Page 4-Thursday, June 8, 1978-The Michigan Gaily
michigan DAILY -STRIKEOF
Eighty-eight Years of Editorial Freedom',; 1
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48109
Vol. LXXXVIll, No. 26-S News Phone: 764-0552"r
Thursday, June 8, 1978
Edited and managed by students
at the University of Michigan
What's going on in
U.S. intelligence?
XOU'RE NEVER going to believe this.
Tuesday, the House overwhelmingly
approved a new budget for federal intelligence Daiy Phoio by ANOY FREEBER
gathering agencies, even though the vast Iranian students take part in a chant at the onset of their hunger strike on campus last March to protest
majority of representatives had no idea how much political conditions in their home country. They wear masks during their meetings to protect themselves
money they were approving! from agents of SAvAK, the Iranian Secret Police.
In recent years we have learned that the U.S. in-
telligence community attempted to influence the ARE UNIVERSITIES A GENTS OF THE SHAH?:
internal affairs of foreign countries by bribery
and political assassination and has engaged in Colleges entangled with Ira
political spying in this country. Now the House,
group of agencies that scarcely deserves such This piece examines the con- among the dissidents, whose ac- unlikely locations. SAVAK
blind trust. tention of Iranian students at the tivists include up to 10 percent of monitors those demonstrations,
Members of the intelligence community say the University and throughout the the nearly 30,000 students in the photographing participants and
s a nation that universities have U.S. and thousands more non- threatening reprisals on families
secrecy that shrouds the agencies and their funds been pressured by the Iranian students. Using a variety of tac- in Iran, who-unlike the students
is vital to the protection of our intelligence ac- government into acting as spies tics, the Shah of Iran endeavors in this country-remain
tivities. On the contrary, it is this very curtain of for the Shah. Some 200 Iranian to deter Iranian students from vulnerable to arrest or im-
secrecy that permits these agencies to go un- students are enrolled at the political involvement while they prisonment.
discovered as they engage in illegal domestic University, with about 30 actively are being readied, often at The anti-Shah movement was
organized to protest conditions in government expense, to become presented in vivid color last
spying and covert operations in foreign countries, their home country. part of Iran's emerging November when the Shah and his
all under the guise of the elusive "national technocracy. American host-President Car-
security." It was impossible for anyone to prevent By Norman Sandler Clearly, the student ter-stood teary-eyed on the
the CIA from assisting rebels in overthrowing At nearly 30,000-strong, movement's importance lies in White House lawn as thousands of
Chilean leader Salvadore Allende, because no one Iranians comprise the largest its numbers. Iranians began at- protestors battled police and pro-
k bot it contingent of foreign nationals tending U.S. colleges and univer- Shah demonstrators under a
knew aboutt. studying at American colleges sitites in small numbers before cover of tear gas near the
The U.S. system of government is based on and universities. World War II. By 1969, they had Washington Monument. The
checks and balances, yet the sector with the most The sharp rise in these num- reached a population of only demonstrations that erupted
potential for abuse is permitted free reign. If even hers has taken place only recen- 2,500. Then came the oil boom. during the Shah's visit were the
our elected representatives are kept in the dark tly. But with its ranks expanding, IN EIGHT YEARS, the Iranian largest and most violent since the
Iran's student movement has student population in this country days of Vietnam.
about intelligence operations and funding, then acqiredplstis amowemincreased tenfold. Most came to
how can we expect to prevent further abuse of acquired political power, gaining the United States because the WASHINGTON, however, is not
importance as Iran itself reaps the only place the students have
these agencies powers? untold economic and military buildup of Iran's educational te only ae t te hav
y sytemcoud nt kep pce ith vented their anger at the Shah.
strength from development system could not keep pace with Students at the University of
fueled by its vast oil reserves. the injection of oil profits into Kansas attempted to have a
COINCIDING WITH the Iranian society. suspected SAVAK operative ex
studet moements rie to The sudden influx had a supceSA Koertvex
trl ! powtuer, hoverhsent' iexpan pronounced impact on American pelled after he allegedly
3 U power howmeveenstben expan nuasdsnaultedafISA membrs an d
sion in the overseas presence of higher education. Educators threatened others with physical
- .SAVAK, the Iranian secret quickly joined industry in com- harm if they persisted in their an-
police. peting for petrodollars. The Shah,
In this country, Iranian studen in line with the social revolution ti-Shah activities. w
ts engage in a wide range of he envisioned for his nation, TOPIRANIAN officials justify
academic pursuits. But they also became a philanthropist for SAVAK spying by linking the
participate in political activities higher education, pumping dissident student movement to
that, thanks to the presence of millions of dollars into more than transnational terrorism,
SAVAK, are undertaken only at 60 American colleges, according claiming the dissidents are
great risk of danger to them- to the American Council on financed by Libya, Cuba and
selves or relatives back home. Education.' The motive: ensure East Germany. One former U.S.
Thus, they wear masks to conceal that gifted Iranian students State Department official in Iran
their identities, always conscious receive the education they need said although the students "feed"
of the control their government to become business and in- the infrastructue of Iran's urban-
holds over them, even thousands dustrial leaders in the future. guerrillas, they pose no threat to
of miles from home. THE DISSIDENT Iranian the Shah's stability.
High-ranking Iranian of- Student Association (ISA) con- sidetheldsst studen
ficials-including Ambassador tends the Shah uses philanthropy siders the dissident students
Ardeshir Zahedi (Utah State as leverage. They claim that terrorists and, accordig to Am-
-- University, 1950)-believe once schools receiving large doses of nesty International, militant
educated, these tens of thousands Iranian aid discourage political students have been arrested upon
e - ra . > . :, >. <-a> of students will shape a modern activity among exchange studen- return to Iran for activities
. society with comforts rivaling is to avoid jeopardizing a major abroad, enhancing SAVAKs
Editorials which appear without a bylne those in Western source of revenue. And SAVAK s image as all-pervasive and effec-
represent a consensus opinion of the Daily's nations. an effective tool for further tive.
editorial board. All other editorials, as welt as HOWEVER, others believe discouraging political Norman Sandier, a Pacifc
Iran's oil wealth contains the discussions, say Iranian and U.S. NwsSi rper, Pe-
Cartoons, are the opnions of the mndvriduas 'seeds of revolution, officials. News Service reporter, spe-
who submit them. . ew-rarians. ara.wing-.ta b ti-the ssentsremain ac- cializes in natina security:
stand up and be counted as tive, sometimes in the most and intelligence issues.
L
1
{