SOVIET REACTION TO THE US CIVIL DEFENSE PROGRAM

Created: 4/25/1962

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

No.52

Current Support Brief Ct>Py39

SOVIET REACTION TO THE US CIVIL DEFENSE PROGRAM

CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM RELEASE AS8

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Office of Research and Reports

SOVIET REACTION TO THE US CIVIL DEFENSE PROGRAM

Sincehere hasontinuing flow of comment on US civil defense activities in Sovietpress releases, and publications, whereas previously Soviet news media had commented only briefly on US civil do-fense and even then usually at the time of alert exercises. oreover much of this recent Soviet comment has been carried in radiobroadcasts directed to foreign audiences. Sevoral US publications or documents evidently have been exploited in the composition of one of these recent Soviethat at least overt information on US civil defense is being collected and collated by some agency in the USSR.

The following propaganda lines are.discernible in tho Soviet comment:

1. The US programonditioning of the American ?k accePt"inevitabilityuclear war, which the /US/ militarists are/

2 The US "nuclear hysteria" provides favorablefor an increased defense budget. 4/

The US civil defense program demonstrates aggressive intent andart ofhereas the Soviet position is one of peace and disarmament. 5/

"Wealthy" Americans build shelters and are prepared to keep out others with firearms if noed be. 6/

"Monopolies" and industrial corporations seek large profits from the air raid shelters that the American people are being pressured to build on credit. 7/

6 The Soviot nuclear-missile strength has induced fear or panic on the part of the US public. 8/

Uf*cUon. however, has been expressed by the ill it? 'of so-called peace demonstrators in the US, active in resisting civil defense activity and in criticizing tho shelter program. Mostoviot broad-

he aecllningof air raid shelters to ordinary" American citizens. 9/

April2

1

Couplod with the above propaganda have boon insistent statements, usually connected with the US sholter program, that sholters are useless in nuclear war. Por example, former Ambassador Menshikov, on two occasions, commented on the futility ofnd Defenso Minister Malinovskiy more recently called shelters "coffins and tombs prepared in

A final note is added by Soviet implication orthat the USSR has no shelter program. Toroviot visitor returning from the US stated in an English broadcast to North America that "at home, none of us had over hoard the sirens of an atom drill or seen falloutven Mrs. Khrushchev told US peace marchers that there was no defense in nuclear war and that "therefore, we are not building air raid shelters. We are not gettins

The effects on the Soviet citizenry of this propaganda has not been extensively reported in the US. When queried on this point, one returning US official stated that he did detect some apprehension on the part of Soviet individuals in the latter halfpprehension rogarding US civil defense activity and sholter construction.

In summary, the Soviet news media and Soviet officials havo expressed definite concern with increased US civilactivity and the new shelter program. At home and abroad they are identifying the US civil defense effort with increasing military aggressiveness on the part of the US leadership. (Admissionoviet shelter construction programwhich actually had begunhus wouldimilar and earlier aggressive intention on their part.)

The insistence that shelters are useless in nuclear war appears to bo tailored largely for foreign, not Soviet, consumption and thus may reflect an attempt to influence adversely US public support for President Kennedy's program. Obviously the USSR would prefer an indecisive oril defense program, foreficiency would affect US bargaining positions and strategic decisions and, in some

would reduce tho possibilityS attack on tho USSR.

pril CB2

Analyst: Coord:

Sources:

FBIS Dally Report (USSR and East Europe),

..

gazota,..

3- CIA". FBIS Dally Report (USSR and East Europe).

. bbJ. 4. 5. BB. 5- 5..

1..

..

Stroitol'naya gazeta, ..

FBis(USSR and East Europe),

p. U.

. Washington Post, .

5. U.

and East Europe),

TbTd. . lij New York Times,.

Report (USSR

..

.

Original document.

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