President Ronald Reagan with French President Mitterrand at wreath-laying ceremony at the American cemetery at Omaha Beach in 1984. Department of Defense photo by SPC 5 James Cavalier.
During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a fierce battle for technological and military supremacy. One of the most intriguing episodes in this covert struggle was the CIA’s Operation FAREWELL, a counterintelligence operation that dealt a significant blow to Soviet espionage efforts.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Soviet intelligence agencies were engaged in a massive effort to acquire Western technology and scientific knowledge. This clandestine operation, known as “Line X,” involved Soviet spies infiltrating Western institutions to steal valuable technological secrets. The Soviets aimed to bridge the technological gap between themselves and the West, particularly in areas like computers and microelectronics, where they lagged significantly.
The Farewell Dossier
The turning point came in 1981 when a high-ranking KGB officer, Colonel Vladimir Vetrov, codenamed “Farewell” by thes French intelligence service DST, decided to become a double agent. Disillusioned with the Soviet system, Vetrov approached French intelligence and offered to provide detailed information about the Soviet espionage network. Over the course of a year, Vetrov supplied the French with nearly 4,000 classified documents, revealing the identities of Soviet spies and the inner workings of their intelligence operations.
The intelligence provided by Vetrov, known as the Farewell Dossier, was a goldmine for Western counterintelligence agencies. In July 1981, French President François Mitterrand informed U.S. President Ronald Reagan about the dossier and offered the intelligence to the United States. The dossier included a comprehensive list of Soviet agents operating under diplomatic cover in Western countries, as well as detailed reports on the Soviet Union’s technological espionage efforts.
Operation FAREWELL
Armed with the Farewell Dossier, the CIA devised a plan to feed the Soviets false information. Codenamed Operation FAREWELL, the idea was to provide the Soviets with seemingly valuable technological data that was subtly flawed. This disinformation campaign aimed to mislead the Soviets and cause disruptions in their technological development. The operation was part of a broader strategy to undermine the Soviet economy and weaken its military capabilities.
One of the most notable successes of this operation was the sabotage of Soviet gas pipeline technology. The CIA, with approval from President Ronald Reagan, provided the Soviets with faulty software that was designed to malfunction. This software was intended to control the pumps, turbines, and valves of a Siberian natural gas pipeline. After a period of normal operation, the software caused the pipeline’s systems to go haywire, leading to pressures far beyond what the pipeline joints and welds could withstand. The result was a massive explosion in the summer of 1982, which was significant enough to be detected by U.S. satellites.
The explosion caused substantial damage to the Soviet economy, as it disrupted the gas supply and affected the Soviet Union’s hard currency earnings from the West. This incident was a prime example of the CIA’s “cold-eyed economic warfare” against the Soviet Union. The operation demonstrated the effectiveness of using disinformation and technological sabotage as tools in the broader Cold War strategy to weaken the Soviet Union.
In 1982, Vetrov was arrested by the KGB after he was caught in a compromising situation unrelated to his espionage activities. During the investigation, the KGB discovered his betrayal. Vetrov was tried and convicted of treason. On January 23, 1985, he was executed in Moscow. Despite his grim end, Vetrov’s contributions had a lasting impact on the intelligence community and significantly disrupted Soviet espionage efforts.
Final Thoughts
The Farewell Dossier had a profound impact on Soviet intelligence operations. The exposure of their espionage network led to the expulsion of numerous Soviet spies from Western countries and severely hampered their ability to acquire Western technology. The disinformation campaign also caused the Soviets to waste valuable resources on flawed technology, further widening the technological gap between the two superpowers.
The CIA’s Operation FAREWELL remains one of the most successful counterintelligence operations in history, highlighting the Agency’s strategic brilliance and its pivotal role in the Cold War’s intelligence battles, ultimately contributing to the West’s victory in the Cold War.
Resource
Central Intelligence Agency
CIA.gov