Second volume of "Mitrokhin's archive" published

On September 20, 2005 the second volume of «Mitrokhin's arhive» was published in the United Kingdom, entitled «The KGB and the Battle for the Third World». The book was based on the secret notes that Mitrokhin had produced as chief archivist of the KGB records and covered the 1917 to 1984 period. The collection of notes made secretly by Mitrokhin were turned into two books - «Sword and the Shield» (published in 1999) and «The KGB and the Battle for the Third World», - by British intelligence historian Christopher Andrew. Their publication provoked parliamentary inquiries in the U.K., India, and Italy.

Vasili Mitrokhin was a Major and senior archivist for the First Chief Directorate of the KGB. Shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union (in 1992) he traveled to Latvia with copies of material from the archive and walked into the American embassy in Riga. Central Intelligence Agency officers there did not consider him to be credible, concluding that the copied documents could be faked. He then went to the British embassy and a young female diplomat there saw his potential and after a further appointment one month later with representatives of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) operations followed to retrieve the 25,000 pages of files hidden in his house, covering operations from as far back as the 1930s. He and his family were then exfiltrated to Britain, although authorities of Yeltsin's Russia were not creating any obstacles for free traveling abroad of active or retired members of secret services or members of their families. Mitrokhin died on January 23, 2004.

As stated in the production description of the book, in The Sword and the Shield, Christopher Andrew revealed the secrets of the KGB's operations in the United States and Europe; now in The World Was Going Our Way, he has written the first comprehensive account of the KGB and its operations throughout the Third World.

The Mitrokhin Inquiry Report (UK Intelligence and Security Committee) stated about the reasons why Christopher Andrew was chosen as editor of the book: «The SIS first approached Professor Andrew in 1995 with a view to being invited to participate in the publication project. The SIS regarded Professor Andrew as a safe pair of hands, who had worked previously *** on the Gordievsky books. Professor Andrew was also security cleared and had signed the Official Secrets Act. Professor Andrew agreed to complete the project, knowing that ministerial approval would be required before the book could be published. The SIS nominated Professor Andrew as the editor for the book in the 6 March 1996 submission to Malcolm Rifkind, the Foreign Secretary.»

Agentura.Ru, May 2011