In a message dated 1/25/00 2:28:14 AM, Das GOAT writes: >hearing called by Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind A CIA asset. Om K -----
Ex-Spy Testifies in Hearing By LINDA DEUTSCH .c The Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) - With the drama of a McCarthy hearing, a former Soviet spy was led into a room with a black bag over his head and shielded by a screen from the audience at a Congressional hearing on Russian espionage. Stanislav Lunev was the star witness at Monday's sparsely attended House Committee on Government Reform hearing called by Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind. Much of Lunev's testimony was a repeat of allegations made in his 1998 book in which he said Russia's post-Cold War leaders still see the United States as the enemy. Lunev, who is in the federal witness protection program, said he masqueraded as a reporter for the Russian news agency ITAR-Tass for three years during which he scouted ``drop sites'' for weapons caches in the U.S. But he said he has no idea if they were ever planted. Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., suggested in November that the spy caches might include suitcase-sized nuclear weapons that can produce a 10-kiloton blast. Weldon, who also testified Monday, stood at one point, holding up a large briefcase and announced: ``I have a small atomic demolition device I'd like to bring up to you.'' Burton quickly reassured the audience that it was ``a mockup'' created by the CIA. Russian officials have confirmed their arsenal includes such devices, but investigators have said there is no evidence they are part of the purported hidden stockpiles. By the time the hearing ended, no one had been able to do more than speculate that there were ``dead drop sites'' for Russian weapons in California. Burton, who said earlier there were ``many potential targets for Russian sabotage in California,'' was questioned by reporters about his motives for the hearings and whether he knows of actual weapons sites in the state. ``I don't know whether there's anything like that here nor does the administration,'' he said, but he insisted that the Russians should be asked. When he returned to the hearing room, Burton said, ``Some members of the media are indicating we might be trying to create paranoia and a new Cold War. That's untrue. ... I'm distressed that some members of the media think we're trying to scare everyone to death.'' Burton said he has repeatedly asked the White House and the State Department to investigate the question of weapons caches but they have never responded.
