European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 16, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes tuesday september 16,1986 columns William Safire . Tricked into exchanging hostage for spy the new soviet equivalent of our nation Al Security Council staff has just scored its first Victory. In the Dan loft affair Gorbachev went Cyc Ball to eyeball Mill Reagan and it was the american who blinked the soviet Csc is headed by my old Friend Anatoly do hymn. Whose 26-year experience in the . Was applied to the Irick of gaining diplomatic equivalence for a captured soviet spy and an american seized As hostage. His chief deputies arc Georgi Kornienko Long the Backbone of he Gromyko old guard at the for eign ministry and Gen. Viktor Siar Dubov the Ogar Kov pro Irge seeking soviet army modernization through limitation of american strategic arms. This heavyweight Trio with direct Access to the Kab dominated politburo promptly established its supremacy Over the pickup band of second string out casts from defense and state under John Poindexter. An inoffensive note taker who carries the title of National Security adviser but apparently has trouble Sel Ling an appointment with the White House spokesman at limes of crisis. Anatoly & co. Were thus Able to seize a hostage elicit an immediate response from the while House thai this outrage would not endanger inc Summit and sucker our state department into making a first offer to Settle. That enabled the russians to make a counteroffer equating their spy with our hostage remand ing both to embassies pending rials. Reagan Swal Lowed this personal humiliation sending a chagrined and testy George Sulu Forth to pretend that what was obvious to the whole world was not so. And on that note ushered in the third Era of detente. What was needed was suspension of All visits and conferences in a straightforward Roost Veltian Daniloff alive or Summit what was delivered was a Caru risque Cave in As if the Well being of the hostage came before he National interest. Snulli is now reduced to pleading for the inclusion of some dissident to provide a Fig Leaf for what is clearly the spy for hostage Swap. The More he insists publicly that what is True is Noi so the More he erodes America s credibility and underscore the russian Triumph. Let s face it Reagan s it advised letter to Gorba Chev formally testified to our hostage s innocence and he soviet government subsequently look the position that hit testimony was a lie. Never in such a personal Way a a russian Leader put his thumb in the Eye of an american president. Sliv has Reagan reacted by blinking amiably and pretending this Hus not happened perhaps because he has been told that i hi1 sixth round at the Geneva talks is his Lum Chance at peacemaking. An agreement is already in place on intermediate Range missiles with Anthony Lewis the British and French arms to be outside inc Deal the difference on delay in Star wars testing has Nar rowed to two years and on site inspection will be introduced. Sulu. Mane Vered into dealing with a Sec Ond level counterpart will assure foreign Secretary Shevardnadze we will boost inc soviet Economy and Welcome the russians into the Middle East As the arabs broker. To retire in such a Blaze of detente Reagan has been persuaded that nothing not even the most direct slap in the face administered to this government by a russian Leader should stand in the Way of Geneva s round six. Dobrynin s probe has shown the newly pliant Reagan to be All too eager for a Summit the soviet leaders with a China rapprochement in the offing can exploit that debilitating eagerness in Shap ing Thil generation s Yalta. The next test of Reagan s will and of Dobry Nin s skill will Lake place on Oft. I. Last March before last Quarter desperation set in. A Reagan order was issued notifying inc russians that inc huge nest of spies that goes by the name of its . Delegation had to be reduced by 40 percent Over the next few years. The russian spy caught making a payoff for secrets was pan of this Kab Branch office in two weeks the first deadline for reduction comes up of inc 275 on staff we expect 30 o be shipped Home and not re placed. Wilt the russians on a Summit Roll submit to this diminution of our hospitality in fact As the administration plans to resist congressional culs of our pay ments to inc . Our reduction demand is All Loo modest and the timetable too slow. Two Hundred All Likely agents should be shipped out this year. The russian Delegate on orders from his Kab chauffeur is shrugging off the Reagan order. We shall soon see if the Summit Happy president is willing to accept another hard shove Down inc Road to Yalta. Hew Yolk to ii Tarn service customs officers told to end thought police tactics Over the last two years . Customs service agents have been harassing americans return ing to this country after visits to Nicaragua. The agents have seized books notes and personal letters. They have asked travellers intimidating questions about Why they went to Nicaragua and harangued them about bringing subversive ideas into the United Stales. Now inc customs service is instructing ils officers to get out of the role of thought police. This Good news is a result of the Reagan administration s being called to account in the courts. It is a Happy example of How the process of constitutional litigation can protect individual rights from being gradually worn away by offi Cial abuse of Power. The right at stake is at the heart of our constitutional system the right of americans to read and think and say what they want on political matters. Established though that principle is it always comes under pressure in limes of fear of perceived threat from abroad. And the Reagan administration has done its Best to arouse Public fear of inc Sund Nisla government in Nicaragua. In the climate of paranoia about Nicaragua Cus Toms Olfky m have done some astonishing thing. For example Thomas a Walker an Ohio political scientist who specializes in latin american studies went Down to observe the nicaraguan elections in 1984. At the new Orleans Airport on his return he found himself a subject of spi Fia customs service attention. An agent found in Walker s Luggage and co pied a Booklet and papers on nicaraguan politics. The Booklet was the assassination manual prepared for the Contra rebels by the Cia Well publicized by then. The customs agent wrote a memo on Walker noting among other things Walker appeared to have a Dis Turbed attitude about him when i discovered and showed interest in these Walker also had a suspicious entry put against his name in the customs service computer system. Two years later in april of 1986. His name produced this printout from the computer intelligence subject in Possession of literature pertaining to election in Nicaragua that computer printout and much other information about customs practices came out when the Center for constitutional rights in new York sued on behalf of americans harassed on return from Nicaragua. Agents who had Given travellers a hard time explained under lawyers questioning Why they had done so. One customs inspector testified that ii was her duly to watch out for subversive actions asked to define Hose she said they included anything against the government our government. It can be threatening our taws our another agent spoke of protecting the country from outside forces and outside As recently As july while the litigation was on a Cus Toms agent in Miami seized a nicaraguan Magazine from a resuming traveler saying he had to Check it for anything derogatory about the United states. He angrily asked the traveler Why he went to a communist country. When confronted by the Law the customs service finally recognized that it could not defend such behaviour. Ii offered to Send All its agents a directive strictly limiting searches Tor seditious matter. Redrafted to incorporate suggestions by the Federal judge in the Case the directive was issued on aug. 29. Customs officers May Stop As seditious the directive says Only material that incites Immi nent ads of armed or other violence against constituted they must have probable cause to believe it is in that category before they can copy any thing or seize it Mere political propaganda is not to be seized the directive warns however distasteful it May seem to be or offensively exaggerated in its such propaganda includes material that glorifies a foreign government or ideology criticizes the United slates or attempts to influence . Policy. All of that is admissible unless it incites imminent Lawless action inspectors must refrain the directive adds in the presence of he owner from volunteering expressions and observations of disapproval or criticism of offensive a agents can get advice from Headquarters to minimize prospects of aggravated traveler Well the directive will work remains to be seen. In aug. 30, the Day after it was issued an american returning from Cuba was taunted at Newark Airport by a customs agent who asked Are you a commie and seized a Book by Fidel Castro. Bui Al least cow Toms policy is now in Accord with american principles
