Interview with Oleg Gordievsky: “Swedish deputy Secretary of State Pierre Schori was the most important source of the KGB”

Contra correspondent Bertil O. Wedin has met with former KGB colonel Oleg Gordievsky. Mr Gordievsky was one of the most well-known KGB defectors. He worked at the section of KGB responsible for Scandinavia and the UK. He learnt the Swedish language during KGB training. He was stationed in Copenhagen and London and defected in London in 1985. He has written several books on the KGB.

Mr Gordievsky comments on the present political development worldwide.

A large part of the interview deals with the Swedish deputy Foreign Minister Pierre Schori. He was, according to Gordievsky, one of the most important sources for the KGB, in analyzing Swedish strategic thinking. As many eyes were watching Mr Schori, top Soviet officials did not meet him at other occasions than at large receptions. But second rank people did. As these were not trained for analyzing the information of Mr Schori, the meetings were bugged and the taped conversations, held according to prepared guidelines, were analyzed by intelligence professionals. Gordievsky states that Schori’s comments were made on everything of importance: politics, the creation of public opinions, diplomacy, defence, international relations and so on. “Schori was one in a small group of influential Swedes that were so much in favour of Soviet views that Moscow didn’t need to ask them for favours. The KGB officer Neyland, for example, had the mission to influence Prime Minister Olof Palme in a direction favourable for the Soviet Union, but he found that he didn’t need to put any efforts into that mission, as Palme already was well-informed on the strategic objectives of the Soviet leadership, not least through his contacts with the GRU general Milstein”.

Bill Clinton in the White House

The Monica Lewinsky scandal was not the worst during the Bill Clinton administration this far. The article discusses a number of other scandals that should be regarded as worse. Still the sleaze of the Lewinsky affair should be remembered as it is the first time that there is proof of perjury and evidence that his closest aides have used libel in order to hit at political opponents.

The heroes of the Cold War – James Burnham

One of the most important intellectuals in the West during the Cold War was James Burnham, probably most influential in his criticism against left-leaning US foreign policies after 1945. He highly influenced Swedish publicist Herbert Tingsten (during the 1950s publisher and editor-in-chief of the largest selling Swedish daily, Dagens Nyheter). Burnham is not as well-known as he deserved to be. The reason for this is mainly that his efforts were indirect. He founded the theoretical basis for the anti-communist victory in the Cold War.

The American “paleo alliance”

The common enemy of conservatives and libretarians is socialism. Contra gathers both of these trends. The author of the article, Stefan M. I. Karlsson, discusses what in the socialist ideology that is most provoking: cultural radicalism, modernism and political correctness.

The local government that hunts fast food vendors

Fast food vendors are not popular among local government officials in the social democratic town of Södertälje. Close to the new grand McDonald’s franchise the small fast food vendor Bayazid Assali is chased by the local government. But only for half of the year. The other half he is allowed to use his mobile sales booth.

Bakground on Kosova

Contra gives a background on the conflict in Kosova. The bakground you never find in mainstream media.