‘U.S. planted spy gear in plastic tree stump’

Press, 29 March 1980, Page 9

‘U.S. planted spy gear in plastic tree stump’

NZPA-Reuter Moscow The Soviet Government newspaper, “Izvestia,” has accused United States diplomats of planting electronic eavesdropping equipment in a wood near Moscow to spy on military communications. The report was accompanied by pictures of a sophisticated radio interception device, said to have been found by Soviet counter-in-telligence agents in a plastic tree stump near a military base. “Izvestia”, which dubbed it “Operation Pinestump”, accused two former staff members of the United

i States embassy of planting I the device and said they l were Central Intelligence ’Agency agents. |. It said their car had been ’ spotted by Soviet farm workers driving out of an ■area closed to foreigners. I The pine stump had been discovered because it had been placed in’ an aspen grove. i The two diplomats were named as Weatherby and .Corbin, and were said to I have left Moscow for other' posts. “Izvestia” said they had planted the device 'under, cover on a tourist drive ini

the Moscow area to look at a historic building. “Unfortunately, we do not know the name of the designer of the plastic disguise who failed io realise that a pine stump in an aspen grove is a very rare phenomenon in the Russian countryside,” it commented caustically. A United States spokesman said the embassy would not comment on the charges. But American sources said officials named Weatherby and Corbin had served in the United States mission in the early 19705.