104-10332-10018 4, Trt LATE ‘RAT COAT crcnand PTO T TE Tar 1 re December 3, 1993 Memorandum for the Director, . Center for Studies in Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency Attn: Mr. John Pereira . FAX: 703-243-3343 Subject: CIA Files on Lee Harvey Oswald This is to acknowledge my telecon yesterday with Dave Gries and with John Pereira re issue of whether Oswald was ever debriefed by the Agency, and to respond to John's request for documents which may having bearing 611 this issue. , First, a point of order. It is my belief and the belief of the Agency personnel with whom I have discussed this matter, that your files should not contain the infamous “debrief.” It strains credibility that the Agency would purposely persist in saying there was no debrief when in fact it had a copy of it somewhere in its extensive - if sometimes sloppy -- records system. It would have been found by 1993. The issue is not whether you have it now; rather it is whether it occurred in the past and was destroyed. We can all talk, theorize and argue over what it might mean later. For now the task at hand is simply to take all necessary steps to find out. I urge extreme caution in stating flatly that there was no debrief until such steps have been thoroughly exhausted. I was surprised to find out after the FRONTLINE documentary aired, for example, that there will be some new "pieces on this subject in the n not too distant future. I attach a copy of CIA document number 435-173A, attachment, memo dated 25 November 1963, by a "T.B.C.", whom I believe might be one Mr. Tom Comier, possibly a former head of SR6 Branch, Soviet Russia Division, at the time Lee Harvey Oswald retumed to the US in the Summer of 1962. T.B.C. stated he discussed the laying on of interviews with Oswald, either while he was en route or after his arrival. Because T.B.C. made a typographical error when he typed "1960" instead of "1962", the LISCA foolishly dismissed the veracity of this entire document.
13-00000 a? | T attach a copy of CIA document number 287-690, memo for record, dated 3 December 1963, by Mr. Birch D. O'Neal, Chief, CI/SIG, Subject: Lee Harvey Oswald. O'Neal's memo is about polygraphing Alvarado, but it is the reverse handwriting in the upper right hand corner that is pertinent to thé issue at hand: That handwriting appears to be: “Andy Anderson OO on _ Oswald." I refer you to Mr. Donald Deneselya, a CIA employee in the Contacts Division in 1962, who told the HSCA in 1978 that he read Anderson's debrief ‘and described its contents to his HSCA interlocutors. He will tell you today what he has been saying for 30 years. Don Deneselya does not have a book and shuns any publicity -- it took FRONTLINE almost a year to get! him to - agree to an interview on the record. He says what he says not for any - personal gain because there is none, there is only disrepute. He. says it’ because he remembers reading the debrief. If I were you, I would first have a long talk with Don. Then [ would find all surviving members of CD/OO/Support Branch. It did not take us long to figure out that this branch interfaced with thc ficld officcs of the Contacts Division. While this will not turn up a piece of paper, I think you will find some answers there. As an aside: a Mr. Roe F. Anderson was listed in the CIRA obit this summer, — and his son Richard called me after the FRONTLINE documentary aired, and confirmed his father, a Navy officer, had worked for the CIA. [ doubt if this is our Anderson, but you might check all the same. I would appreciate a note stating what you find out. Sincerely, Dr. John M. Newman 1019 Summer Hill Drive, Odenton MD, 21113 FAX (home): 410-672-7251; (H) 301-621-0576; (W) 410-859-6131 |
13-00000 2s Noveuber 1963. “. Pa { { i i SUBJECT: Mr, Lee Harvey Oswald APPROVED FoR FOR RELEASE £1999 | 0 - CIAHISTORICAL REVIEW PRocRAM 1. It makes little difference now, but [Ehad at one time an: | Of interest in Oswald. As soon as I had heard OswalS's name, I recalled | that as Chief of the 6 Branch I hed discussed ~- sometime in Summer.1960 ~~ Cr . we} with the then Chief and Deputy Chief of “the 6 Research Section the laydng Md ¥ | on of interview(s) Re! other suitable channels. At the moment I don't recall 4f this was discussed while Oswald and his family an were en route to our country of if it was after their arrival ~~ s +. 2. remember that Oswald's unusual behavior in ‘the USSR had- struck me from the moment I had read the first Stcte. dispatch on him, and I told my subordinates something amounting to “Don'e push too hard ta get the information we need, because this individual looks odd," | We were particularly interested in the Of Oswald might provide on thé Minsk factory in which ho had -been employed, on’ certain sections of the. city itself, and of course we sought the usual BI that might help develop target personality dossiers. oo ah 3. I was phasing into my MEINE == =tc0ene, =» © lO tho time, Thus, I would have lofe our country shortly after Oswald*s artival. I do not know what action developed thereafter. . Addendum | 4, As an afterthought, I recall also that at the time I wae becoming increasingly interested in watching develop a pattern that we hadjdiscovered in the course of our bio end research work in 6: the number of Soviet women marrying foreigners, being permitted to leave the USSR, then eventually divorcing their spouses and settling down abroad without returning “home. The ees case was among the first of these, and we eventually turned - up somothing like two dozen similar cases. Wo established links between. some of these women and the KGB. _ hacame interested in the developing trend wo hud come across. It was partly out of curfosity to learn if “Oswald's wife would actually accompsny him to our country, partly out of ‘interest in Oswald's own exper d in the U SSR, that we showed operational; Antelligence interest in the arvey story. aa ? _. T.B.C, @- 6 ea ene ee en eee nee teen cece ee tee ee ce ll ce anes on £@d bear:al feet cased. SvesteetAal 2 “ON SNOHd “HUYOP NELIMSN > wo44
13-00000 aS ° REFRUDUGED AL ANE OALLUNAL AMUMEYEDS go > y e rv @ - « | 3 December 1963 MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD | es ' y SUBJECT: Lee Harvey OSWALD hoof ALVAARAAO ye a aaa Roguest Cohgey . At 1010 hours on 3 December, Mr. Papich of the FBI advised that the Bureau had received.a cable last night from tha Legal. Attache: ‘in Mexico City who is in toueh with our representative there. “He : tated that ou representative hed, been Inf by of the Nicaraguan Intelligence Service tha WARADO told. him, - that he recanted his original. story vecdudée of fear of physical, harm; that Alvarado{was being deported from Mexico to Nicaragua on 4 December 1: SEXIM i... sentative that Alvarado would be available for Nicaragua cad the United States dagixed. Mr. Papich stated: that the Bureau woul like to have him subjected to a polygraph examination by this Agency and would appreciate receiving word &q soon ae possible as to whether ve wil] handle the matter since if we will not. handle it the FBI will have to determine what other steps ‘ might be taken to see that this is done. I advised Mr. Fapich that I would check into the matter, thet I did not know vhether we head availablu at this time a polygraph operator who could properly handle this matter but in any évent I would iet him imow whether this « Can be one. “tater 276 _ Chief, CI/si0 romanian 9 REVIEW J ees pains . ‘ . + . . en oo come. 24m + ciety gin annemmendn #0 GEEEANGE 480 ANNE Gh Eh eID AERATORS & ASAyath cAI eC RIICTRTATR AER. co attatth eich ataneayeth Gy ebeatreteetetseben sR AALS ATTN OTC OTIS : . . . CONOUCTED ons WA 78 _ —" _ RDPROVED FOR RELEASE 1992 " CLA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROCRA : | | 3B pects rAd Herat feet ca-aeq | , | cpratee Tar 7 CAN ANMHA er
13-00000 SECRET / HRG INTERNAL USE ONLY (working notes - hold in pending file) Newman phone call to John P. 21/4/1995 Book ready to go to press (Oswald and CTIA) Wanted to give us a “heads up”; not a request to HRG for any type of action Will be naming Leon (Leo) Setwaev as source on KGB and Oswall -- “Setwaev” is a “clandestine” source. Also will be including the {LI-9 story in his book; considers him a “key” player and important to the story of Oswald in Mexico City. Has ask the Board to broker a meeting with CIA to help him CD identify. 4 _Later in the day Marwell (ARRB) call John P. re a phone call from Newman. per Marwell: Newman seem to think that the “Setwaev” name will cause waves Concern about identifying in book -- wants CIA's help. in hiding identity; may be feeling some “guilt” s Marwell plans to tell him that it is not an appropriate role for the ARRB. HRG Actions: John P briefed Ellie (DO review team) Bob E (OGC) altered 4/24/95 No other action planned
13-00000 ad | “SECRET Chief, SR : RYR ~ Chief, WE Chief of Station, Paris a GPFLOOR + Lee Harvey OSWALD for information | ah ff Lin, Lara For the record we forward herewith a C senorandun by Thomas B, CASASIN i in which he gives his recollections of SR interest_in Subject following OO seerseys Subject 's US States from the USSR, “C2407” ROBERT G. LAMPRELL Encl. Distribution tT SR wench — OF tn CO /3 3 ~ WE ' CLASSIFICATION REVIEW Document sumer 35- (7 3 A | . for FOIA Review on yggy (876 eer : oo | | SECRET RYBAT ae Sea.
13-00000 25 November 1963 SUBJECT: Mr. Lee Harvey Oswald tO : Walter P. HALTIGAN 1, It makes little difference now, but REDWOOD had at one time an OI interest in Oswald. As soon as I had heard Oswalf's name, I recalled that as Chief of the 6 Branch I had discussed -- sometime in Summer 1960 -- with the then Chief and Deputy Chief of the 6 Research Section the layéng on of interview(s) through KUJUMP or other suitable channels. At the moment I don't recall if this was discussed while Oswald and his family ; . were en route to our country of if it was after their arrival. 2. I remember that Oswald's unusual behavior in the USSR had struck me from the moment I had read the first ODACID dispatch on him, and I told my subordinates something amounting to "Don't push too hard to get the information we need, because this individual looks odd." j We were particularly interested in the OI Oswald might provide on th¢ Minsk factory in which he had been employed, on certain sections of the city itself, and of course we sought the usual BI that might help develop target personality dossiers. 3. I was phasing into ny LiL__|cover assignment, and out of KUDOVE, at the time. Thus, I would have left our country shortly after Oswald's artival. I do not know what action developed thereafter. Thomas B. CASASIN Addendum 4, As an afterthought, I recall also that at the time I was becoming increasingly interested in watching develop a pattern that we had discovered in the course of our bio and research work in 6: the number of Soviet women marrying foreigners, being permitted to leave the USSR, then eventually divorcing their spouses and settling down abroad without returning "home", The AEOCEAN 3 casé was among the first of these, and we eventually turned - up something like two dozen similar cases, We established links between some of these women and the KGB, KUDESK became interested in the developing trend we had come across. It was partly out of curiosity to learn if Oswald's wife would actually accompany him to our country, partly out of interest in Oswald's own thearvey in the U SSR, that we showed operational intelligence interest in the/flarvey story. | ? T.B.C. f