Soviets Infiltrated British Peace Group, Jane’s Says
Jane’s Defense Weekly claimed today that Soviet-trained agents infiltrated the women’s anti-nuclear peace camp outside a U.S. military base west of London where NATO is deploying 96 U.S. cruise missiles.
The report in the respected defense review provoked immediate reaction.
The Soviet Embassy claimed that it was designed to “whip up anti-Soviet psychosis,” and a statement from the women camped at Greenham Common 50 miles west of London called it “a ludicrous, unsubstantiated slur.”
The magazine quoted Soviet defectors and informants as saying three to six Soviet-trained women agents were in the area “at all times” since cruise missiles began arriving at the base in 1983.
The article said that the agents were from Warsaw Pact and West European countries, including Britain, and that although they no longer were at the protest site on a permanent basis, they were positioned to return on short notice.
The Defense Ministry declined to comment, but lawmakers on both sides of the House of Commons expressed shock and said they would question ministers about the report.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
