14-00000
104-10106-10188
2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
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SUBJECT: Sam Jaffe
DO NOT REPRODUCE
RETURN TO CIA
1. Sam Jaffe's relationship with the Agency predates his assignment
to Moscow as an ABC correspondent. During the period 1958-60 while in New
York Jaffe was a confidential informant of the FBI on his Soviet contacts
in New York. In addition, he had several meetings with the New York office
of CIA's Domestic Contact Division. While in Moscow with ABC Jaffe felt he
was the subject of a recruitment attempt by the KGB in 1962. He recounted
his story to the Regional Security Officer at the American Embassy in Moscow,
copies of which went to both CIA and FBI. Jaffe covered the Gary Powers'
trial for ABC and flew on the same plane from New York to Moscow with the
Barbara Powers' party. Prior to that trip he was briefed by a CIA psychologist
on ways to observe Powers's behavior and demeanor. Jaffe was never "ordered"
to cover the Powers' trial, but simply acted as an enterprising newspaperman
befriending Barbara Powers while her party was enroute and in the Soviet Union.
2. During the latter part of his time in Moscow Jaffe was in contact
with a KGB officer, Kuvkov, and this relationship is a matter of record with
the FBI. There is some evidence that Jaffe was given preferential treatment
by the Soviet authorities. Some western pressmen felt that Jaffe, as an
aggressive newspaperman, was giving a little to get a story. Jaffe has
given his version of his dealings with the KGB in a lengthy 1969 interview
with the FBI.
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3. The defector Nosenko provided information on Jaffe's relationship
to the KGB in 1964. However as time went on, further debriefings of Nosenko
indicated that Nosenko was not as sure about Jaffe's relationship as he had
been originally. By 1968 Nosenko was positive only that Ķuvkov had been in
touch with Jaffe, but Nosenko was not certain that Jaffe was a paid and
witting agent of the KGB.
4. During Jaffe's tour in Hong Kong, and subsequently in Washington,
he was in touch with CIA officers. He provided good information on a Chinese 24
news official and he was helpful to the Agency in reporting on a [Canadian]||
organization The Committee of New China Policy All Official contact with
Jaffe ended in 1971.
5.
08.
Central to Jaffe's charges about CIA, which he has made public many
times, is Jaffe's belief that the CIA passed derogatory information about
him to his employers. Attached is a 24 November 1975 letter from Mr. Colby
to Jaffe which states categorically that no information in the CIA files had
ever been passed outside of official channels. In addition to this letter
Jaffe has been reassured on this point verbally on at least four other
occasions.. The CIA is positive that Jaffe's recall from Hong Kong in 1968
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and subsequent dismissal by ABC, are not related to any action taken by the
CIA..
6. In discussions with Jaffe he frequently recounts a conversation he
had with Mr. Ted Cowen, a British intelligence official in Hong Kong. 06/08
According to Jaffe, Cowen] told him that he had a "security problem" but 06
this problem would clear up in due course. A close check of our files can
not ellucidate what [Cowen] was talking about. It is possible, of course, 06
that [Cowen was alluding to the Nosenko allegations as the British were 06
given much of the Nosenko debriefings. The record is unclear on this
point. However, based on information available to this Agency, we feel we
have tried to pacify Jaffe with the statement contained in the Colby letter
that we have no evidence he has ever been an agent of any foreign intelligence
service.
7. Jaffe has submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to CIA
which has resulted in the release of a large number of documents to him.
Jaffe can, of course, appeal our withholding of certain documents through
appropriate administrative and judicial procedures under the FOIA.
HI
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51BR