U.S. Admits Pueblo To Be A Spy Ship

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31784, 14 September 1968, Page 13

U.S. Admits Pueblo To Be A Spy Ship

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, September 13. The United States has admitted that the captured intelligence ship Pueblo had secret orders to spy on Soviet naval units, and carry out electronic “eavesdropping” off the North Korean coast.

A copy of the Pueblo’s secret orders was issued by the State Department in a surprise move last night, aimed at countering charges that she was told to work up to three miles off shore. The Pueblo, which has been in North Korean hands since being seized last January, was given firm orders that it was not to approach closer to the coast than 13 nautical miles. The North Koreans have consistently claimed that the Pueblo violated territorial waters, and was captured

while inside the 12-mlle limit. 1 Release of the Pueblo’s sec- ; ret orders came amid re- i ports from Informed sources i in Washington that negotia- ’ tions between North Korea and the United States about 1 the ship’s release were at a 1 critical stage. 1 But the State Department i would not comment on re- i ports that a break-through, I leading to the release of the • 82 surviving crew members of the Pueblo, might be in sight. A department spokesman said that the United States had no reason to believe that the Pueblo’s master, Captain Lloyd Bucher, had broken the 13-mile restriction set out in his orders. Earlier in the day the Korean Central News Agency

had quoted Captain Bucher as saying at a press conference that he several times penetrated North Korean waters for espionage. The copy of Captain Bucher’s orders released by the State Department said that he was given his instructions at Sasebo, Japan, on January s—less than three weeks before the vessel was captured. He was told to concentrate his mission off North Korea “in areas which appear most lucrative” before heading south to the Tsuchima straits, between South Korea and Japan, to watch for Soviet Navy vessels. Upon establishing firm contact with Russian vessels, he was to break radio silence and send a daily situation report.