts on this, and it was arranged that CNE would put him in
touch with an NE officer for a general background briefing. The
DCI estimated that it would take the Soviets three to four times
the number of troops they now have in Afghanistan in order to
pacify the country totally.
6. Subject asked the DCI for his opinion as to the
viability of Zahir Shah as a rallying point for the Afghan
resistance, noting that this was favored by the Gailani group.
CNE noted that this idea is not favored by the fundamentalists,
and Subject answered that on the basis of his soundings inside
Afghanistan and not based just on conversations with the
moderates, the fundamentalists are not in total control.
7. Subject's overall impression is that the Soviet strategy
is to wear the Afghans down. The trickle of refugees is noted by
the Afghans who say that as each Afghan leaves the country a
piece of Afghanistan is gone. "When enough are gone, we can no
longer fight," they say.
8. Subject said he was returning again to Afghanistan later
in the spring. While ABC is not interested in further pictures
and copy from him, NBC and CBS are interested in an Afghan show.
Another project Subject has in mind is to do a story on "the
hidden hand" of the KGB, based mainly on John Baryon's book. He
said he intended to meet Barron, and he asked the DCI for some
help in such a project. The DCI said he would think it over.
9. Also during the meeting, Subject mentioned the
Tsongas-Ritter resolution now before Congress. This is a
resolution calling for adequate support for the Afghan Mujahuddin
on all levels--political, military, economic, diplomatic--by the
U.S. Government. It would be a non-binding sense-of-the-Congress
resolution.
ie ~ ear s an
South Asia Division
DIST:
1-DDO REG
1-ADDO/DDO
1-EX REG
1-DDCI/DCI
1-CNE
1-CNE/PAB
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