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Lawrence Martin-Bittman (Draft)[edit]
Lawrence Martin-Bittman (Born 1931 in Prague)[1], formerly known as Ladislav Bittman, is an American artist, author, and retired professor of disinformation at Boston University.[2] Prior to his defection to the United States in 1968, he served as a intelligence officer specializing in disinformation for the Czech Intelligence Service.[3]
Lawrence Martin-Bittman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ladislav Bittman Born 1931 (Age 85) Prague |
| Occupation | Czech Intelligence Officer (former) • Author • Professor (Emeritus) • Artist |
| Notable work | The KGB and Soviet Disinformation • THE DECEPTION GAME |
Czech Intelligence Service[edit]
While in Czechoslovakia, Ladislav Bittman worked as an intelligence officer, and played an integral part in a propaganda operation known as Operation Neptune.[4] He wrote a few books in the 1970s and 1980s about his career and the role of disinformation in Soviet propoganda operations.[5][6]
Defection to the United States[edit]
The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and the subsequent end to the Prague Spring became a driving force behind his decision to leave for the United States in 1968.[7] Defectors at this time, most particularly those fleeing the Soviet Union and/or those formerly in positions of government or intelligence are considered "a valuable source of information" by the US government; the government as such spends at least a year's time debriefing defectors and helping them settle down to their new life.[8] As part of this process, he changed his name from Ladislav Bittman to Lawrence Martin (and later, Lawrence Martin-Bittman) shortly after his debriefing concluded.[9] He was sentenced to death in absentia in 1974 by the Czechoslovakian government for treason by way of his defection, a sentence that was not lifted until 20 years later.[10]
Teaching Career[edit]
In 1972, 4 years after his defection to the United States, Bittman was given a teaching position at Boston University, primarily teaching classes about international media, particularly the press.[11] He began to incorporate classes on disinformation, propoganda, and international intelligence to make use of his former career. In 1986, this led to him founding a new center in Boston University's school of journalism specifically about disinformation.[12] He appeared before congress in 1987 to testify about the government's treatment of Soviet defectors along with several, others following one man, Nikolai Ryzhkov's return to Soviet Russia.[13]
Later Life[edit]
In 1996, following a heart attack which left him unable to teach, Lawrence retired from his position at Boston University and settled down in his home in New England to pursue his hobby of art.[14]
References[edit]
- ^ Manning, Martin J., and Herbert Romerstein. Historical Dictionary of American Propaganda. Westport: Greenwood Group, 2004. Print.
- ^ Richman, Evan. "The Spy Who Came Into the Classroom Teaches at Boston U." The New York Times 27 Apr. 1994: n. pag. Web.
- ^ Manning, Martin J., and Herbert Romerstein. Historical Dictionary of American Propaganda. Westport: Greenwood Group, 2004. Print.
- ^ Butterfield, Fox. "BOSTON U. FOCUSES ON DISINFORMATION." The New York Times 18 Nov. 1986: n. pag. Web.
- ^ Bittman, Ladislav. The Deception Game; Czechoslovak Intelligence in Soviet Political Warfare. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse U Research, 1972. Print.
- ^ Bittman, Ladislav. The KGB and Soviet Disinformation: An Insider's View. Washington: Pergamon-Brassey's, 1985. Print.
- ^ Shipler, David K. "After They Defect..." The New York Times 7 Dec. 1986: n. pag. Web.
- ^ S. Doc. No. Senate Committee of Intelligence-98-10 at 32 (1983). Print.
- ^ Shipler, David K. "After They Defect..." The New York Times 7 Dec. 1986: n. pag. Web.
- ^ Richman, Evan. "The Spy Who Came Into the Classroom Teaches at Boston U." The New York Times 27 Apr. 1994: n. pag. Web.
- ^ Richman, Evan. "The Spy Who Came Into the Classroom Teaches at Boston U." The New York Times 27 Apr. 1994: n. pag. Web.
- ^ Butterfield, Fox. "BOSTON U. FOCUSES ON DISINFORMATION." The New York Times 18 Nov. 1986: n. pag. Web.
- ^ Communist Defectors. C-SPAN. Washington, D.C., 8 Oct. 1987. Television.
- ^ Martin-Bittman, Lawrence. "Studio 006 And A Half." Studio 006 And A Half. N.p., n.d. Web.
Further Reading[edit]
- Bittman, Ladislav. The Deception Game; Czechoslovak Intelligence in Soviet Political Warfare. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse U Research, 1972. Print.
- Bittman, Ladislav. The KGB and Soviet Disinformation: An Insider's View. Washington: Pergamon-Brassey's, 1985. Print.