'Wednesday, Feb. 26,1975 Bis' The Washington Nierry-GoMound THE WASHINGTON POST CIA Agents Trained Palace Guards Jack Andersen • sought sanctuary in the base- seem to be able to get togethe ington who will tell it like it is?" - By ment of a CIA agent, our sources on an energy policy. Yet the na- The people are willing to face and Lea 'Whitten recall. tion is in desperate need of a the facts; it's the leadership It can now be revealed that Fletcher Prouty, a former Air program that will assure that's lacking. ' CIA agents have trained the Force officer who had been.at- enough energy to run our facto- Jaundiced Judge? — Federal' 4 elite units that guard favored tacked to the CIA, described ries, heat our homes and oper- regulations lowering the lead foreign monarchs, premiers and how the CIA saved former ate our automobiles for the next content of gasoline recently dictators. Prime Minister Sirit Thanarat decade. mere overturned by the courts. This has given the CIA con- in an even more dashing ex- In the White House, President The judge who wrote the deci- tacts close to the seat of power, ploit. The prime minister was Ford has proclaimed there is an sion, it now develops,, is a for- according to our sources, in recuperating in a Tokyo hospi- energy crisis and has called mer counsel to a major supplier such countries as Ethiopia, In- tal, Prouty told us, when a coup upon all Americans to sacrifice. of lead concentrates. donesia, Jordan, Laos, Somalia, began to develop back in Bang- Yet Secretary of the Treasury The decision was written 'by South Korea, South Vietnam kok. William E. Simon is saying Judge Malcolm Wilkey; of the IL and Thailand. The CIA rushed the ailing there is plenty of petroleum just S. Court of Appeals here, who The CIA has been training field marshal home in a U.-S. waiting.to be pumped from the called the federal guidelines palace guards for more than two military plane, and the CIA- Alaskan oil fields and offshore eliminating lead from gasoline decades. In the process, the trained bodyguards responded oitbeds. "capricious" and "arbitrary." agency has quietly developed with such a bristling display of On Capitol Hill, Speaker Carl We have now learned that the some . body guards into infoie efficiency that the coup was Albert has warned his colleag: judge for seven years was gen- mants and used others to influ- averted. ues privately that the United eral counsel to Kennecott Cop- ence palace policy-making. Yasawad's present protective States must launch an emer- per, whose Ozark subsidiary Thailand is typical. The crack, force is armed with Thai-made, gency program to develop en- produces much of the lead con- 60-man protective force, which German-designed, rapid-fire ri- ergy, on the scale of the Manhat- centrates used in leaded gaso- guards King Bhumibol Adulya- Hes and is skilled at handling tan Project which developed the dej and Queen Sirikit, is di- explosives. atomic bomb in World War II. A spokesman for the judge as- rected by a trusted CIA trainee. Members were trained not far But he has been unable to per- serted that there was "no con- He is Lt. Gen. Vitoon Yasawad, from the big U. S. base at Korat, suade the various House com- flict of interest" in the decision. who also led the CIA's. Thai ir- which became a CIA sub-center mittees, which have jurisdiction He refused to answer specific regulars •in Laos until the 1973 during the Vietnam, war and Is over various phases of the en- questions, however, abOut cease-fire. still a major intelligence out- ergy problem, to work together Judge Wilkey's present rela- "Whoever controls the palace post. for a common solution. tionship with Kennecott. The guard in Thailand, controls the -Yasawad has acknowledged spokesman would neither con- We • have been bombarded firm nor deny reports that the crown," one Asia-wise, ex-CIA only the existence of his special, with letters from troubled operative told us. He claimed 60-man protective force, which judge has a current financial in- Americans who are willing to terest in Kennecott Copper. the CIA has run the palace is ' called SWATS fOr Special sacrifice for their country but guard in Bangkok since .the Weapons and Tactics. He has A Kennecott spokesman said denied any CIA connection with don't know what to do. "How se- it was "against company policy" 1950s. rious is the crisis?" pleaded a Once, high government offi- his elite unit. to divulge the names of corpo- cials escaped from one of Thai- Energy Muddle —The leaders Riverside, Calif., housewife. rate stockholders. ' land's. periodic . coups. and in Washington simply don't "Isn't there someone in Wash- • 1975, United Feature Syndicate, Inc. - Washington merry-go-round ',,e,'"",,o)/ Jack Anderson

WASHINGTON — It can now be hospital, Prouty told us, when a coup revealed that CIA agents have trained began to develop back in Bangkok. the elite units which guard favored The CIA rushed the ailing field foreign monarchs, premiers and marshal home in a U.S. military plane and the CIA-trained bodyguards dictators. This has given the CIA contacts close responded with such a bristling display to the seat of power, according to our of efficiency that the coup was averted. sources, in such countries as Ethiopia, Yasawad's present protective force is Indonesia, Jordan, Laos, Somalia, South armed with Thai-made, Korea, South Vietnam and Thailand. ' German-designed rapid-fire rifles and The CIA has been training palace are skilled at handling explosives. guards for more than two decades. In the They were trained not far from the big process, the CIA has quietly developed U.S. base at Korat, which became a CIA some bodyguards into informants and subc enter during the Vietnam War and used others to influence palace is still a major intelligence outpost. policy-making. Yasawad has adknowledged only the Thailand is typical. The crack, 60-man existence of his special 60-man protective force, which guards King protective force, which is called SWATS Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, for Special Weapons and Tactics. He had is directed by a trusted CIA trainee. He denied any CIA connection with his elite is Lt. Gen. Vitoon Yasawad, who also led uniL, the CIA's Thai irregulars in Laos unt$l the 1973 ceasefire. "Whoever controls the palace guard in Thailand, controls the crown," one Asia-wise, ex-CIA operative told us. He claimed the CIA has run the palace guard in Bangkok since the 1950s. Once, high government officials escaped from one of Thailand's periodic coups and sought sanctuary in the basement of a CIA agent, our sources recall. Fletcher Prouty,'a former Air Force officer who had been attached to the CIA, described how the CIA saved former Prime Minister Sirit Thanarat in an even more dashing exploit. The prime minister was recuperating in a Tokyo. • d 7-/a CI 7Y 4ep. Abzug Plans Own Domestic Spy Hearings Newhouse News Service have been spying illegally on ment, who supervises the Se- Rayburn House Office Build- The ambitious new chair- American citizens. woman of a House Govern- cret Service. ing by a State Department ment Operations subcommit- Only by arranging for her to Both men had accepted her messenger who hurriedly ad- tee is threatening to upstage go abruptly to Vietnam yester- invitation to appear before ministered- an oath and took the special committee the day as part of a special fact- her signature for a freshly is- her subcommittee Thursday. sued diplomatic passport. At House created to investigate finding congressional delega- The hearings would have the CIA and other U.S. intelli- tion was the House leadership noon, Speaker Carl Albert an- given Mrs. Abzug—who re- nounced a list of House mem- gence agencies. able to divert Mrs. Abzug cently announced that she Declaring the issue within from starting her own public bers, including Mrs. Abzug, would seek the Senate seat who would be leaving for Viet- her jurisdiction, Rep. Bella hearings Thursday. held by James L. Buckley Abzug (D-N.Y.)--41evated by nam at 8 a.m. the following Mrs. Abzug had arranged to (Cons.-R-N.Y.) next year—a morning. seniority this year to head the take testimony in public ses- long head start on the 10- Subcommittee on Government This caused Mrs. Abzirg to sions from her first two member Select Committee on postpone her hearings, but Information and Individual witnesses: CIA Director Wil- Intelligence just Created by Rights—is planning her own liam E. Colby and David Mc- William Phillips, staff counsel the House. to her subcommittee, said they hearings into charges that the Donald, the assistant secretary But at 11 a.m. Monday, Mrs. CIA and the Secret Service of the treasury for enforce- probably will be rescheduled A,bzugi was called out of a for the second week in Mqrch.