2000an
104-10326-10049
2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
MHFNO: 96-4016553
* E-O⭑
CONF: EUR/GA
FILE, DDO (2/P)
96 4016553
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PAGE 001
TOT: 021354Z MAY 96
DIRECTOR 758224
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STAFF
TO:
FROM:
VIENNA.
OGC/OSD
021354Z DIRECTOR 758224
LIMIT EUR/GA INFO EUR/LGL, OGC/OFLD, DC/EUR, OCC/OSG,
SLUGS: WNINTEL RYBAT
SUBJECT:
-
EYES ONLY APRIL 1996 MEETING BETWEEN JFK BOARD
ATTORNEY AND JOHN WHITTEN
REF: A.
B.
VIENNA 34962 96 3666955
DIRECTOR 702048 96 3616677
TEXT:
1. ACTION REQUIRED: NONE, FYIO.
2. THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTS THE MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
PREPARED BY IDEN B REF B CONCERNING THE INTERVIEW WITH JOHN
WHITTEN AND IS PROVIDED FOR YOUR EDIFICATION.
ON 22 APRIL 1996, FROM APPROXIMATELY 1000 TO 1600, IDENS REF
B SPOKE WITH JOHN WHITTEN AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN VIENNA. IDEN A
CONDUCTED THE INTERVIEW BY SHOWING WHITTEN VARIOUS DOCUMENTS AND
*HIS PRIOR TESTIMONY BEFORE THE<HSCA.> WHITTEN WAS EAGER TO HELP
THE BOARD IN-ANY WAY HE COULD AND EVEN OFFERED TO COME TO THE U.S.
IF NEED BE. IDEN A CONCLUDED THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE USEFUL
TO TAKE WHITTEN'S DEPOSITION AT A LATER DATE. ALTHOUGH WHITTEN
HAD IN GENERAL A GOOD MEMORY, IDEN A FELT HE DID NOT ADD ANYTHING
*OF SIGNIFICANCE TO HIS PRIOR TESTIMONY BEFORE THE<HSCA.> AFTER THE
INTERVIEW, WHITTEN TOOK IDENS TO HIS APARTMENT AND THEN LATER TO A
RESTAURANT WITH HIS WIFE. IDENS LEFT WHITTEN ABOUT 1900.
WHITTEN WAS EXTREMELY WORRIED AND UPSET ABOUT THE RELEASE OF
HIS NAME AND ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IN THE INTERVIEW WAS ON THE
VERGE OF TEARS. ALTHOUGH IDEN B WAS EXPECTING HIM TO BE ANGRY
WITH CIA AND THE BOARD, INSTEAD, HE CLEARLY FELT HURT AND
BETRAYED. HIS OBVIOUS PHYSICAL PROBLEMS ADD TO THIS FEELING OF
BEING VULNERABLE. PHYSICALLY HE IS NOT WELL; HE IS PARALYZED ON
HIS LEFT SIDE AND HAS GREAT DIFFICULTY WALKING. ON A MAP, HE
POINTED OUT HIS APARTMENT AND INDICATED WHAT HE BELIEVED TO BE
SERIOUS THREATS TO HIS SAFETY SHOULD HIS AFFILIATION WITH CIA
BECOME KNOWN. WITHIN A BLOCK OF HIS APARTMENT HE POINTED OUT THE
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HEADQUARTERS OF THE KURDISH WORKERS' PARTY (PKK), THE ANARCHIST
PARTY, AND A BAR WHERE MANY MIDDLE EASTERNERS WOULD CONGREGATE.
HE THEN POINTED OUT THESE PLACES TO IDENS WHEN WE WENT TO HIS
APARTMENT. HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THERE WAS NO WAY HE COULD DEFEND
HIMSELF FROM ANY ATTACK.
WHITTEN ALSO STATED THAT HE HAS BEEN RETIRED FOR ALMOST AS
LONG AS HE WORKED FOR THE CIA, AND THAT HE HAS A COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT LIFE NOW IN VIENNA. HE AND HIS WIFE HAVE LIVED IN
VIENNA APPROXIMATELY 25 YEARS. HE IS A MEMBER OF VARIOUS MUSICAL
AND ART SOCIETIES. HE SINGS IN A PROMINENT VIENNA MEN'S CHOIR.
HE HAS PUBLISHED VARIOUS ARTICLES ON MUSIC (HIS SPECIALITY IS
JOHANN STRAUSS). HE HAS RECEIVED MANY MEDALS FOR HIS WORK IN THE
ARTS IN VIENNA WHICH WE SAW WHEN WE WENT TO HIS APARTMENT.
WHITTEN IS ALSO GREATLY WORRIED ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE
COMMITTED PERJURY WHEN APPLYING FOR AUSTRIAN RESIDENCY BY STATING
HE WORKED FOR THE STATE DEPARTMENT. HE BELIEVES THIS COULD
SUBJECT HIM TO CRIMINAL PENALTIES IN AUSTRIA. HE STATED ON
SEVERAL OCCASIONS, SHOULD HIS AFFILIATION BECOME KNOWN, HE WOULD
HAVE TO LEAVE AUSTRIA. ON OTHER OCCASIONS, HE STATED THAT HE
WOULD TURN HIMSELF IN TO THE VIENNESE AUTHORITIES AND OFFER HIS
SERVICES AS. A CONSULTANT TO THE POLICE OR INTELLIGENCE SERVICE.
HE OBVIOUSLY WAS EXTREMELY DISTRAUGHT AND WAS VOICING WHAT HE
BELIEVED WERE HIS OPTIONS SHOULD HIS NAME BE RELEASED BY THE
BOARD, ALTHOUGH HE HAD NOT DECIDED ON A PARTICULAR COURSE OF
ACTION. ON THE OTHER HAND, WHITTEN WAS ADAMANT THAT NO MATTER
WHAT HAPPENS HE WOULD NEVER BETRAY THE CIA BY TELLING ANYONE ABOUT
HIS WORK AS AN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER.
BY THE END OF THE EVENING, WHITTEN STATED THAT HE FELT MUCH
BETTER ABOUT THE STATE OF EVENTS. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, IDEN B
HAD ASSURED HIM THAT CIA WAS DOING EVERYTHING TO PROTECT HIM AND
IDEN A STATED HE WOULD ARGUE FOR HIS PROTECTION TO THE BOARD. HE
CLEARLY LOOKED UPON IDENS AS HIS ALLIES IN THIS PROCESS AND EVEN
STATED THAT HE HAD A "WONDERFUL" DAY TALKING TO IDENS. IDENS
LEFT HIM, THEY BELIEVE, FEELING HAPPY AND CONFIDENT ALL WOULD TURN
OUT WELL.
-
AFTER THE MEETING, IDENS SPOKE ABOUT HOW THIS ISSUE WOULD BE
HANDLED BY THE BOARD. IDEN A BELIEVED THAT IT WAS MORE THAN
LIKELY THAT THE BOARD WOULD AGREE TO PROTECT HIM AND THAT HE WOULD
MAKE THE STRONGEST ARGUMENT HE COULD TO THEM. THE BOARD WILL MAKE
ITS DECISION IN IT'S NEXT MEETING IN MID-MAY. IDEN B DID NOT
THINK IT WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR ANYONE FROM CIA TO COME DOWN TO
THAT MEETING. WE AGREED THAT SHOULD THE BOARD MAKE THE
REPREHENSIBLE DECISION OF RELEASING WHITTEN'S NAME, THAT WE COULD
NOT IMAGINE A STRONGER CASE ON WHICH TO BRING AN APPEAL TO THE
PRESIDENT.
3. IDEN B EXTENDS HER THANKS TO THE STATION FOR ARRANGING
THE INTERVIEW AND HER HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS. SHE SAID EVERYTHING
WENT EXTREMELY SMOOTHLY. HQS WILL APPRISE STATION OF BOARD'S
DECISION REGARDING WHITTEN (PROBABLY MID-MAY). REGARDS.
4. FILE: 785-120-034. INDEX: NONE. CL BY: 0666970, CL
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REASON: 1.5C, DECL ON: X1, DRV FROM: HUM 4-82.
CABLETYPE: GECO STAFF 1.0.2.>.
RELNO: E409396
ORIG: EUR/GAEXT (HUMPHJA, 45591); AUTH : EUR/GA (VOLZ);
INFO:
EUR/LGL (CRAWFORD), OGC/LD(CIPRIANI-SUB),; REL: EUR/GA (VOLZ).
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