BRITISH CRISIS C.I.A. report: inquiry sought

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33442, 25 January 1974, Page 19

BRITISH CRISIS C.I.A. report: inquiry sought

(X.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, January 24. The British Government has been asked to order an inquiry into the activities of the United States Central Intelligence Agency in Britain, after a newspaper report that some of its agents have infiltrated trade unions.

■ Six Opposition Labour | Party members of Parliament (have signed a motion calling (the Home Secretary (Mr ; Robert Carr) to “institute an I inquiry into the report, so (that any offending personnel jean be expelled from the | country.” i From the moment the story broke in "The Times” on January 18, the United States Embassy has strenuously denied that there was any ] foundation for the report: the (embassy took the unusual ! step of issuing a statement on (January 19 which said: "The (report is so outside the area (of truth that it must be deI nied categorically.” I Today, the embassy was 'further' harassed when the (“Guardian” published a list I of 10 Americans who, it al-j deged, were either former or ! present C.I.A. agents oper- : jating in Britain. ! American s.ources in Britain dismiss the "Guardian” report as nonsense; the names, they say, were gleaned from an East German propaganda document which has been in circulation

for almost five years. “I can’t think how this ‘Guardian’ guy can be duped into printing such rubbish,” one source said. “It’s just a bloody waste of everybody’s time.” The original report in “The Times” was based on an interview with Mr Miles Copeland, who described himself as a C.I.A. "consultant.” He said that between 30 and 40 American intelligence officers had been drafted into Britain since the present state of emergency was introduced, and that their mission was to uncover subversives in the union movement, particularly in the trades unions, who were attempting to bring about a situation in which it would be impossible for a democratic form of government to continue. But yesterday, Mr Copeland wrote to “The Times” to say that he had no facts to corroborate the information he gave the paper, and that he now had “chilling suspicions” that the United States Embassy denial was true.