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ADV LA 190OZ
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MEXI 44345
SECRET 211706Z MAR 78 STAFF
CITE MEXICO CITY 44345
TO: PRIORITY DIRECTOR.
WNINTEL RYBAT MHSPLASH
REFS: A.
B.
C.
DIRECTOR 190792
MEXICO CITY 44308 0429877
DIRECTOR 184902
1. REF A CABLE ANSWERS SOME OF THE QUESTIONS OF PRIMARY
CONCERN TO THIS STATION, BUT AT SAME TIME, IT CONFIRMS THE WORST
FEARS EXPRESSED IN REF & CONCERNING REVELATIONS ABOUT OPERATIONS
AGAINST THE SOVIET TARGET IN MEXICO CITY.
2. IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE, THE NBC PROGRAM CANNOT HELP BUT
BE DAMAGING TO U.S. SECURITY INTERESTS AND THIS AGENCY IN THE
FOLLOWING MANNER:
A. REVELATION OF SOURCES. THE STATEMENT BY BACH IN
REF C THAT HE "HAD NOT IDENTIFIED ANY SOURCES BY NAME OR DES-
CRIPTION THROUGHOUT THE TAPING..." IS REFUTED BY THE STATEMENT·
THAT A SOVIET WAS RECRUITED BY FORMER COS (ROGER T. KINGMAN)
DURING HIS TOUR. APART FROM THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CIRCUM-
STANCES UNDER WHICH THE RECRUITMENT WAS MADE, THE SIMPLE STATE-
MENT THAT A SOVIET OFFICIAL WAS RECRUITED IS SUFFICIENT TO
SET OFF A FULL SCALE INVESTIGATION BY THE KGB INTO EVERY
SOVIET OFFICIAL WHO SERVED IN MEXICO CITY DURING THAT TIME
FRAME. THE SOVIETS HAVE THE RESOURCES AND DETERMINATION TO
EVENTUALLY IDENTIFY THE SPY.
B. FUTURE RECRUITMENTS. HOW WILL IT BE POSSIBLE FOR
THIS AGENCY TO RECRUIT SOVIETS, OR ANYONE FOR THAT MATTER, IF
THE AGENCY CANNOT OFFER GUARANTEES THAT THE IDENTITY OF SOURCES
WILL NOT BE EXPOSED BY SOME EMPLOYEE, REGARDLESS OF MOTIVATION?
WHILE THIS PROGRAM WILL HAVE IMMEDIATE IMPACT IN MEXICO CITY,
LA PAZ, AND MONTEVIDEO, THE FALLOUT AFFECTING FUTURE RECRUITMENTS
WILL BE WORLD WIDE.
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C. REVELATION OF METHODS. THE OPERATIONAL TRADECRAFT.
AND METHODS (TELTAPS) REVEALED BY BACH ARE STILL IN PRACTICE AT
THIS STATION. WHILE IT MAY BE ARGUED THAT THE METHODS HAVE BEEN
EXPOSED BY OTHERS SUCH AS AGEE, THE BACH REVELATIONS WILL HAVE
FAR GREATER IMPACT BECAUSE THEY CARRY THE IMPRIMATUR OF A
REPUTABLE U.S. NEWS AGENCY AND ORIGINATE WITH A PERSON WHO IS
NOT IN LEAGUE WITH ANY HOSTILE COUNTRY (AS FAR AS WE KNOW)
D. DAMAGE TO LIAISON. A CONSIDERABLE SEGMENT OF
THIS STATION'S OPERATIONS ARE BASON LIAISON CO-OPERATION,
THE RELATIONSHIP THIS STATION WITH HIGH LEVELS OF THE
(MEXICAN GOVERNMENT ALSO PROVIDES HUNTING LICENSE FOR
UNILATERAL ENDEAVORS. THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT IS EXTREMELY
SENSITIVE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPOSURE OF INSTANCES OF
CO-OPERATION. THE POLITICAL RISK WHICH THE GOVERNMENT IS
WILLING TO UNDERGO FOR THIS AGENCY IS NOT UNLIMITED.
OR POTENTIAL OPERATIONS COULD BE CURTAILED.
E.
EXISTING
DAMAGE TO EXISTING SOURCES. IT REMAINS TO BE
SEEN HOW MANY CURRENT SOURCES WILL CONTINUE COLLABORATING WITH
THE AGENCY IN MEXICO CITY (OR OTHER STATIONS) AFTER THIS PROGRAM
IS RELEASED.
F•
EMBARRASSMENT TO PRESIDENT LOPEZ PORTILLO.
AS
NOTED IN REF B, THE MEXICAN PRESIDENT WILL TRAVEL TO MOSCOW ON
A STATE VISIT IN ABOUT SIX WEEKS TIME. AS A MEANS TO DAMAGE
CIA, IT WOULD NOT BE UNLIKE THE SOVIETS TO POINT OUT THAT
UNBRIDLED CIA OPERATIONS AGAINST A LEGITIMATE SOVIET PRESENCE
IN MEXICO ARE A MATTER OF CONCERN TO THE SOVIET UNION AND A
POTENTIAL IMPEDIMENT TO CONTINUING FRIENDLY RELATIONS BETWEEN THE
TWO COUNTRIES. THE PRESIDENT MAY CHOOSE TO FINESSE SUCH A STATEMENT,
BUT THE POINT WILL HAVE BEEN MADE.
G.
STATION SECURITY. DURING PAST MONTHS, HARDLY A
DAY HAS PASSED WHEN THE LOCAL PRESS HAS NOT CARRIED SOME ATTACK
AGAINST ALLEGED CIA ACTIVITIES IN MEXICO. WITHIN RECENT WEEKS,
THE AGENCY HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF EVERY CRIME FROM THE MURDER OF
PRESIDENT KENNEDY TO THE ABDUCTION OF ALDO MORO. THE NBC PROGRAM
WILL PROVIDE NEW GRIST FOR THE LOCAL PROPAGANDA MACHINE AND FURTHER
HIGHLIGHT CIA PRESENCE IN MEXICO WITH CONCOMITANT EROSION OF
STATION SECURITY.
H. FUTURE BACH REVELATIONS. THERE PROBABLY IS NO WAY
TO ESTIMATE THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT BACH HAS REVEALED
TO UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS. BACH ADMITS THAT HE HAS UNBURDENED HIS
SOUL TO HIS FRIENDS, AND UNDOUBTEDLY HAS PROVIDED MATERIAL TO NBC
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WHICH WAS NOT USED ON THE PROGRAM. FURTHER, AFTER THE PROGRAM
IS BROADCAST, BACH WILL BECOME AN INSTANT CELEBRITY AND A
SUBJECT OF INTEREST TO OTHER NEWSMEN OF VARIOUS STRIPES. WHEN
WILL HIS REVELATIONS. END?
3. STATION WOULD APPRECIATE RECEIVING MORE PRECISE IDENTIFI-
CATION OF SITES MENTIONED PARA 5 REF A, PARTICULARLY THOSE OF
RESIDENCES AND LANDMARKS. WERE THESE THE RESIDENCES OF FORMER
OR CURRENT STATION PERSONNEL? WOULD ANY OF THE LANDMARKS BE OF
CONCERN TO THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT? RECOGNIZE THAT IN ABSENCE OF
SOUND TRACK, THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE EXCEPT A
PERSON FAMILIAR WITH MEXICO CITY AND STATION OPS ACTIVITIES TO
IDENTIFY THESE LOCATIONS AND JUDGE THEIR SIGNIFICANCE. NEVERTHELESS,
SUCH INFO ESSENTIAL IF STATION TO COMPLETE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT
PRIOR BROADCAST OF THIS PROGRAM. PLS ADVISE SOONEST.
4.
FILE:
END OF MESSAGE
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