253. Memorandum From the National Intelligence Officer for USSR (Ermarth) to Director of Central Intelligence Casey and the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (Gates)1
SUBJECT
- [1 line not declassified] Gorbachev’s New Line Toward Diplomats
1. [less than 1 line not declassified] in late May, Gorbachev hammered on his diplomats to get out of their offices, to develop real local contacts, to quit sending him commonplaces from the local press, and to cease recycling misleading canned applause claimed to represent local reactions to Soviet initiatives.2 [less than 1 line not declassified] One of these reports reflects the understandable skepticism and anxiety of the recipients of these instructions.3
Most of them are not trained or experienced in close interactions with their host environments.
They are worried about what their superiors and security overseers will say. No one wants to be first to try the “new style” and fall victim to a flap.
We see here the exact analog to what is now going on all over the Soviet internal bureaucracy.
2. If the Soviet diplomats and overseas intelligence officers succeed in implementing a more aggressive contact style, it will improve Soviet intelligence and diplomacy [1 line not declassified].
3. [1 paragraph (5 lines) not declassified]
4. Jack Matlock brought this matter up in a conversation with me yesterday. [2½ lines not declassified] He plans to send a memo on this to Admiral Poindexter, who may raise it with you.4
5. Jack has a lot of experience dealing with Soviets here and elsewhere. He believes that a great many harbor anxieties, resentments, and longings. [3 lines not declassified] I have little basis for an independent [Page 1032] judgment, but it’s hard not to see here both a challenge and an opportunity demanding an extra effort on our part.
- Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 88B00443R: Policy Files (1980–1986), Box 19, DCI Memo Chron (1–30 Jun ‘86). Secret; [handling restriction not declassified]. Sent through the Acting Chairman of the National Intelligence Council.↩
- See footnote 2, Document 242.↩
- Attached but not printed.↩
- Not found.↩