PAPER FOR SECRETARY SCHLESINGER ON LEFTIST INFLUENCE AMONG THE MILITARY IN WESTERN EUROPE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79R01142A000500020009-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 22, 2006
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: April 24, 1975
• Content Type: MF

Approveddor Release
24 April 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR: The Director
SUBJECT Paper For Secretary Schlesinger on Leftist
Influence Among the Military in Western Europe
1. This is the paper undertaken in response to Secretarv
Schlesinger's query two weeks ago. Analysts in OCI and
25X1 =helped in its preparation, with the latter supplying the bulk
of the detail in the appendix.
' : IA-RDP79RO#i42A000500020009e 3.75
2. The information base from which the paper's conclusions
are drawn is thin. This gives rise to some discomfort,. even
though there is wide consensus that the conclusions are valid.
3. There is room for improvement all around.
4. At present the trouble within the French military is the
most interesting story.
cc: DDCI
D/DCI/NIO
Assistant National Intelligence Officer
for Western 'Europe
SECRET
/--+E. e-, Sc%/er S"wGr_`/i-
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 Approved
or Release 2W
F klA-RDP79l 1'142A000500020009-3
April 23, 1975
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Communist and Radical Leftist Influence in the
Armed Forces of Western Europe
Summary
A review of available evidence on the activities
of West European Communist parties and radical
Leftist groups* indicates that -- except in Portu-
gal -- they have Little, if any, influence among
the armed forces. Portugal is a special case;
its experience over the past year is not Likely
to be repeated elsewhere in Western Europe. In-
deed, the recent events in Portugal are likely to
Lead to increased vigilance on the part of its
neighbors, Zest their armed forces become similarly
"infected.
This is not to say that the European Left has
been powerless to influence public attitudes that
tend to weaken the military. Radical. Leftist
groups have had some success in their attempts to
exploit growing ant i-mi Li Lary sentiment in Western
Europe and to foster the notion that strong miZi-
tary forces are an anachronism in the era of
detente.
In this paper, a radical leftist group is defined as
an extraparZiamentary group not affiliated with the
Communist Party.
SECRET
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