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The Soviets prefer to remain in the background, but they are deeply involved in the financing and control of programs in Cuba, Algeria, North Korea and among the fedayeen. The recent Mexican case revealed how closely the Soviets are working with the North Koreans. The Ceylon civil war demonstrated that the Russians still maintain a two-pronged policy of giving official support to relatively moderate leftist governments, while at the same time subsidizing local subversive opposition movements. Accordingly, the Russians have delivered six MIGs with pilots and ground crews to help the Socialist government of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike put down the insurrection. At the same time, they have given arms to the Ceylonese rebels through an organization called the Ceylonese-Soviet Friendship Society.
Another group of Soviet proteges who recently made news were the Turkish students involved in the kidnaping of four U.S. airmen two months ago. The students, it turned out, had received training from Soviet instructors in Syria. The Soviet "diplomat" who had overseen their activities in Turkey was subsequently transferred to—of all places—Ceylon.