12724 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS May 29, 1980 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS PUBLIC BROADCASTING SYSTEM mentary to amplify charges made by aware of that fact and there is a con­ AIRS ANTI-CIA PROPAGANDA: other ex-CIA agents. siderable body of evidence, much of .it PART I Although it is obvious and a part of provided by defectors from the KGB the public record that a substantial and other Communist secret services, number of the CIA defectors used in indicating that the KGB's disinforma­ HON. LARRY McDONALD the film have links with Cuba or other tion department is directing more OF GEORGIA hostile Communist intelligence serv­ than 1,000 disinformation operations IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ices, Agee is outstanding in this each year in the free world press and that they are utilizing people under Wednesday, May 28, 1980 regard. Agee openly thanked agencies of the Cuban Government and repre­ their control or influence in govern­ e Mr. McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, in sentatives of the Communist Party of ment, academia, and the media to leak the battle over the proposed intelli­ Cuba for providing him with informa­ disinformation stories to reporters. gence charter for the Central Intelli­ tion for his first CIA expose book, The technique is simple: They feed a gence Agency, the lobby of CIA "Inside the Company," and according reporter several true scoops before antagonists has concentrated their ef­ to CIA officials Agee made at least giving him the phony one. forts on a significant issue, that is five clandestine trips to Havana during An excellent background report on whether the CIA shall be permitted to the process of writing that book. Just the film, its producers, and its origins engage in covert actions against sub­ prior to his efforts in 1977 in Jamaica, with the U.S. Castroite left has been version, terrorism, and other destabili­ Agee was sighted in Moscow, a curious published in the Information Digest, zation operations instigated by the place to do research on alleged CIA the authoritative newsletter on U.S. Communist totalitarian regimes operations in the Caribbean. And ac­ political and social movements, subver­ headed by the Soviet Union and often cording to columnist Robert Moss, sion, and terrorism which is published carried out through their empire of writing in the London Daily Tele­ by John Rees. The article follows: surrogate and satellite regimes, par­ graph, Agee met with the Cuban DGI ON COMPANY BUSINESS ties, and fronts. All are willing to station chief in London on at least 30 The taxpayer-funded Public Broadcasting permit the CIA to have as many sur­ occasions before being expelled from System <PBS> on May 9 and 16, 1980, aired veillance satellites as possible, to look that country. Agee is currently living the first two hour-long segments of an anti­ at photographs, to read Pravda, to in Hamburg, West Germany, after CIA documentary, On Company Business, monitor radio broadcasts, and so forth. being expelled from four European with part three to be broadcast on May 23. But the CIA's antagonists do not countries on account of his continuing On Company Business has been described want the United States of America intimate relationship with Cuban in­ by PBS as "perhaps the most important and its principal foreign intelligence telligence personnel. film we've ever shown"; while its director and co-producer, Allan Francovich, was agency to have a capacity for covert It should be noted that a number of quoted in an editorial page article in the actions against Soviet-backed destabi­ veteran CIA officials appear briefly in Oakland Tribune <4/25/80) by former Ram­ lization and aggression in the Third the film shown over the Public Broad­ parts magazine staffer Marina Hirsch as World which is, of course, the princi­ casting System. In most instances, saying, "I made this film as both a political pal arena of conflict now between the these individuals were filmed during weapon and an educational tool. Everything Communists and the free world. or immediately after various public the CIA does is secret for a very specific During this month, the Public speaking appearances and were not reason. If the American people knew what was really going on, they wouldn't stand for Broadcasting System aired in succes­ aware of the Marxist-left backgrounds it." sive weeks a three-part anti-CIA film of the producers of this film. In a PBS interview, Howard Dratch, co­ entitled "On Company Business." The I would also point out that since the producer and production manager of the film's coproducer and director has publication this month of a roman a film, emphasized that "Part of what we boasted that he made it "as a political clef entitled "The Spike," coauthored were trying to show in the film is that weapon" which is scarcely surprising by Arnaud deBorchgrave and Robert covert action has been continuing; there's since it featured a number of anti-CIA Moss, there has be a growing aware­ been no change from the time of the defectors who had participated in the ness of Soviet disinformation oper­ Church Committee; that these covert ac­ ations to plant stories in the Western tions continue and they continue to be very Cuban Government's 1978 people's tri­ dangerous • • •." Francovich has empha­ bunal held in conjunction with the media from which they can be picked sized, "You have to realize that • • • the 11th World Youth Festival which ex­ up and requoted to legitimize Commu­ CIA is not the problem. The problem is the coriated the U.S. intelligence agencies nist propaganda themes. One of the foreign policy of this country." And the for opposing Soviet-backed Marxist­ more well-known disinformation sto­ problem, specifically, as indicated by the Leninist insurgencies. These defectors ries that appears in "On Company film and by writings and statements of its included John Stockwell, responsible Business" is the article by Seymour producers, is U.S. intervention against for "blowing" the covert actions Hersh published by the New York Soviet-sponsored aggression. against the MPLA in Angola; Jesse Times that incorrectly alleged the CIA Although the documentary was rushed supported a truckers strike in Chile through to completion last year thanks to a Leaf; and Jim and Elsie Wilcott. Also $60,000 grant via the TV Laboratory at featured was Victor Marchetti, a during Allende's regime. As the WNET-TV in New York from the Film former CIA official like Stockwell as­ Church committee reports eventually Fund, a grant from the Independent Docu­ sociated with the Institute for Policy showed, this was not true; however, mentary Fund supported by the Unitarian Studies, a Marxist think tank with ties the filmmakers use that Times story Northshore Veatch Project which also has to Soviet and Cuban intelligence. Al­ and then follow it with an identical al­ heavily financed the Center for National Se­ though Marchetti has also obtained legation by Agee to reinforce in the curity Studies <CNSS>; the Corporation for some small notoriety for his 1978 viewer's mind this false charge. Public Broadcasting; FDM Production, Inc., a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organiza­ effort to influence the Norwegian elec­ I do not use this example to single tion; and the Ford Foundation; its produc­ tions by naming names, the film's out Mr. Hersh for criticism. Anyone ers are reticent about its initial financing. principal adviser, and indeed apparent­ familiar with the profession of jour­ This is of particular interest because ly originally a 20-percent partner in nalism is aware of the dependence of media sources have reported that in 1976, a this film, "On Company Business," investigative journalists on their proposal to complete "On Company Busi­ Philip Agee provided a constant com- sources. The Soviet strategists are also ness" subheaded "A Feature-Length Docu- e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor. May 29, 1980 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 12725 mentary Film on the Central Intelligence and engaging in terrorism in order to set up Television News and the BBC in London; Agency With Philip Agee," was circulated in a totalitarian system. from Gaumont-Pathe <Paris-Joinville>; and 1976 with the PBS market as its intended The 1976 project proposal was more from Sherman Grinberg <Los Angeles). Ad­ outlet. direct: ditionally, the film producers would have The film credits for part one which dealt "We are in the process of making a fea­ "access to new research from Agee's forth­ extensively with CIA intervention in Latin ture-length color documentary on the CIA coming book."e America and the Bay of Pigs invasion as with Philip Agee, former CIA officer and well as assassination plots against Castro author of the best-selling book • • •. The list "Additional Crew in Cuba." This may film will be the story of thirty years of CIA provide some collateral for the story from subversion, murder, bribery, and torture as media sources that they understood the pro­ told by an insider and documented with SECURITIES SMALL OFFERING ducers were planning to approach the newsreel film of actual events. • • • We IMPROVEMENTS ACT Cuban government in 1976 with the propos­ have already filmed 12 hours of materials in al for assistance in completing their anti­ Canada, England and Portugal. • • • CIA documentary. "The core of the film will be a series of in­ HON. MATTHEW J. RINALDO It is noted that according to that proposal, tense and emotionally powerful interviews OF NEW JERSEY with Agee, already filmed in Vancouver and On Company Business was produced IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES through a limited partnership set up by the London.