Northern Flank

Click here for Full Issue of EIR Volume 14, Number 43, October 30, 1987

N orthem Flank by Goran Haglund

The spy who went back into the cold incompetence and absurdity at the Justice Minister Wickbom is but one victim of the intelligence sAPO, typified by their keeping Palme warfare now raging in Sweden. on a "black list" of people who might be unreliable during a crisis. Pravda cites the now-deposed Wickbom say ing it's time to investigate the sApo. Months of intelligence warfare in guard accompanies the prisoner away When Bergling's prison guard, as Sweden have begun to take their toll fromand back to the prison, but leaves per an "agreement" with Bergling, ar of high-level govemment officials.The him unwatched during the night. rived at 12:45 p.m. on Oct. 6 to pick most prominentvictim so far is Justice Third, Bergling was given leaves him up at his wife's house, both Ber Minister Sten Wickbom, forced to re despite his known desire to escape. In gling and wife were gone, to every sign on Oct. 19. Wickbom's demise October 1985, a letter intercepted from body's alleged surprise. It then took was followed by the firing of three of Bergling revealed a plan to escape. until 10:45 a.m. before a nationwide his underlings at the Justice Depart Nonetheless, he was again granted a search warrantwas issued, perhaps 24 ment, among them the number-two leave in January 1986. His former hours after the escape. man, Harald Fiilth, and the resigna lawyer stated, "He is a very dangerous At first, the Social Democratic of tion of Director General VIf Larsson and experienced spy and has all the ficials of the Prisons Board, all cham of the Swedish Prisons Board, which time aimed at getting out one day." pions of "humanization of prison runs the nation's prisons. Fourth, Bergling's leave was care," blamed the sApo for not Wickbom was already discredited granted after the application to con watching Bergling. But soon it was through his backing of ex-Police Chief vert his life imprisonment to a delim made known that Bergling' s frequent Hans Holmer, who had to resign in ited jail term had been rejected. He and lax leaves were imposed by the March over his conduct of the inves had little to lose. Prisons Board over sApo resistance. tigation into the murder of Prime Min Fifth. despite serving an unlimited As recently as May 1987, when a four ister Olof Palme. But the immediate jail term, Bergling, as part of his "re man sApo team had watched Ber trigger of the present wave of down habilitation" by the ultra-liberal gIing visit a restaurant, sApo was at falls of Social Democratic justice of Swedish Prisons Board, had already tacked by the Prisons Board for ficials was a scandal erupting two been given a new identity, including a "spoiling Bergling's fun" during his weeks before, after the escape from new passport, issued for the name of leave, by deploying too strong sur prison of Russian spy Stig Bergling on "Eugen Sandberg," and he had veillance! Oct. 5. changed his looks during the eight Newly appointed sAPOchief Sune Sentenced to life imprisonment in years in jail. Sandstrom said that the Prisons Board 1979 for Soviet espionage, Bergling No wonder a police officer in knew the sApo wasn't going to watch escaped while on a leave of absence, charge of searching for Bergling, Di Bergling during the night, and that the under a number of peculiar circum vision Head EsbjornEsbjornson at the board was responsible for watching stances, hardly attributable to chance: National Criminal Police, told the him. The board,he added, would have First, Bergling was granted a two press on Oct. 7 that "this is a case with granted Bergling leave even without day leave from prison, despite his gross political overtones." The inci any sApo deployment at all. "Given conviction for espionage, severely dent is but the latest in theintelligence the humanization they're pushing, this damaging to the nation, and despite war among sApo, military intelli is how far we've come." his refusal to cooperate in controlling gence, and the Social Democratic in Among the military, outrage was the damage. Bergling was a Soviet telligence networks-nicknamed visible over Bergling's escape. "It is mole inside the Security Police SAPO-run by Foreign Minister Sten extremely remarkable that a person (SApo), and a liaison between sApo Andersson and his deputy Pierre with his criminal record is granted an and military intelligence. Schori, both eager to trade a favor to unwatched leave, giving him the Second, not only was Bergling Moscow against a kick in the teeth. chance to escape," said Defense Staff granted a leave, in itself outrageous, Moscow's preference in the fac press spokesman Hans Gustaf Wess but he was on an "accompanied leave tional battle was signaled in the Sept. berg. "It wasn't even known to us that of absence," meaning that a prison 27 Pravda, which painted a picture of he had leaves."

54 International EIR October 30, 1987