INTELLIGENCE ON THE KURDS

Created: 5/16/1979

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

Dlrwtor of Central Intelligence

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FOR:

Honorable Zbigniew Brzezinski Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs

on the Kurds

memo to DCIame Subject

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memorandum ofosed three questions concerning the OS intelligence effort on the Kurdish problem. Answers to

staff also

those questions are provided below.

ollectfiao_|summary on the same subjectill send separately.

Status of HUMINT and SIGINT collection planning. 1. HUMINT: Pfforts are underway to improve collection

the Kurdish problem. is only poor to fair

balance, however, our capability

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reporting emanates from our Embassies in Ankara, Tehran, Kuwait, Moscow, and Tripoli, our Interests Section in Baghdad and oqr Consulate in Ariana. The latter is the best sourceor. n- tne Kurgs from Turkey,ould deteriorate markedly if the post is closed this coming fiscal year. Political constraints and travel restrictions severely restrict State reporting in Iraq and Iran. There are Defense Attache offices in Ankara and Tehran and an active collection program in Turkey. Capabilities however are limited, particularly in Tehran, by the same political and travel constraints facing State officers. DAOs in other regional states and Moscow are also tasked to report on the Kurdish problem. Both State and Defense reporting also reflects second and third country sources.

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B. Ability to exploit open aource material, particularly from the Soviet Union.

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situation

language capabilitll.br

made to recruit personnel with

Imited inYormation" is An' attempt" id currently being Kurdish language capability.

Coverage of non-Kurdish media provides virtually no information on Kurdish tribal or military organizations.)ntentions and the like. FBIS has ordered two

Turkish papers which deal with the Kurdish problem, one of which may be in Kurdish. When iturdish language capability. It will alaourdish language newspaper in Soviet Armenia, the only known Soviet Rurdiah-language publication.

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open sources carry essentially factual reportageissues. Coverage is primarily from Radio Moscow and TASS. In recent months, Moscow has reported on clashes

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in Iranian Kurdestan but has counselled restraint. The Soviets have strongly denied charges of interference in Iranian domestic affairs. In general, Soviet open source reporting is cautiousoblems between Kurds and their respective governments.

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US knowledge of outside support for Kurdish dissident movements.

-fnformation on foreign support for Kurdish movements is infrequent and sketchy. Based on the informationthe extent of such support cannot be determined.

r Iraqi Kurds, but we do not know whether he has backed his words with deeds.

' lnsttpVb4th*G- Publiclv stated Libyan

; Israel: It is plausible to surmise that the Israelis are supporting Iraqi Kurds, but we have no information to back it up.

3t Soviet Onion: Information available on Sovietderived mainly from third country sources and is

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A_yenclusive evidence of official SovietTsupoort for the

Kurd.fiurkey. our ;judgmcnt, Soviet support

for the Kurds in Turkey and^Iraq would be particularly harmful for bilateral ties between the Soviets and these two states, both of which regard the Kurdish problemtexD_LL,rcattgr. One report r

.indicates, however, that the aov_ecs promised supportpro-Soviet Middle East communistthe Tudeh Party which, in turn, will provide material and personnel to the various autonomy movements in Iran, including the Kurds.

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Original document.

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