Subversive activities

Press, 25 August 1986, Page 20

Subversive activities

Sir, —Obviously shaken by Ralph McGehee’s C.I.A. revelations, Peter Sheehan (August 16) counters by asking the fate of a former K.G.B. agent acting similarly. He would probably be silenced; although many such have defected to the West, their testimony is still kept secret. Books by Agee, Marchetti and McGehee have all been heavily censored by the C.1.A., which invoked these disillusioned former agents’ original so-called loyalty oaths to cover up. In any case, Russia has immensely more reason to be security-con-scious than America. This, century alone, Russia has eimired,

and survived, four foreign invasions, two major famines, a vast revolution, internecine civil war and the loss of 20 per cent of its population in 1941-44, with suffering and devastation unprecedented in human history. America has never been invaded, never endured famine and does not know what modern war and destruction can mean. Its one, relatively minor, civil war ended 121 years ago.— Yours, etc., M. T. MOORE. August 18, 1986. Sir,—ln reply to D. K. Small’s letter (August 19), it appears that Mr McGehee’s freedom to speak out in Western countries about the alleged subversive activities has passed him by. The C.I.A. is the intelligence watch-dog for the United States Government and you may be sure that any move by it is to protect the very democracy we are talking about. D. K. Small mentions Third World Governments, and Nicaragua is one that comes to mind. The previous Government was usurped by communistic influence, with the initial undermining by the K.G.B. We see the expulsion of Catholic clergy, closing of churches and schools; a classic communist initial move. D. K. Small states that democracy is freedom to exercise free will. What is his answer to the Berlin Wall and the complete subjection of the Solidarity movement in Poland? Thank God again for Western democracy. — Yours, etc.,

PETER SHEEHAN. August 20, 1986.