Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006 Message Text PAGE 01 MOSCOW 01436 311456Z 42 ACTION NODS-00 INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 001 W --------------------- 125617 O 311405Z JAN 76 FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9329 S E C R E T MOSCOW 1436 NODIS CHEROKEE FOR THE SECRETARY E O 11652 XGDS-3 4 TAGS ASEC US UR SUBJ MOSCOW SIGNAL APPROACH TO GROMYKO REF STATE 24166 1 GROMYKO RESPONDED WITHIN A FEW MINUTES TO MY URGENT REQUEST FOR A MEETING WITH HIM ON SATURDAY AND RECEIVED ME AT 12 45 TODAY JAN 31 I WAS ACCOMPANIED BY DCM KOMPLEKTOV DEPUTY DIRECTOR USA DIVISION IN MFA AND SOVIET NOTE TAKER WERE ALSO PRESENT AFTER REFERRING TO PREVIOUS COMMUNICATIONS ON THIS SUBJECT I COVERED TALKING POINTS PROVIDED IN PARA 2 REFTEL AND LEFT INFORMAL PAPER WITH GROMYKO WHICH CONTAINED FIRST EIGHT OF THESE POINTS I E FROM THE PRESIDENT ACCEPTED TO WILL BE HIGHLY VISIBLE FOLLOWING THREE POINTS DELIVERED ORALLY BUT NOT IN WRITING IN ADDITION I LEFT WITH GROMYKO A SUMMARY STATEMENT OF THE FINDINGS OF THE U S EXPERTS TEXT OF WHICH IS BEING SENT IN SEPARATE MESSAGE AND OFFERED TO SEND COMPLETE REPORT OF OUR SPECIALISTS MONDAY MORNING 2 GROMYKO REPLIED AS FOLLOWS -- HE DID NOT WISH TO GET INTO TECHNICAL QUESTIONS BUT WOULD SAY THAT IT SEEMED TO HIM THAT THIS QUESTION IS AN IMAGINARY ONE IT IS DIFFICULT TO FERRET OUT THE REASONS IT IS RAISED HE WOULD LIMIT SELF TO THREE OBSERVATIONS SECRET PAGE 02 MOSCOW 01436 311456Z -- FIRST HE WOULD CONFIRM THE MESSAGE OF BREZHNEV TO PRESIDENT FORD I E ANY RADIATIONS REACHING EMBASSY FROM OUTSIDE IS OF INDUSTRIAL ORIGIN THERE IS NO NEW RADIATION CONJECTURES OF U S SPECIALISTS CANNOT CHANGE THIS FACT Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006 -- SECOND ALLEGED HEALTH DANGER IS FABRICATION IZOBRETENIE SOVIET SPECIALISTS HAVE EXAMINED EVIDENCE AND SAY THAT DANGER IS IMAGINED VYDUMKA US SPECIALISTS REFUSED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SOVIET STANDARDS FOR SAFE LEVEL OF RADIATION EXPOSURE -- THIRD AS FOR THE ALLUSION TO THE POSSIBILITY U S AND SOV EMBASSIES OF STAFF REDUCTION AT OUR EMBASSY THIS IS FOR U S TO DECIDE BUT IF U S PROCEEDS IN THIS MANNER SOVIETS WILL DRAW THE NECESSARY CONCLUSIONS FURTHERMORE IF US PUBLICIZES ALL OF THIS THE SOVIETS WILL ALSO BRING THIS MATTER TO THE ATTENTION OF THE PUBLIC AND WILL PRESENT THE TRUE FACTS -- GROMYKO THEN EXPRESSED HIS SURPRISE THAT WE CONTINUE TO RAISE MATTER AND PROFESSED NOT TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE DOING SO AND CONCLUDED THAT HE COULD SAY NO MORE OUR SCIENTISTS HAVE CONFIRMED JOINT READINGS IN U S EMBASSY AND AS FOR DIFFERING INTERPRETATIONS THERE ARE NOT TWO SCIENCES BUT ONLY ONE 3 I POINTED OUT TO GROMYKO THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER WHICH HAS IN NO WAY BEEN CREATED ARTIFICALLY WE TOO WISH THAT IT HAD NOT COME UP BUT OUR SPECIALISTS ARE OF FIRM OPINION THAT THERE ARE INDEED DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS AND THAT MEDICAL RECORDS OF OUR PERSONNEL DISPLAY SUSPECT SYMPTOMS I THEREFORE REITERATED OUR REQUEST THAT THE SOVIET HYGIENE SERVICE LOCATE THE SOURCES AND HAVE THEM TURNED OFF 4 GROMYKO OBSERVED THAT SOVIETS CANNOT ADOPT ATTITUDE OTHER THAN ONE BASED ON THE REAL SITUATION KOMPLEKTOV MENTIONED INTERNAL RADIATION IN EMBASSY AND GROMYKO REMARKED THAT THEIR EXPERTS FOUND EVIDENCE THAT THERE ARE SOURCES OF RADIATION FROM INSIDE THE EMBASSY I REPLIED THAT THESE LEVELS WERE MINIMAL IF EXISTENT AT ALL WHEREUPON GROMYKO OBSERVED THAT U S SPECIALISTS WISH TO SHIFT BLAME ENTIRELY TO SOVIET SIDE 5 I CONCLUDED BY REMINDING HIM THAT IN ANY EVENT IF SIGNALS DO SECRET PAGE 03 MOSCOW 01436 311456Z NOT GO OFF WE MUST BRIEF OUR PERSONNEL ON FEBRUARY 4 6 COMMENT THROUGHOUT OUR DISCUSSION GROMYKO WAS CALM AND MODERATE IN TONE BUT COMPLETELY UNYIELDING I DO NOT FIND HIS REACTION SURPRISING SINCE--HAVING SENT MESSAGE FROM BREZHNEV DENYING EXISTENCE OF ANY BEAMED RADIATION--SOVIETS OBVIOUSLY CANNOT ADMIT THAT SUCH EXISTS IF THEY DECIDE TO TURN OFF SIGNALS I ASSUME THAT THEY WILL SIMPLY BE TURNED OFF WITH NO EXPLANATION GIVEN EITHER PRIVATELY OR OFFICIALLY IT WOULD PROBABLY BE MOST HELPFUL IF APPROACH IS ALSO MADE TO DOBRYNIN AT THIS JUNCTURE SINCE HE IS PROBABLY IN BETTER POSITION THAN MOST SOVIET OFFICIALS TO REALIZE DANGER TO OUR RELATIONSHIP--AND TO THE OPERATIONS OF HIS OWN MISSION--WHICH PUBLIC AIRING OF THIS MATTER WOULD INEVITABLY ENTAIL FULL REPORT OF EXPERTS WILL BE Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006 FORWARDED THIS WEEKEND IN CASE YOU WISH TO PASS IT TO DOBRYNIN STOESS EL SECRET END OF DOCUMENT Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006 Message Attributes Automatic Decaptioning Z Capture Date 15 SEP 1999 Channel Indicators n a Current Classification UNCLASSIFIED Concepts MONITORING PHYSICAL SECURITY DIPLOMATIC DISCUSSIONS NUCLEAR HAZARDS EMBASSIES CAT-A CHEROKEE 01-31-76 Control Number n a Copy SINGLE Draft Date 31 JAN 1976 Decaption Date 28 MAY 2004 Decaption Note 25 YEAR REVIEW Disposition Action RELEASED Disposition Approved on Date Disposition Authority coburnhl Disposition Case Number n a Disposition Comment 25 YEAR REVIEW Disposition Date 28 MAY 2004 Disposition Event Disposition History n a Disposition Reason Disposition Remarks Document Number 1976MOSCOW01436 Document Source ADS Document Unique ID 00 Drafter n a Enclosure DC ALSO X3 Executive Order 11652 XGDS-3 4 Errors n a Film Number P850038-2307 From MOSCOW Handling Restrictions n a Image Path ISecure 1 Legacy Key link1976 newtext t19760199 baaaesva tel Line Count 114 Locator TEXT ON-LINE TEXT ON MICROFILM Office ACTION SS Original Classification SECRET Original Handling Restrictions NODIS Original Previous Classification n a Original Previous Handling Restrictions n a Page Count 3 Previous Channel Indicators Previous Classification SECRET Previous Handling Restrictions NODIS Reference n a Review Action RELEASED APPROVED Review Authority coburnhl Review Comment n a Review Content Flags Review Date 05 MAY 2004 Review Event Review Exemptions n a Review History RELEASED 05 MAY 2004 by BoyleJA APPROVED 01 SEP 2004 by coburnhl Review Markings Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006 Review Media Identifier Review Referrals n a Review Release Date n a Review Release Event n a Review Transfer Date Review Withdrawn Fields n a Secure LOCK1 Status NATIVE Subject MOSCOW SIGNAL APPROACH TO GROMYKO TAGS TECH PEPR MNUC ASEC PDIP UR US GROMYKO ANDREY ANDREYEVICH To STATE Type TE Markings Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006