Washington, 5 September 1997 (RFE/RL) - Retired KGB Major General Oleg Kalugin, chief of Soviet counter-intelligence from 1973 to 1980, denies reports that he has applied for permanent U.S. residency.
Kalugin, who has lived in the U.S. since 1995, told RFE/RL that his employer -- the Washington-based consulting firm Intercon USA -- has expressed an interest in keeping him in the U.S. after his working permit expires next year, but that no papers or applications have been filed with the U.S. government.
He says he wants to stay in the U.S., but that for now he is interesting mostly in extending his working visa. He does not rule out, however, eventually seeking permanent residency.
Kalugin says he believes his life could be in danger if he were forced to return permanently to Russia. He says he has often been vilified by the Russian media and branded a traitor by many former Soviet officials.
He says he was "surprised" by an article in yesterday's "Washington Post" that says some in the U.S. CIA are opposed to his getting permanent residency.
Kalugin admits he played a role in the death of a U.S. double agent during his tenure as Soviet counter-intelligence chief, but says he later met with the agent's widow and they parted on "good" terms.