European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 10, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday november 10, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 9 Many questions remain in Case of Kab defector by Christophers Wren Ottawa not Vitaly Yurchenko a former soviet defector who returned to Moscow from washing ton last week was driven to Ottawa by american Intelli gence agents in late september to persuade the wife of a soviet Diplomat to join him in the United states Accord ing to sources familiar with the Case. The woman with whom Yurchenko is said to have carried on an earlier love affair turned Down his proposal to defect the sources said and he went Back discouraged. Later the Kab agent decided to go Home to the soviet Union. His trip to Ottawa was made with the assistance of the Canadian Security and intelligence service which handles intelligence matters for Canada in response to a request from the Central intelligence Agency according to the sources. Canadian officials have refused to comment on the Case. The account of the secret trip would seem to support assertion by some intelligence officials in Washington that Yurchenko decided to return Home after the rejection of his proposal to the woman that she defect to the United states. It is not known when and whether soviet officials Learned about the trip. The sources would not say How Yurchenko spy Case baffling speculation continues on the True Story behind the apparent on off defection of Vitaly Yurchenko. Washington of Yurchenko contacted the woman in Ottawa or what transpired Between them. They said the defector went Back disappointed. The soviet embassy was closed on Friday As part of its National Holiday celebrating the 68lh anniversary of the bolshevik revolution. On thursday a soviet embassy spokesman Yevgeny Poznyakov claimed that Yurchenko never came officially to Canada and was never issued a visa to do so. But Podz Nyaku Iii he could not Rule out the Cia s having brought Yurchenko unconscious into Canada. Yurchenko contended during a Surprise news Confer ence at the soviet embassy on monday thai he was kidnapped by the Cia during a trip to Italy and was later kept drugged until he escaped from a Safe House in Virginia. American officials Sam he had defected voluntarily and later walked away from his Cia escorts while dining at a French restaurant in Washington. Meanwhile officials Here continued to maintain that Svetlana Dedkov the soviet woman who fell from her High Rise apartment to her death in Toronto on tuesday had no connection to Yurchenko even though her Sui Cid took place the morning after the defector said he was going Home. The sources Here instead linked Yurchenko to a soviet Diplomat s wife in Ottawa whom they would not identify. An official said he heard that the soviet embassy May have flown her Back to Moscow on thursday to get her out of the Way. While there have been rumours that Yurchenko visited Canada after defecting to the americans last August details about such a trip have been kept quiet. But Ca Nadian officials have avoided denying that he was Here apparently for fear of being contradicted and embarrassed later by american officials. At a scheduled news conference on Friday prime minister Brian Mulroney sidestepped two questions about whether there was a Canadian connection in Yurchenko s decision to return to the soviet Union and specifically whether he was brought to Canada under the supervision of the Sis to meet with anyone. We have a very close degree of cooperation with the United states and with other allies in regard to the Security area Mulroney said. It would be inappropriate and unhelpful for me to comment on any specific Case and i do not propose a spokesman for the ministry of external affairs Rejano Dodd also declined to comment on Friday. A spokesman for the Sis Gerry Cummings asked about Yurchenko s trip said we re not going to con firm or deny that he was up but Cummings said any assistance Given the Cia by the Sis at any time was done with the full knowledge of the Canadian government. If there is cooperation Between the Agency and ourselves it s in the open and the Canadian government would be made aware of it he said. According to a description provided by sources close to the matter Yurchenko was driven by Cia escorts to Ottawa possibly from an Airport in new York stale to make his trip less conspicuous. If he had flown across the Border he would have had unidentified Den pack boxes in Toronto apartment of . Ltd official wife who fell to her death tuesday. Votary a Mehenko to fill out a Canadian customs declaration which is not required of travellers in cars and be questioned within hearing of other arriving passengers. The Cia reportedly asked the Sis to facilitate arrangements because it wanted to keep Yurchenko who was considered a prize catch Happy. The likelihood that Yurchenko could Nave made such a trip unaccompanied was dismissed by the sources Are Many Here who also feel that Yurchenko s decision to return to the soviet Union was heavily influenced by his failure to win Over the woman with whom he became romantically involved while working previously at the soviet embassy in Washington Between 1975 and 1980. Soviets silent on Yurchenko s whereabouts Moscow a the soviet Union by saturday had not yet announced if double defector Vitaly Yurchenko had returned to the soviet Union but it still carried stories on his allegations of being drugged by the Cia. Yurchenko who the . Slate department says defected in Italy aug. 1 and was immediately taken to the United states showed up at the soviet embassy in Washington a week ago. He announced in a Newt conference monday that he bad escaped his captors and was com ing Home. He left Washington wednesday bound for the soviet Union on a special Aeroflot Airliner. At the news conference Yurchenko said he was saving details of his three month stay in the West for the press in Moscow but it was not Clear whether he meant an open news Confer ence Here or interviews with the soviet Preu. Soviet newspapers have carried reports of his news con Ference focusing on his allegations of having been Kidnap Ped in Italy drugged and spirited to the United slates. Soviet television also carried Brief film clips of him read ing a prepared statement at his Washington news Confer ence. The soviet reports said he was a soviet Diplomat without reference to . Claims that he was a top Kab intelligence saturday the communist parly daily pravda car ried another Story on Yurchenko. It was written from Washington and made no mention of an impending flight to the soviet Union. While on a business trip to Rome pravda quoted him As saying. Yurchenko took some free time to go to St. Peter s Square. All of a sudden i Felt a thrust from behind. The Sun s topped shining. I Felt myself falling Down. Someone gripped me causing acute pain Yurchenko is quoted As said he did not know if he had received a skillful blow or if he had been injected with a drug. Yurchenko May have been unconscious for Wheelu pravda said. He found himself lying in a room that looked like a Hospital Ward. People in White gowns were Busy around him it said. He said he was told that he was in America and you have voluntarily defected. You Are in reliable hands and there is no other Way for you but to cooperate with
