^*Because of the “sensitivity” of Bennett’s information, and its bearing on other CIA operations, Lukasky carried his handwritten report of the meeting directly to Richard M. Helms, the CIA director. In addition to recounting what Bennett had said, the report contained a “mysterious reference to a ‘WH flap,’ indicating that if the Mullen Company cover was terminated, the Watergate could not be used as an excuse.” The report also noted that “the agency might have to level with Mullen about the ‘WH flap.’” Two weeks later, another secret CIA report indicated that the agency had convinced the Mullen Company “of the need to withdraw its Far East cover through an ‘agreed upon scenario’ which included a falsified Watergate publicity crisis.” Whether the “WH flap” referred to White House, or Western Hemisphere as the CIA later insisted, only the agency knows for certain. One story put forth to explain the cryptic reference to “WH flap” was that a CIA agent who knew that the Mullen Company was a front had become a double agent and was providing information on American intelligence operations to the Soviet Union. The CIA, the story went, learned of the defection from one of its own highly placed double agents in the Soviet security organization. To close the Mullen Company without good reason, it was theorized, would tip the Russians to the existence of an American agent in their own intelligence network. Thus, it was decided to use Watergate as an excuse to close down the Mullen Company’s covert operations overseas. The story was put out by the CIA and there is no evidence to support or refute it.