U.K. security helped remove Whitlam—TV

Press, 25 January 1988, Page 6

U.K. security helped remove Whitla m—TV

NZPA-Reuter London A television programme said British intelligence was secretly involved in a United States plot to remove the Australian Labour Government of Gough Whitlam in 1975, the “Observer” newspaper said yesterday. The paper said the film, to be shown on Britain’s independent Central Television on Wednesday (New Zealand time) maintains Whitlam was removed after dozens of telephone calls between the British security services, MIS and MI6, and the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) which portrayed Whitlam as a security risk. Mr Whitlam was dismissed by the Australian Governor-General, Sir

John Kerr, acting as the representative of the Queen, on the ground that Mr Whitlam’s loss of a narrow majority in the Australian Senate meant he could no longer guarantee to pay the Government’s bills.

His dismissal came only days before the expiry of a treaty allowing the CIA to maintain a key Western satellite spying base at Pine Gap, Alice Springs. Mr Whitlam had threatened not to renew the treaty. The film’s maker, John Pilger, quotes CIA sources as saying that United States agents made several approaches to Britain in 1974 and 1975 to intervene against Mr Whitlam, warning that the closing of Pine Gap would threaten the whole of

Western intelligence. In 1975, the then head of the CIA, William Colby, directly contacted MI6 chief Maurice Oldfield, the film alleges.

The CIA counter-intelli-gence chief, James Angleton, was later alleged to have said that Whitlam was considered a security risk.

“How could we stand aside .. ■. You don’t see the jewels of counterintelligence being placed in jeopardy by a party that has extensive historical contacts in Eastern Europe,” Mr Angleton is quoted as saying.

According to the “Observer,” the film says the contacts were all made without the knowledge of Britain’s Labour Prime Minister, Harold Wilson.