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Show WeeMy Special & Joe Spear Henry Kissinger wanted FBI to investigate opponent Washington Throughout his years in the publicity spotlight, Henry Kissinger has learned to grin and bear the barbs and ridicule of his many critics. But internal FBI documents reveal that the former secretary of state asked the FBI to investigate the verbal abuse heaped on him by supporters of one indefatigable opponent: Lyndon LaRouche. After years of stings and jabs-including jabs-including one airport confrontation with LaRouche supporters that led to the trial and acquittal of Kissinger's wife, Nancy, on an assault charge- Kissinger wrote to his friend William Webster, the FBI director. He asked that the G-men look into the legality of his tormentors' activities. In a "Dear Bill" letter in 1982, Kissinger wrote: "I want to make clear that I do not ask the FBI to interfere in any manner with LaRouche's First Amendment rights even when they are exercised in a scurrilous and obscene manner. The LaRouche campaign against me, however, seems to go far beyond free speech." The charges aimed at Kissinger over the years by LaRouche supporters ranged from drug smuggling smug-gling to homosexuality. But a LaRouche spokesman who examined the FBI documents told our associate Tony Capaccio that their quarrel with Kissinger was strictly over policy matters. "We want Kissinger's political career to be over," he said. The LaRouche spokesman denied that the campaign against Kissinger ever strayed over the line into illegal harassment. As for Kissinger's request for an FBI investigation, the LaRouche aide said: "He got downright paranoid." Kissinger has refused to comment, com-ment, but sources close to him said that the "intense verbal and physical harassment" of a few years ago has subsided considerably. Kissinger first wrote to Webster in August 1982, thanking the FBI boss for forwarding a LaRouche flier that attacked Kissinger. Webster wrote to Kissinger's attorney the next month, saying: "I certainly can understand Dr. Kissinger's concern over the persistence which these individuals have displayed in their campaign against him." He also noted the ex-secretary's dilemma: to take legal action against the LaRouche forces "would give them the forum they appear ' to, i be seeking." But the campaign continued, and in November 1982, Kissinger asked Webster for an FBI investigation. Within a month he was informed that the Justice Department could find no civil-rights basis for action against LaRouche. The FBI did suggest three possible areas of illegality, though: interstate harassment by telephone, funding of LaRouche by hostile intelligence agencies, and threats or accusations by mail. Apparently none of these possibilities possi-bilities was pursued by the federal agencies with jurisdiction. The FBI finally closed its investigation in 1983, without turning up evidence of any prosecutable prosecu-table offense. TAKE THAT HILL: The Pentagon is preparing a booklet that may strike old-timers as reminiscent of the World War n "Know Your Enemy" series. It will be distributed to program managers who must testify on expensive weapons and 'is intended, according to defense officials, to "foster a more effective working relationship" between Congress Con-gress and the military. In Pentagonese, the booklet will outline "procedures used by congressional con-gressional committees and staffs when interfacing with program management staffs, i.e., on-site visits and hearings 'on the hill.' " In plain English, some intrepid Daniels will be instructed on how to behave in the lions' den. WASTEFUL RITUAL: . Every working day, Congress engages in a time-consuming ritual of approving the journal of the previous day's proceedings. During 1984, for example, the approval took more than 2,500 congressional member-hours. member-hours. V : ' ( r( Rep. Harry Reid, D-Nev, suspects that this is a device used by members who didn't come out too well in the previous day's debate and who simply want to inconvenience the rest of the members. But when Reid tried to address the problem it touched off what else? a loud debate that lasted nearly an hour, i STRICTLY PERSONAL- A social Security recipient who received an appeal for funds from the National Committee to Preserve Social Security Secur-ity and Medicare wants to know whether the Social Security Administration Admin-istration released his name and address. The answer is no. The names of all Social Security beneficiaries are confidential. The name and address probably came from another organization of older Americans. Such groups often sell or exchange their mailing lists. A number of readers have asked whether Rep. Jack Kemp, R-N.Y., will run for president in 1988. The darling of Republican conservatives isn't saying for sure; but the evidence points to a decision to take the plunge. For example, he recently hired two experienced presidential campaign people as aides. Our guess is that he will find the prospect irresistable. Copyright, 1985, United Feature Syndicate, Inc. |
