. a Classification: on the basis ofhienfarre data ei used fos weeterial exaged sts. Under from ClA—controlled documents.) oath he supported this proposition: Mx. Goldsmith: In summary, is it your position that the Agency gave the Warren Commission information only in response to speci- fic requests by the Warren Commission? Mr. Helms: That is correct. I want ‘to modify that by saying that Memory is fallable. There may have been times or circumstances under which some- thing different might have occured, but my recollection is that we were attempting to be-responsive and supportive to the - FBI and the Warren Commission. When oe they asked for something we gave it to . . them. . ‘, a As far as our volunteering information . and is concerned, I have no recollection of 7 a whether we volunteered it or not. Sy (Ibid., p. 34.) é Mr. Helms' characterization of fulfilling Warren . os Py OS ; Commission requests on a caseAbasis rather than uniformly ‘volunteering relevant information to the Warren Commission a stands in direct opposition to J. Lee Rankin's perception of the. CIA's investigative responsibility. Mr. Rankin was Sa. asked by Committee Counsel whether he worked under the . 3 & ‘ + impression that the Agency's responsibility was simply to respond to questions that were addressed to CIA by the TSR. Warren Commission. In response, Mr. Rankin testified as follows: NE. Not at all and if anybody had told me that I would have insisted that the Commission com- municate with the President and get a different : b peca we mi k th L gi arrange@qn Sreahan might not ask the right SECREL Neen. P0633 Classified by oni, .
| “ assif ication: _Séctet \ assitication: * (This form is to be used for material extracted fechis dpc igniPoinsd vasdinighrmaterial extracted from CIA=controlled docurients. -13- questions and: then we would not have the information and that would be absurd. (HSCA Class. Depo. of J. Lee Rankin, 8/17/78, p. 4) Mr. Slawson added support to Rankin's position testifying that Warren Commission requests to the CIA were rarely specific. "The request was made initially that they give us all information pertinent to the assassination investigation." (Exec. Sess. Test. of W. David Slawson, 11/15/77, p. 29) ff : oT 2, whee * : aad Vinee Sos AHIMA pn, pe Arlen » I Os oT a ee Oe . am: Bo CIA's “Gailace mo Bisclesc | a Anti : 4 unfortunate consequence: of Sdarfen Commi yric., well ance on TAZ CIA +o preide ‘Pra Cemmi Selon | we CPR Git rejia (aN CIA m neerfal focre tic wok fin weeny the subsequent exposure of the CIA's anti-Castro assassination plots /(SSC Book V) see also (Alleged Assassination Plots Involving Foreign Leaders, Interim Report, SSC, 11/20/75)7. Paretoxteatiy;—even-tfeene * “The | rece ore reveals ot he Prots; g¢we CIA's point of contact with the Warren Commission wewbd—et—haverbpeen-abte-~ ; 4b oe WY 4 H 24 Glivessffcrdiarn: Secret Q0dds8 C. Berk | Clessified by derivation
Classification: Sécrat assitication: . (This form is to be used for material extracted {dis Cote_ioripobed viedn@ntmpterial extracted ‘from CIA=-ééiitrolled documents.) ~l3a- SSTOW WIth information So LTequestear As : Mri occa. Mrv~ROCCE*S Cestincny Levels, ee had no knowledge at the time of the Warren Commission investigation of Agency efforts to assassinate Fidel Castro. (HSCA Class. Depo. of Raymond Rocca, 7/17/78, p. 50)* Set p FG OHPRED
SECRET, Classification: __ (This form is to be used for material extracted fram CIA“SZGnirolled docuriiéatss) , as pane” CIA's working level representative rren Commission wr Been vestested by the Conitission.to Sosazet Gea coroe’ gp and | x4 x cy nti-Castro assassination | Gration€, Rocca's * aA er Meirg Eevee VY efforts’ would have produ Koon. (ZHid., p. ast . also ‘ The record eh reveals that the CIA desk no stibstantive informa- officer who was initially given the responsibility by Mr. Helms to investigate _ a Lee Harvey Oswald, and the assassination of President Kennedy . had no knowledge of such plots during his investi- _ kia Fation. HS Class. Depo. of John Scelso, 5/16/78, pHaal43 Dic Cgacd to the ALAS A ageredt jon pp. 73, kti-#12)A Mx. Scelso testified that had he known of such assassination plots the following . action would have been taken: ‘Ui. “OG “GY “ER WHA “RA A “we would have gone at that hot and heavy. = 4 We would have queried the agent (AMLASH) an if, about it in great detail. I would have a ¢had him polygraphed by the “best “Operative security had to see if he had (sic) been a double-agent, informing Castro about e our poison pen things, and so on. I ‘would have had all our Cuban sources. ; queried about it." (Ibid., p. 166) 0860: % R Gy . As the record reflects,-these plots were known by few within the CIA. Mr. Helms' testimony regarding ey Row ce cyt ify ed | Wc was netia RPesiy an to ans rer gues h'ons pe lakh to C1 Aa, nation pat mgacatt Carte bar Tet press hastite pe ane weer Ry, OTIS who wate in the ain © y ddamark anion ean d nase Rad cA ria sincitmntio’ CEraray 2 ce —s Classifi SECRET assitication: ___. *See , also HSCA Classified a seh redone ty eb feos 10/ 5778, ; pp .~o-ttwherein Angleton states Prat nti eye dug OTS to AS 5391 WE Fiter Set ware aati n Fre he Se s ceenation a0 NK gs OT Goren ~titin * veh, \ h
yts Pirectec ances eM es Bos the ‘extent . Mr. Goldsmith: Mr. Helms: Mr. Goldsmith: Mr. Helms: Mr. Goldsmith: . Classification: between Committee Counsel and Mr. Helms illustrates ?o£ the Agency's compromise: Castro assassination plots. . OUL Operations. about it. Classification: _< seCRE (This form is to be used for material extracted from CIA*<céiitrolled doéiiménts.) these plots reveals that the Agency compromised +h palrey ot -Lts=promise to supply all relevant information to Sex sratimentet Tonn Mink, Pr feanerein ) the Warren Commission. The following exchange Mr. Helms, I take it from your testimony that your position is that the anti-Castro plots, in fact, were relevant to the — Warren Commission's work; and, in light of that, the Committee would like ta be informed as to why the Warren Commission was not told by you of the anti- I have never been asked to testify before the Warren Commission about If the Warren Commission did not know of the operation, it certainly was not in a position to ask you Is that not true? ; : ; Yes, but how do you know they did not know about it? How do you know Mr. Dulles had not told the How was I to know that? And besfes? I was not the Director of the Agency and in the CIA, you did not go traipsing around to the Warren Com- mission or to Congressional Committees. or.to anyplace else without the Director's permission. ¢ NVA, RES. Did you ever discuss with the Director whether tne Warren Commission should be informed cf the anti-Castro assassination olots? “QUE “GAGA, »