Editing 78-05-B1 (section)

=== Transcript ===
In our country today there is almost a feeling that nothing is lower than
a spy-catcher. At least it seems that way with the continuing vendetta against
the F.B.I., the C.I.A. and even local police intelligence units. But espionage
is regularly practiced by most nations in this less-than-peaceful world and we're
naive if we don't think there is a constant effort by the Soviet Union to
infiltrate the most sensitive agencies in our government.

In 1974 the world learned that Chancellor Willy Brandt of West Germany had
an East German spy at his elbow. Unknown to the chancellor of course this enemy
agent had worked his way up to being his top political aide.

The West Germans did not fool around. They set out to develop drastic new
methods of tracking down spies. They estimated there were at least 6,000 East
Germans plus another 1,500 from the Soviet Union and its other satellites. The
espionage effort was based on the idea of flooding West Germany with so many
agents posing as refugees that the government couldn't possibly catch them all.

To counter this the West Germans began feeding information about refugees into
a computer. Previously this information had been scattered among several different
agencies. Now, gathered together, it is matched against a computer program made up
from the behavior patterns and personal characteristics typical of agents already
exposed. Each pattern gives them a set of guidelines which can be made more
specific as time goes on.

The new plan went into operation early in 1976. By late May they had bagged
a top agent (who was serving as Secretary to several officials in the foreign
ministry) along with 15 spies in the Defense ministry. By Autumn of last year
another eight had been caught and the year end total was 35 arrested while another
35 had fled the country.

It's interesting that the West Germans made public what they were doing. This
saved a lot of time and money because sizable numbers of agents took off for the
border without waiting to see if the computer would expose them. One couple sent
a cable explaining that their sudden disappearance had been caused by a death in
the family. A banker told of an accident in Denmark which would prevent his
returning to Germany. There was a dying grandmother, a sick wife--any number of
excuses for departure. Some city governments found themselves suddenly without
certain employees. Employees were lost to nuclear power plants, a fuel research
team and to the rocket division of a firm with NATO contracts.

The personnel chief of the Hamburg Criminal Investigating Division and President
of the Union of Germ Police Officials was picked up with five other spies. An
Englishman and his German wife were caught 48 hours before they were to cross the
border into East Germany. Documents were found in their home which led to a
secretary in the Chancellors office. She had previously passed a security check
with flying colors.

Does anyone want to say, "it can't happen here"?

This is Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for listening.
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