Kennedy KGB Memo

[banyon]

Figure we may as well have a whole thread about it. (Not trying to steal your thunder Radar).

(RC quoting the news source) In his book, which came out this week, Kengor focuses on a KGB letter written at the height of the Cold War that shows that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) offered to assist Soviet leaders in formulating a public relations strategy to counter President Reagan's foreign policy and to complicate his re-election efforts.

The letter, dated May 14, 1983, was sent from the head of the KGB to Yuri Andropov, who was then General Secretary of the Soviet Union's Communist Party.

In his letter, KGB head Viktor Chebrikov offered Andropov his interpretation of Kennedy's offer. Former U.S. Sen. John Tunney (D-Calif.) had traveled to Moscow on behalf of Kennedy to seek out a partnership with Andropov and other Soviet officials, Kengor claims in his book.

At one point after President Reagan left office, Tunney acknowledged that he had played the role of intermediary, not only for Kennedy but for other U.S. senators, Kengor said. Moreover, Tunney told the London Times that he had made 15 separate trips to Moscow.

However, after a decent internet search for the actual memo, this is the only part of the memo that I could find:

If the proposal is recognized as worthy, then Kennedy and his friends will bring about suitable steps to have representatives of the largest television companies in the USA contact Y. V. Andropov for an invitation to Moscow for the interview. Specifically, the board of directors of ABC, Elton Raul and the television columnists Walter Cronkite or Barbara Walters could visit Moscow. The senator underlined the importance that this initiative should be seen as coming from the American side.

http://hotair.com/archives/2006/10/20/the-kennedy-kgb-letter/

This sounds like they are setting up an interview, not trying to set up armed rebellion against the United States. If anyone can find anything more substantive than the above article RC posted (which perhaps not so coincidentally reappears verbatim nearly everywhere I looked) then share with the group.

[Radar Chief]

It should also be noted that this concept never came to fruition.
Andropov died and was replaced by Gorbachev who apparently wasn’t as receptive to the idea. Here’s how the article I quoted ends.

But Kennedy's attempt to partner with high-level Soviet officials never materialized. Andropov died after a brief time in office and was succeeded by Mikhail Gorbachev.

In his attempt to reach out the Soviets, Kennedy settled on a flawed receptacle for peace, Kengor said. Andropov was a much more belligerent and confrontational leader than the man who followed him, in Kengor's estimation.

"If Andropov had lived and Gorbachev never came to power, I can't imagine the Cold War ending peacefully like it did," Kengor told Cybercast News Service. "Things could have gotten ugly."

In the long run of history, Kengor believes it is evident that Reagan's policies were vindicated while Kennedy was proven wrong. In fact, as he points out in his book, Kennedy himself made a "gracious concession" after Reagan died, crediting the 40th president with winning the Cold War.

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200610/NAT20061020b.html

I still think Kennedy’s a POS, but I thought that before read’n this article.

(Not trying to steal your thunder Radar).

Sure you weren’t. Fugg’n lawyers. ;)