Date Page : 1 68/05/95 JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM (ere ee ee ee ee cee wees eee cee cee cee ree cree re ee Eee ee ee ee ee ee ES ED TED ee NED Ew vee ee Gee ee cee ee Eo EE Oy ES ee re eee ee ee eee ee ee oS eee ese eee es AGENCY RECORD NUMBER RECORDS SERIES AGENCY FILE NUMBER AGENCY INFORMATION SSCIA 157-10014-10052 HEARINGS 68-H-03 ee rr er rr Fo kenthecdlca Tenn tinadcacaieasalanainenaiendandacalcan Teealie Aenaduncieanlenedentunlasntoncdaantententeendaselcaateantenstentmeieantcansiaatean te tentantinentnedamtmentnediandadamdan dade haadenelnainen tenant ORIGINATOR FROM TO TITLE DATE PAGES SUBIECTS DOCUMENT TYPE CLASSTPICATION RESTRICTIONS CURRENT STATUS DATE OF LAST REVIEW OPENING CRITERIA COMMENTS DOCUMENT INFORMATION SSCTIA COTTER, RICHARD 05/05/76 63 FBI, METHODOLOGY OSWALD, LEE, POST~RUSSIAN PERIOD ASSASSINATION, KENNEDY, JOHN TRANSCRIPT UNCLASSIFIED 1A RELEASED WITH DELETIONS 05/13/98 Box 3 Oe GRR GED ah ene Rt GA EE CO ERE PEEL ED EO FE ree TD EH ere SE wt terty tie SSA GO LON ANS Sere Sie yh sic) sith emp eet US ld ay ae neh HeAA WORE NERD ONE Gd ORE ORY Stn Mae Gane anne cha SAN MA CELA GANA ed cake GOODY Seal WORE AND OD OD AAO OD Ge UE ny HW 50955 Docld:327423440 Page 1
= densentpnaeetnennsttetiresieemeen a Ae + pare eaten Seri Toe re sina reniceianabetetats tes thotioet ie daetiane vast age SE tak eae aa ei es PEON arin ba : ‘ ty Pia ie ae eaenon maaEaE, m G hy et Serane fe oah the ted *e cate ne ea 2 ea # aie iS see ROMY EE A RC age way me aie % Report of Precedings . e am Pee be +, Brae ak aoe ta Hearing held before Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental eh Operationa With Respect. to intelligence Activitiess bevewea & FBVJFK TASK FORCE on 2 ge Ole DRE EASE IN FULL: garding C1 RELEASE IN. PARR: DN “VS 7 “2 TOTAL DENIAL aio “opal ,~ She CGF Wednesday, May 5, 1976 Washington, D.C. (Stenotype Tape and Waste turned over to the Committee for destruction) WARD & PAUL 3087 WILSON BOULEVARD ARLINGTON, VA 22201 (703) 841-0800 Tap SECRET whee yy tate Oo get, CS f 2 iseheyt. nit a,
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one * SRE SRT Repo en ferrerteemnne meeereneeg eee L : * ‘ 4 se eye wee = me eee nd rersy le De Bee teat ead ees : + x3 See TALES rg eee oe é 2 g ry a a a a B FEO Faraz Siceet, $.€., Wairengon, O.C. 20003 grin GrG “. United States Senate, if. . a Pend yoy ' ey Ss , ! “Select Committee to Study Governmental ‘Operations with Respect to [Intelligence Activities, Washington, 0. Cc. The Committee mat, pursuant to notice, at 11:30 o'clock &.mo, in Room 608, the Carroll Arms Hotel. Staff: Paul Wallach. TOP SECRET
Fees) ane ¢ pene neeerstyrvew apsaarenresrenenepii-doreecedatiliendea FEC ERIE OM dec eA gC te SSS genie? tee: re De ome aeanatce en etree SRE SE Sia oN ean Sg OTIS TE NL RATS AY Chatter B Rake Es : =e ae agent NE AIT Al AED EE Stace raty aorateagechapat net hata Wed Sree PH ihe fete «womens ee oe! Bese eeRS: t ky Eee Re ee ae WARS & PAs 81D 5 cost Steeet, S.€., Wearngton, OC. 20003 i) 6 9 8 9 10 11 ' Senator Schweiker Cannot be here today because he is tied up H usa! setts" ay et, TESTIMONY oF RICHARD COTTER’ | Mr. Wallach, Would you please state Your name and address : ge iret Bethy opt hy rigee oy for the record, Mr. Cotter. Richard cotter, Cro-t-trenr, 5337 Ravensworth, R-a-v-e-n-g-wer- toh, Road, “Springtigia, Virginia. teal ae; Mr. Wallach. Mr, Cotter, you have been interviewad before the Committee before, is that correct? Mr. Cotter. Yes, I have, Mr. Wallach. At that time were you placed under oath, was 4 Senator present? Mr. Cotter. There was no Senator present. I believe | t | Placed under oath, yes. | Mr: Wallach. In any event, the testimony you give here today will be available for you to raview, and I would like to proceed with the understanding that at such time that you review it, that Lf we desire, that you will swear to the truth of the statements contained therein, Mr. Cotter, Right, Mr. Wallach. Additionally, as I mentioned to you vefore, H i | | i 1 t | in some Committee hearings. Our rules do provide that you «arc es | allowed to have a Senator here, and your statement was that you | Agreed to precead in his absence, ig that correct? i . Mr, Cotter. That's correct. TOP SECRET
RET KN TREN NE WARD & PAUL SPIES INIT ATS IE TENT BET Te rete bie sd cd x Sitar [eon tere renner MIN SR ee aM heey M ORT aE RID FE vest Strwer, | E . Meovungton, O C. 2006) START at Pe ae pM as EERE ORS PME TO Bests ites res ae toa you do have the Y pight” ‘to yen and ‘ae at any time you want to adjourn and secure counsel, we will do that. Mr. Cotter. Okay. Thank you. Mr, Wallach. Just very briefly, could you for the record tell us when you first came inte the Nationalities Intelligence Division -- or Section. I'm sorry ~~ within the Domestic Intelligence Division, and from that point on just briefly trace your career with the Bureau. Mr. Cotter. Okay, I may be a bit fuzzy, but I was asgigne:i to Nationalities Intelligence initially in mid-=1953, and 1 worked continuously thereafter in Nationalitiaus Intelligence until 1970 in various capacities. About 19549 I was named a unit chief in that section, and about 1962 | became the number in 1965, following a reoryanization of the Domestic Intellige:s: Division, I became a section chief in Nationalities Intelliyeuce one man, Or assistant section chief under W,. K. Wannall, and t d | i and remained in that capacity until January 1970. Mr. Wallach. Calling your attention now to the period /pclor to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy -~- i explained to you the major thrust of our questions today wi. go to tne assassination and the FEI's investigation of the assassination of President Kennedy, bue calling your attention | ' to the period before that time, I take 1% that you were, b, virtue of your position, familiar with FBI's -~ I use the wor. | TOP SECRET |
aK EE SOR PRSITRLEINEH Gg E R —— dnananna: anadnshnpad-Ninntnya hn iny vane a een fear SPEND TTR SE TN ETE Meg POPPED NET TY ORE PY Pert gS RFORP AE PIETRO BES MIE TOES SRG SETS EEN hs CO i et | : | | | TR NOTIN eee Eee ere Be RTE ETE TERS Tee WARD & 4, BiG Cees Steaet, $.€., Wasnaneton, O.C. 20003 Fa 2 NaS NR a SR technical ee ae en elie 4°") Section prior. to’ pears ‘took’ wer? . - Biter oce Bpeadt 5 read * Mr. Cotter. ves, t was,’ brieflyi.* ~ ecg BG Age Mr. Wallach. Were you ‘faniiiar with ‘the operations that oe 1,4 a ts Se a Clark Anderson was running: out: ‘of, Havana?’ : Lo, Paras itis ee , Mr. Cotter. I was Senerally: ‘familiar with what the han i. Legal Attache, Havana, was doing. Bs don' t know particularly <«- you're not referring to any particular operation. Mr. Wallach. No, I'm not. Mr. Cotter. No, I was generally aware of his work. Me. Wallach. I want:to be clear. I donft at this point want to yet into the operationa or sources or anything Like ethic We don't need to gat into that. Mr. Cotter. Right. Mr. Wallach. It's just generally my understanding that at the time Clark was the Legat down there, that the Bureau had some very good sources within the Batista Government, and twhat I would like to ask you is from your experience afterwards, _iwhen Castro came in, did the Bureau still have sources withi: the Cuban Government from say the period 1961, 1962 and 1962. Mr. Cotter. I have no knowledge that we had, within tha Cuban Government during that period. Maybe, you know, I don'ts _ iknow offhand when the Legal Attache lefe. Mr, Wallach. I think it was in '59 or ‘60. TOP SECRET
MAR ma PAU B10 Fectt Street, §.€., Wotmrengion, 0.0. 20003 ot A RG aetna ae A may Me 1 Cotter sz Yas, 8 I don't have any 5 reas A he prs te rae es ste ak information: ‘about! thet Tea! 8 Spevationa in Cuba after Castro: , fy oe ‘a i. ae ‘anes ease i dye. took overs “’z" seriously’, doubt’ that’ ‘they did, a Seine aces Pie Te, ye ae . Mr. Wallach." am not) really ‘asking whether or not thuy Tae did have a particular high level source, whether a particular pergon wasaa’ source.” What ‘tla really like to know is waa: wtd, eye ‘the Bureau’ “gleaning positive intelligence information from Cuba, for example, at the time of the Bay of Pigs. Mr. Cotter. ‘Yea, but from very fringe type sources an a rule, refugees from Cuba, American businessmen and so forth wh« had contacts in Cuba. A lot of it was unverified, unsubstantis:#-: there wasn't too much real hard, accurata information availabin to the Bureau, Mr. Wallach. Do you know Vince Nasca? Mr. Cotter. Yeas, I do, quite weli. Mr. Wallach. Vinee ia still with the Bureau, and it is my understanding that at that time he evolved on the desk that was working on anti-Castro groups? Mr. Cotter. Yes, that’s true. in the pugt he's handled both pro-Castro and anti-Castro. I thiuk hia princival specsa.- {has been anti-Castro in recent years. Mr. Wallach. Who in your estimation would aave been or were the people at the Bureau most knowledyeuble di the Cuban area in late 1963? Mr. Cotter. Certuinly Nasca. Ray Wannall, the section TOP SECRET
bo > $7 “ST Cc. lh Cc ce. ae ~ WARS & FAIL BID Fest Steeet, $.E., Weamengton, D.C. 76003 tere ae si ie \ eke ® or hd ne ay Bane, aie chief “one: ‘waadn Sveralt ehatger nunbes one man, "myself, - Sih SMARTER 2 egree, ‘than‘Nasca’ or ‘Wannall, perhaps Ma “A. PN, yest fe age er . the head of the piviatony who was Weed ‘Sullivan. If there was Wohl Sa ha AG. ate something really high Level)" something’ of f importance going on, Sullivan would have known 5...) the foreign iiaigon people who's Mr. Wallach. Dan brennaatar Mr. Cotter. Dan Brennan's section. Now, at that time I don't think Brennan was a section chief. I don't know for certain, but it might have bean his predecessors in that job, people like Graham Day. You don't happen to know offhand when Brennan served as section chief? Mr. Wallach. No, I don’t, but he was there. Mr. Cotter. Also there was a foreign liaison unit in addition. Brennan was a section chief, but there was also a unit that supervised the operations of all legal attaches an: Nate Ferris was the key man in that. He was 4 supervisor in charge. Now, offhand I don't remember when he, Ferris, retire =. ‘ur. Wallach. He's fairly old now, isn't he? | . | but I think he was still there iu '63. | Mr. Cotter. He's quite old. vr. Wallach. Let me change the subject for a second, Mr. Covter. When is the first time you recall becoming aware of the TOP SECRET
ba es sf: rs porn a fms sevens uemmnnanrrresenrtece “y ae eaecg Ang Saran OneS Thea rast aa ag EOE AE Te TUN DESY SMe Ter ete “ Boats pepe ioutenraaaaenee . pay Rn RvR? soak Pa Has coed 5 thats Ae eRe Ge a eed enema pee, CUTEST ten rata ee ae RE SCORE ES NESE To PCRS oe : i Se en IS OT REE SE Na eK TTT WARD & FAVE B10 Fost Hirer ST. Warrington, OC. 70002 seagate et! AWS SH CIA, had actonpeed | 0 adeageinate Fide? ‘Castro? Mr. Cotter, - ‘Jagter" ae ‘yeee: ‘ehe Bureau, “tncother words, a8 ase, t yw. ‘YS > : a result of press dielosures. vin other words, I never received dny information from within’ the Bureau. Mr. Wallach. So to the best of your recollection, then, at no time while you were in the Bureau -- Mr. Cotter. At no time did f receive any information, director ox indirect about an attempted assassination of Castro by any government agency. Mr, Wallach. Let me just for the record show you a memorandum from Mr. Hoover dated May 10, 1962, and 1 want tu | | ation you received be clear for the record there is no indic In fact, I doubt that you did. Mr. Cotter, Okay. Mr. Wallach. The memorandum deals with many different 16 matters, but the last page, page 6, the latter part of page & and 17 8 page 7 describe a conversation between Mr. Hoover and Attorne; i \General Robert Kennedy in which they talk about an assassinai.s. ' 19 | le Mafia to assassinate Fidel Cagtro. lot. The CIA had hired the : 20 eet me show you the last paragraph of that page. 21 | Are you able to read it? mr. Cotter. I think sc. {Phe Witness reads the document.) There are a tew words I can't read. TOP SECRET Mr. Cotter.
a ea A oe ues TO I ee , a og a c ©. c ©. Rad Mh WAR & Frere Poon t BID T ost Strewt SE | Washergton, OC. ‘ we “eit: * eas biel Cane y that that’ information’ weed We" do have other memoranda Tathin By bale ye too,..that: indicates the Bureau. was fully aware of what wa ape a . have termed the Mafia plote, the. CIA Mafia plots to assassinate Castro that took place in ‘61, and. 62.09 “ sats ry Mk a ‘ , Mr. Cotter. Yeah, “that! ‘gertainty’ ‘is pretty convincing. 7” ape ase. ie Mr. Wallach. In any event, once again you are clear that you were never told about these plots. Mr. Cotter. No. Mr. Wallach. Did you have any direct dealings with anyone in CIA, or was that handled directly through Papich? Mr. Cotter. 99 percent of it was handled through Papich, but occasionally we would meet with our CIA counterparts to discuss matters of interest. I do not offhand recall any meer...¢s that I had with any CIA people on Cuban affairs. I had a number of meetings on Chinese matters, 1 know that. Mr. Wallach. Did you ever meet Desmond Fitzgerald? Mr. Cotter. On one occasion. 1 remember meeting him : a big conference they had, but that had nothing to do with jCuban situation. i “Mr. Wallach. So then all of your contacts would have been handled through vapich. Me. Cotter. Richt. Mr. Walhach. Similarly, in terma of what I have labele: the CIA Mafia attempts against Castro, we also recently -- t) TOP SECRET
WAR & PAWL 430 eras Sresat, $.E., temmengion, O.C. 20003 | | | i Hl i i Ay Bureau’ as" * ¥iP me Me gobo pean nee aS) epee ty that certain” persone witht nthe 8 Ha Natio lities Intelligence « fey Ne “af, ate, a Piet my . Section, yoursel: fiotéindluded,” had khowladge of the fact that t eggs Poplist Toh GAEK, oy 4 dn *63 or they ‘acquired: this Knowledge within the Bureau in late ‘63, early 164: that the CIA ‘was also attempting to use rt a vis ep welt $ Rh, :1 4 ae eertaln Cubans’ to. ‘ansasainate’ Fider ‘Castro. - we ae et “edly : yt ; ‘pid ‘that ever, cone ‘to ‘your attention? so A ae fp * oe tae a Mr. Cotter: . I have no recollection ef it, no. You know, it's even possible that I may have seen that memo that you just showed me from Mr. Hoover, but it just didn't register that I did see it. Mr. Wallach. It's also my understanding that parts of the | memorandum from Mr. Hoover were distributed because they related 'eg different subject matters. For example, there was discussion: between the Attorney General and Mr. Hoover on the Latin Americat. Academy. Mr. Cotter. Yoah. Mr. Wallach. Which was excerpted and certain of it was put into files. So you may have seen that. Mx. Cotter. Right. uy. Wallach. But 1 take it it doesi's cing any bells say anything about assassination plots. Cotter. No, Wallach. You would doubt that you did see that. Cotter. Normally when Mr. Hoover writes a memo like TOP SECRET
Pe a ee supervis 7 unl a gon why they considered i¢ ultra-sansitiv: fithheld distribution. an 8 PERERA BG Se Mr. Wallach. Well, thatiw tamped confidential. Would Spfess Fi, ¢ an yates * division or that have any effect on dist ; . a Petiry Me. Cotter. ‘I don’t"kn Lal alae peli igor iin ey See aid not normally classify“ita internal’ mail at that time, so : Che + 1 ~ that would have been a mark that Mr. Hoover considered it ultra-apecial or ultra~sensitive. * SRE ARae TE Spee 2 Mr. Wallach. When the assassination of President Kennedy took place on November 22nd -~ well, let's taka a step backwarcs , i I ‘ i i at , ete MTT In the period 1961, '62, '63, do you recall at any vine anyone from the Bureau going to any meetings at the Pentagon WARD & FAWE or going to any meetings in general to get involved in’ the Cuban operations that the U.S. was conducting againgst the Carn regime? Mr. Cotter. No, I don't. I do recall <~ I can't | | place the time, unfortunately, but I do recall once occasion | wnere ueneral Lansdale, I believe it was --~ 4x. Walbach. Lansdale. ‘ar, Cotter. Lansdale. Visited the Bureau and conterre.. with Mr. Belmont, who at that tima was an assistant to ta Director. Mi. Wallach.” Yo you remauber, Gould that have been ‘ve 810 Fest Street, $.E., Warmeneion, 1 C. 2000) Mt. Cotter. <i am sorry, but I just can't place taat. TOP SECRET
WARD ® PALE 4G Teeet eee. SE, Weaeteneten, OC. POG 2 cone 6° might. * ti EGE eeitonte! recall ‘epadiftcaliy’ Whether: . fe pe Site . a “F * He rt wasnafter Castro had “been pretty well entrenched in tle power for & ysar or two,” “and, Lansdale came over to se@ Belmont, and I know at that hme xr was a Supervisor in charge of what they called the Western tiemisphere Unit, which handled Cuban matters, and Vince Nasca was the supervisor that handled a lot of Cuban, individual Cuban cases. Sterling Donahoe was the saction chief, at that time, and at Donahoe's instructions, Nasca and myself accompanied him to Belmont's office to sit in on this conference between Belmont and Lansdale, and to jJend whatever support or information Belmont needed. Mr. Wallach. What took place at that meeting? Mr. Cotter. There was just a general discussionsof what could be done about Castro, that sort of thing, what the Bureau was doing, and what the prospects were for the future, and I don't recall too much specific, but I do recall one thing that occurred that sort of ties in here a little bit in an indirect way. At some point along the line, toward the end of the meeting -- and I think they were just sort cf, | Belmont and Lansdale were kind of gaying their amenities, almncs: ana Belmont made what I knew to be a joking comment about -- Lansdale evidently, I don't .know exactly how he was iatroduce., but the people attending the meeting, at Least my perception o: TOP SECRET
Lieere him 9 was that: he : here f S ab aad agp FN about Castro, something on: ther’ terms of secrot operations and ni Ta NT AO RT RM oh S TLS TNA An Tar go forth, and belmont ‘paid ‘something jokingly to him about why doesn't he hire, I forget whether he used the term Mafia, or some term about the underworld, and take care of Castro. But he said it with a smile on his’face, and I'm sure it was intende strictly as humor. Well, the odd part about it was that Lansdal immediately perked up and took it seriously, and you know, startdd asking Belmont, well, you know, do you think this could be arrangod and this sort ef thing. And Belmont was shocked by the jreaction he gut, and he immediately, you know, tried to put some distance, tried to make it clear to Lansdale that he was just kidding, and he tried to yet off the subject, and they Bare h PAUL ' } | ( { t ‘ i 4 | hever, Lansdale could never, you know, get him back touserious! - a bie ea eelaes el | | eaak about it. But I definitely do remember that little incident. I a I Mr. Wallach. This was at a time when Donahoe was still tt: 1 § ; i section chief, and -- i Mz. Cotter. Donahoe was the Section Chief, right, because { | Wannall was not at this meeting, It was just four of us from a Besbice te crs van fs iacaaaald abeectitice aatiarcioaal hates eek cotta bend aes ae i | the Bureaus Belmont, Donanoe, Nasca and myself. i i > | Mr. Wallach. Do you remember if you and Nasca were aske": | any questions? | » | ALD F mat Steoot, $.E., Wathongton, G.c. 7000} 1 i Ll would like to yo more particularly, into details. I { I atize we are talking about a meeting and conversations thar ari TOP SECRET : 25 |
WARD & PALE . Warsthengtan, 0.0. 29005 +4 BAD F est Stee’, 8 9 10 ll 12 some eve years age. hr SI Ae Mr. Cotter. t really don't ‘gecall. I'm gure that Nasca and myself had some things ‘to say, and Donahoe, too. Mr. Wallach. Would you have written a memorandum on the meeting? , Mr. Cotter. It would have been normal procedure. It would be bighly unusual not to write a memorandum, although it is possible. I mean, it may have been == this is one of these things that may have fallen between the desk, because maybe it wasn't clear who was going to write .the memorandum. It could have been any one of the four of us. But usually, whenever a | neeting Like this took place, 4 memorandum was written flor hr. Hoover's information if for nothing @lise. | Mr. Wallach. You don't remember being instructed not tc write a memorandum of this meeting. | MY. Cotter. No. I think 1 would remember that, if I was told not to write it. Chances are there wag a memo writte:. | at least to tell Mr. Hoover what was going on, and especially i! h Belmont was very careful to observe the ruies in that reyarc, } | “ry. Wallach. Do you know if Lansdale had reyuested a i i) meeting, or Belmont had reguested it? “ur. Cotter. I couldn't say for sure. it was my dmpres.: ithat Lansdale had requested it, and it was just strictly ar. i i 4 i gq | assunpeion onoimy part, bat I gathered that he was Louching _ base with all the intelligence agencias. TOP SECRET
a : Pepa ode- ASN what Lansdale was involved in, or was that. “generat knowledge in the Bureau to people in this area?. Mr. Cotter. Well, as I say, to the best of my racoliection I cannot specifically recall words,’ but I'm sure Donahoe probabl told Nasca and I that he vented’ us to cccompany him to Belmont’s office, that this General Lansdale was going to be there, that h had been appointed, I believe, by the White House to head up a | special projects type thing with regard to Cuba, but that was iz It would have bean vary general, and that wo wore going along gust in case Belmont needed some information about what the Bureau was doing. WARD & FAUE ; Mr. Wallach. All right. | One of the points you said Lansdale wanted to find out Was what the Bureau was doing vie-a-vis Cuba. What was the Bureau doing vis-a-vis Cuba at that time? i Mr. Cotter. Well, we were investigating very strenuously | wien regard to any allegations of individuals or groups who wer} i ‘or alleged to be engaged in pro-Castro activities. The emphasis! i” always on trying to find Cuban intelligence agents operatin:, Hin the United States, and there ware several cases where we | eitner identified agents or people were very highly Suspected los such. ( > Me. Wallach. Without going into any names at all, we were 2hO Barat Steet, OF, Masrengion, 0.6. 2000} . | cord that the Bureau did have a highly placed source within tue { | TOP SECRET
ertaneerters any tes SLT eae an ne? WARE ® PAVE 426 Fast Siepet, bf, Prathenaton, 2.4. #OO0F ic 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 io] 2 a rv) 24 25 8 Do eo eae neulate:; ice as here was one old-time there, an old-time eR source. He had beenaa source, as t recall, long befora Castro ' ae took over under Batista. “Somehow he managed to maintain his position after Castre took over, at least for awhile. He was a career type. Mr. Wallach. Do you know if he was around at the time of the Kennedy apsagsination, oF you really don't recollect? Mr. Cotter. No, = don't recall that. Me. Wallach. But was the Bureau doing anything affirmative” vis-a-vis Cuba? 1 understand they were in counterintelligence or in a4 counterespionage penee trying to detect agenta and try to neutralize them. But were they doing anything operationa: 1) or assistingly as to those op@rations, or were they themseive: doing anything against Cuba? Mr. Cotter. I don't have any knowledge of that, no, he- 1 would say no, definitely not. Mr. Wallach. bid Lansdale ask the Sureau to do anytnss Did he want the Bureau's assistance? Mr, Cotter. Not at this meeting he didntt, and l den! have any other knowledge that he did ever ask anything syr-t jie was just, f think, briefed. Mr, Wallach. Being priefed as to what? Mr. Cotter. le was searching for ideas on what Re moc... TOP SECRET
Ore B considersas. you" tio tabaiste projects’ to adapt’ to to get rid of Castro, as it wore: Paonte Pe that he ‘used those terms either. That ia my own terminology. But they wanted to do gomething to curb, check, eliminate Castro, Mr. Wallach. Was this after or before tha Bay of Pigs, do you remember? I would thinkiit would be after. Mr. Cotter. Afterwarda you think? Mr. Wallach. Yeas. Just from my own knowledge of when Lansdale was appointed. Me. Cotter. Yeah. Well, it could have bean, it could 10 i 1 | have been, you know, after that proved to be a failure, why | lp | Maybe they adopted this procedure. Hl] lz Mr. Wallach. In any event, what was Lansdale briefed upon WARD & PAWL Was he briefed upon Cuban intelligence axtivities within the United States, or what did the Bureau -- Mr. Cotter. He was told, in other words, roughly what the | Bureau had developed in terms of how many Cuban sympathigers, | how many pro-Castro type people there were, what groups there “were. There were several active groups within the United States where the focus was all concentrated, and I believe he would : 7 been briefed, about those people who had bean tentatively idess i as intelligence agents, and what -~ the general nature of the { Bureau's coverage. The Bureau was getting a lot of what we ' call positive intelligence. They were maxing every effort to B10 Foret Steaet, 5... Wasrungtan, GC, 70065 + - i; interview people who had just been in Cuba, or whe had visited TOP SECRET
. oy! hte cut of Cuba in one form or ‘nother... Mr. Wallach. And these are from persons for the most part, refugees in Miami? Mr. Cotter. Most of them are one shot type things, you know, temporary type informants OF sources. Some were more steady than others. I mean, there were a few people who the Bureau got a lot of information from over a long period of time. Mr. Wallach. Did these people have friends and ralatives back in Cuba? ATER PE a ee ae ot Eee fai: rere Te oe Spare Mr. Cotter. Either that or businesy contacts. | As I recall, there were oné or two people -- I know the: > was one woman in New York that gave us a lot of information, WARD & Paut | | “| most of which was very flaky and at least in my Opinion was of very doubtful value. I know that a lot of the sources that were reporting to the Bureau kept portrgying the hardships that i “ere going on in Cuba, and they painted a picture in general rn " Castro couldn't last, that they were running out of of1,,the- i ere running out of rubber, they were just -- his regime Jus. | woue not survive, and that turned out to be false, of cours... Mr. Wallach. Was there any more specific type of retin, 1.2, POO 3 jy intelligence information that was provided in terms of what } . . : . jCastre was actually doing, or what the military was doing a:.: i Pthiags like that, or was it just yeneral? 416 F ait Street, $8. We sime Mr, Cotter. Whatever was available, wa took and funnelio: TOP SECRET
‘ Lee iaiec, Pbegary 4 - * Roy, i eed “agencies; CIA.” ‘state Department . “he we on! i cae “e, SORA ath Wh 3 ore a . “ee 2 basicaliy, sometines’ th wmdlitary;’ Le it Bgemed to hava a 3 HELA ESE BARRA RIC VE feck TN: HP NNOS eat: NPE NSE IVR NEI Bete i Lap : military interest. ! 2%" ° Prone {Aces 2633 I 4 Mr. Wallach. Ware you ever “informed Or are you aware of At ans ae 6 i|\whether or not Lansdale aver “net with anyone else? H - 6 Mr..Cotter. No, I don't know that. You mean in the Bureau ¥ . she Mr. Wallach. Yes..0. rarudh) is x a] 8 Mr. Gotter. No, I don't know that he ever met with anyone alse . g Hin the Bureau. “ . ~. 10 Mr. Wallach. Bo you recall an occasion on which Sterling : ~- 1} | Donahoe went out to the Pantagon to meat with Lansdale? : = 12 Mr. Cotter. No. i é 1z | Now that you mention Sterling Donahoe yoing out to the | e. ‘ 14 || Pentagon, though, I do recall one occasion where Donahoe wen | < io to the Pentagon, I'm sure it was the Pentayon, and took eu ~ te | non with him to meet with some people from other ayencies, ane} va lia believe there was 4@ CIA man there -< I don't recall his aane. | : 18 | Mr. Wallach. Does William Harvey ring a bell, big i g 19 | neck, bulging eyes? | : : ec | Mr. Cotter. The man I recall was quite short, squat, : i 2; (not particularly big, and he talked up a storm all the tine, . : gp ihe talked in very stilted intelliyence type language. [fo res. ] | i oe that was the big thing that impressed me about the meetiny. i : : : eg “was all -- I mean, you had te almost interprat what he said, . ef i KNOW, | TOP SECRET !
Seige pet Sgneripitaheniaatatrepinemenrnt sence nsttarer inlin sea: + 410 forat Steel. SE. Warmington, 6.0. 20003 Wao ® rave after the occasion. ‘when’ Lansdale, Came’ to. nest iets Belmont? Ane ty Mr. Cotter. “I don' recall” that. either, Probably before. But it had no connection with ‘Lansdale, and. I don't recall it having any overtones or any, onnections, whatever, with any Hay rm secret or clandestine-type operations or assassination attempts fete 4s ue Ye Lay 4 ‘ or anything. Mr. Wallach. We are talking about the meeting at the Pentagon. Mr. Cotter. Yeah, Mr. Hallach. Now, were you briefed as to what the purpose ef that meeting was, or what was your understanding as to the purpose of that meeting, if you can possibly recall? Mr. Cotter. You know, over the years you attend so many of these meetings, and they kind of get to be a big bius. Mr. Wallach. Mr. Donahoe has testified that the subject of assassinating Castro was brought up at that meeting. Mr. Cotter. At a meeting. Me. Wallach. At a meeting at the Pentagon. Me. Cotter. At which I was present? Mr. Wallach. He recalled someone else at the Bureau wear Heith him, but he could not recall who else it was. Mr. Cotter. I did accompany him to this one meeting, i | maybe it waa the same. Mr. Wallach. You testified you only went to one. | TOP SECRET
gs discussed at that meating? what. wa Me Mr. Cotter. 2 can't, ‘recall anything other than just Mr. WaLlach. generalities about. what the aifforent agencies, what their assets were. ; 22 Mr. Wallach. In Cuba? 2 13 | Mr. Cotter. Regarding Cuba. ° n Mr. Wallach. What agencies were there? You said + CIA was there. 16 Mr. Cotter. = couldn't even identify those clearly- he 17 | ainitary ~~ you might say who in the military. all . Mr. Wallach. No, I'm not. g oi Mr. Cotter. No. There was nobody there from State, 25 8 20 i renember. I think there were just four oF five people. } at wy, Wallach. You don?t remeber the names of anyon. *. ol Mr. Cotter. Nor and 1 don't chink even if you told me : _ their names, that 1 gould recall it. : Mx. Wallach. Would you have prepared, in all likelihoo.. 2 a memorandum on the meeting? TOP SECRET
operated, yes. 2 don't oaoal At. eat teatty. « ao Tt q remember ponsiias an ge the way back talking about this CIA fellow’ 8 atyle of wpeech? Tt) ‘was go far out in terms of you know, he had his own aan LaLa Mrs. “wallach. Me. ponahos! pbadificanty recalled -- and I'm aL Ran paraphrasing his testimony, 4 and of course, I don't have it here before me, to the affect that the subject of using the Mafia to assassinate <-- he didn't say the word assassinate was used | but to get rid of Castro was prought up, and he sort of said 4 & i fe eave : ; ‘ i : i i Fe fd BET dae : 3 a Bien Brcpersespepeneee: ges Sete OEE Seber et # . EEN # * Peep gees . a :: how inappropriate thig would be, et cetera, et cetera. 12 you don't recali that? WARD & PAUL 14 | logical. I know the Bureau, that would be the Bureau's reacties) 35 jpand if it was brought up, tT am gure it wasn't brought up by i j \ | Mr. Cotter. No, 1 don't recall it, but it certainly wa» | { \ | 16 | anybody from the Bureau, oF it's possible it was brought up. | 17 peers there were so many things mentioned, you know, some haltwaf 4 . ye; an ject and some ~~ well, not in jest, bet sort of “7 at ane | kind of a brainstorming session I'm sure @ tet of things were ; i pentioned that ~~ a hell of a lot of thought has to be gives i i! 1 to . : Mr. Wallach. It's Donahoe’s recollection that chis meets) : it toon piace after he had been or becone belmont's number one zs te meeting at the Pentagon, and that he thought that he tour BID Fest Sieeet. 6.0... Wastengtion, b.c. 2000) 25 ll someone from the section with him. TOP SECRET
a is'as Mr. ‘t fvould' ‘have’ been@ wo AS, oe Pas ees gee the logical one, either, ‘ma or, Nasca. Mr. Wallach. “Getting back’ to ‘the other meeting that. Lansda}e had with Belmont an@ the others at the FEI offices, do you recal whether Belmont mentioned any ‘names within the Matia or organized crime? Did he mention Giancans, Rosselli, or why don't you hire one of those fellows? Mr. Cotter. No. I would be pretty sure of that because the only mention made of assassination or Mafia or anything Like that was this one littie occasion I told you that cook plac jroware the end of the ineeting, and Belmont, he had sort of ~~ he t ie! ‘was sort of a whimsical character, and I'm sure he intended K 4h te is ! ( 14 y evinced interest, Belmont just scrambled to make it clear 1s AMD & PAVE i 1 j thas just as a joke, and I know that as soon 38 Lansdale 1 t 15 | that he was only kidding. He didn't, you know, ne had no 77 at 6 therefore Belmont would never ~~ i'm sure he didn't bring ont any specifics whatsoever. | Nr. Wallach. Aside from those two meetings we discusse. “ur, Cotter. Yes. Me. Wallach. Wkre you at any time involved in, prias ty tne assassination, in any meetings with any persons Gigeussess ¥ LOLner than the Bureau's counte re spLonage activities vis~-acvi- fd y Teeba, 29 other words, you are aware that, even if the knowles 3° i é cane later, that the goveranent was running what they calle- 25 | Operation MONGOOSE, the CIA was in paramilitary operations ava TOP SECRET SE, Meare gion, f.c. 70003 SAO Feat Street,
wane & PAVE &tG F vat Street. E , Warhngtne, O c. 29008 2 2 you recall? Mr. cotta. f was ‘never, “An any ‘meetings. The Bureau would get information from time to, tne: ‘about the CIA. Before the Bay of Pigs took piace, for example i. we’ aia occasionally get informa | Vy tion about the CIA preparatiéns Diao the anti-Castro movenent what they wers doing, oF the fact that they were training in Mexico, I believe, right? Mr. Wallach. Uh-huh. Mr. Cotter. And occasionally the Bureau would get some tidbit of information that we think might be of interest to IA, some rumor of a penetration by Castro, of an activity oF something like that. . Mr. Wallach. I think they might have been training in Guatemala. | Mr. Cotter. Guatemala, you're right, yes. ‘ Mr. Wallach. But at that time, to the best of your | knowledge 7~- Me. Cotter. But I didn’t attend any strategy meetings, Heather in or outside of the Bureau, with ceagard tc paramilita:. operations OF anything related. Mr. Wallach. In 1963 do you xnow whether of Os the Bure and by that I mean informants, Assets, Waals © within the Cuban diplomatic establis:.
WAAD & Par BIG F esd Steeet, S.£., Wathengton, D.C. 20003 Mr. Cotter. *! PEidonte :Paca we je" as at she ; such & source existed? ‘he’ ‘would have been operated by the Legal CE be eX tien. Attache in Mexico cley<; And it? 8 "possibie he did have one. f doubt it. r naver saw ‘any ‘information that showed any inside out information coming out’ of Mexico.” Mr. Wallach. Did the Bureau at that time run operations cou te against the Cubans out of Mexico City? Me. Cotter. Run operations, you mean have the Legal Attache dgrecting operations against Cubans? Mr. Wallach, Right. Mr. Cotter. I don't know of any. Mr, Wallach. In other words, something the BAC would do up in New York, for examples. Mr. Cotter. Something the Legal Attache would organize to get information from the Cubans. Mr. Wallach. Right. Mr. Cotter. No, I’m not aware of anything like that. Mr. Wallach. You were aware that they were getting information CIA though. i wy, Cotter. In general, yes. Yeah, the CIA, 1 Know, hac, L believe they had -- I may have this wrong -- CIA had certain * li types of coveraye on the Cuban embassy. They may have had | photographic coverage, 4 lookout or something like that, and they possibly had telephone coverage. TOP SECRET
because that came up coverage itself? Mr. Cotter. Not to my knowledge. 1 would gay no, based on what I -=- I don't know of any. ° Mr. Wallach. At the time of the assassination, if you can recollect for us what you recall happening and your involvement at the Bureau ~~" Mr. Cotter. Yeah. Well, at the time of the assassination, Oswald was identified, of course, d{mmediately, and it turned | out that Oswald was the subject of a duai-captioned case. Ii » | oer words, he was of interest to both the Soviet section, Wh. F $ | nad the prime investigation of Oswald, Oswald having defected CARD & PAUL to the Soviet Union, OF he was a repatrict, and. the Soviet | section which was then known as the Espionage Section had 4 pease going on Bim. mr. Wallach. That was Bgranigan's section? Mr. Cotterx. Branigan's section. i And I believe the case at that time was assigned to Barr t | rarner. 4 Hy k Mr. Wailach. He was headquarters supervisor. | Mr. Carter. Yeah. But at the game time, Castro had Lees | . gi | involved in -~« with the Fair Play for Cuba -> i 25 | ve. Wallach. ‘Tou mean Oswajd had been inveived. 4 B10 Fest Stoeet. SE. Wartengton, O.C. 29003 Pia Mr. Cotter. Excuse me, Oswald had ceen involved with whe TOP SECRET
WARD & FAVS 440 Freee Street, S$... Wartangto”, B.c. 20003 igs . ction, Nationalities - fee ary sig oy Anderson, who was -gipbelsaing “the Cuban aspecta of i*. And so some of thet mail “hat would, come in under Oswald's name would be a Foutea te nathonietenntsittsonce whenever ther Was & possible Cuban interest. en ' Mr. Gallach. Mr. anderson, Lambert Anderson, fairly familiar with Cuban operations, and I use that term loosely, in general, was he familiar with Cuba, or was he just someone doing the job? Mr. Cotter. Ha was fairly new at the time, and young. ue a ; ag |B only come into the Bureau within the past year, 1 think, 4 | year or two I think maybe. I wouldn't consider him an expert on Cuba, but he did have this case. 1e Mr. Wallach. Well, let me ask two questions, then r'ai go back to my question as to what happened on the day of the assassination. ‘| ‘ Did the Bureau have any igh level sources within the pray for Cuba Committee, the FPCC? ri i “ir, Cotter. I guess the answer to that would se no. the Fair Play for Cuba Committee for a tine was assigned to: - i ‘when it first got started. Mr, Wallach. Have you heard the name Vincent Lee? Mr, Cotter. Vincent lee. TOP SECRET
WARD & PAUL AIG Korst Street, S E.. Wattungton, OC. 20003 ee Gren wats EN te 2 lies confused. ce an Mr.. Cotter. Well, the big. gun in the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, I know when I had dt, was ahguy by the name of Tabor, Robert tabor, and there was a fellow named Gibson. Are you familiar with Bigson's name? Mr. Wallach. Yeah, Gibson left and want over to Europe somewhere. ~ Mr. Cotter. Yeah. Mr. Wallach. Do you know whether the Bureau had any hig: il pee -- I think your answer was no, they did not have any | isn level sources. | Mr. Cotter. No, we didn't have any high level sources. Mr. Wallach. Do you know if the CIA did at the time - of the assassination? Mr. Wallach. I think that the nare of the person T am _ i thinking of is V. T. Lee. Mr. Cotter. I do remember the two principal authors. TOP SECRET
WARD ® PAUL BLO Ff nt Sireet. > £., Wasmagtan, O.C. 2900) 143 lon that. 1! t b jehe Fair Pla Rat ea hy At Se _ £4 PY ese ry A tay ae ae ey Aye 4a Hina nero a hero aye Tt was possible it Mr. Wallach. vincent ir te0 was ‘in the New York Office. Mer. Cotters He waa one of the chief officers of the Fair for Cuba Committee. —~ , a Mr. Wallach. Mr, Cotter. Ne. Wallach. Mr. Cotter. Mr. Wallach. a » I think he was prosident. Wall, it’s possible, but he wasn't a source. pid you ever hear that he was a CIA man? Uh-bh. It would surprise me if he was. wa have some documentation on what I would a mild COINTELPRO against the Fair’ Play for Cuba Commitcec. Mr, Cotter. That's true. As a matter of fact, I remember handling goie of the mail The Bureau aid try to promote some dissension withis y for Cuba Committee because both the CP, the 16 lcommunist Party,and the Socialist Workers Party were strenuousl; 1? striving to get control of this, and the Bureau was trying to 18 promote this rivalry, and the New York Office, with Bureas 19 | jneadquarters approval, and perhaps even at our direction 7- $ 20 2} Janonymo £3 2 st ee | 24 | i 2s | 4 Bone WO r rouldn't swear who instigated the idea -- but we did nave ah us letter prepared directed -~- 1 forget which faction, sirected it against the other, buc it was an effort to exploit his ill-feeling, and I think it centered around in particular e tried to make gomething of the fact that she was trying to TOP SECRET a man named Green, Bertha Green or something Like that. whe
Se ; rrabaat gaccen aetna et RUE ee use ‘the "Pair" ‘Play "tot #y mmr saneterc tre nennceees ae interests, but’ for the ingereats of the Sup. vot Mr. Wallach, “De you recall any other COINTELPRO type creer efforts against the FPCC except that one? sprees favs hs) Mr. Cotter. No, that's the only one. Mr. Wallach, Are you aware that the CIA was running cxtens{- COINTELPRO type operations against the Pair Play for Cuba Committae? Mr. Cotter. No. It doesn't surprise me, but I didn't know of any. Mr. Wallach. Turning back, now, to -= Mr. Cotter. The Falr Play for Cuba Committee, I might auu, i @{d come upon -- I mean, there was a lot of ili-feeling among RARD & PAVE " che top leaders, and it did become ineffective because of leadership rivalries, and I know the Bureau, whether rightly or wrongly, we always felt we had something to do with this by this little COINTELPRO effort. Mr. Wallach. Let me ask you thia. Going to the visic shat! ‘| Oswald made to Mexico City. Mr. Cotter. Right. “wy. Wallach. Where he was in contact with the Sevier anc | cuban diplomatic establishments. Mr. Cotter. Right. Mr. Wallach. When there was a correspondence Frem the AED Fast Steeet, $F, Wattenginn, B.C. 29003 CIA, I guess, from the Lagat which indicated that Oswald was TOP SECRET
Pee ean Go ¢ ith these. estab! shme nd that he in tact, in the Soviet eatablishnent! eee VER OU ae ee oie? rete | Kostikov, does that mean ‘anything, Mr. Cotter. No, I don! t pemamber, any ‘names. The only thing vie a ANS gs I recall about that is there. were a’ couple of pieces of maii, Pa oT sis tpn ga page Re a I recall only” ‘ona epecisizally, "Which (cane | across my desk when Se a aah ra I was nunber one man. It was ‘one ‘of "these things, that was captioned Oswald ISR and maybe IRS-Cuba, and it mentioned the fact that Oswald had been in Mexico City and had been in touch with the Soviet and Cuban embassies, and it was being routed 13 |i to Nationalitiestintelligence because of the Cuban contact, anc 12 just remember seeing that piece of mail. It was only a few 12 | days before the assassination, That's why it registered with MAR & Pave |, Me. Mr. Wallach. bid the DGI at that time have an assagsgsinativ3 capability in the United States? Mr. Cotter. You're talking about Cuban intelligence? 7o00} i Mr. Cotter. It would be strictiv speculative. fi mean, «eo i [didn't have any hard information. i i Mr. wallach. JI think we were told at a briefing that thers was one operation -- I don’t know the date. E may have been i | Mr. Wallach. Yeah. iN | | f in the early "603, at least no earlier than ‘62, later, where EG Fast Stewet, $8... Wasnagien, O.C. 26 leno DGL was xrusning our of New York asSasyination attempts again. 2s igomne of the Anti-Castro leaders. TOP SECRET
é %, ue ef 2 : 3 : soos neve ee 3 ‘ Ny sh see NReaN We Ved ee No, I don't “Eecall any? you know, specific cases enat” ee Bureai Gednoivea's in ‘where we were exploring % eta . Peet: Fp MN OAT tae ea ee FTN that particular ‘type: thing. oot mean, we were generally aware, a hat . a Peet oe you know) “just in terms ‘of ‘potential, but I don't recall any par- FRONTS et ee aes ticular ‘cases or information’ garding ‘Cuba, andcefforts to cd : ea assassinate "tn the United states. eee we eee 8 Mr. Wallach, All right, turning to the time of the 9 assassination, do you recall what was your involvement in any 10 investigation, what do you remember observing, whether there 11 || were meetings er anything like that going on? 12 Mr. Cotter. Meetings, you're talking about within the Bureau? WARD & FAVE Mr. Wallach. To decide what investigative techniques -- 15 I'm sorry,to decide on what investigative strategy would be use. 16 | in the investigation of the assassination of President Kennedy? 17 Me. Cotter. I did not attend any policy meetings within 18 the sureau on that type of thing. 19 Mr. Wallach. Ware you ever asked -- 20 “ir. Cotter. The only thing I may have done, and I'm 2; | sure everybody in the Domestic Intelligence in one part or 2p another got involved in this case helping out, doing name Pia leheeks or something, or helping with memos, ang I am sure that 2a | alony the way I probably -- Tf do remember helping Stokes an BID F wal Steet, $8. Wastungion, D.C. 20005 Lenihan handle certain projects, mostly file reviews, but 1 TOP SECRET 25
WARD ® PAUL 410 Fest Street, $ €., Washengeun, OC, 20001 ‘ Scape te Fn iss eax i know (vasa ep prensa! at eds Biteee ee alt i dit I t . BESS nec Pia RRP IS Fe have ‘been: help that K ala SSCS thave* been. ‘focused in the Espionage Section.’ Mrs Wallach. Were there ever any meetings that you recall ta wt te ft hes where there were discussions’ as "to whether or not the Cubans had ~ been Lavolved in the ‘gleagaination of President Kennedy? Mr. Cotter. Now" asntt pacet2 at ali. I would say no. Mr. Wallach. Do you know if that possibility was investi- | gated? 10 Mr. Cotter. Well, I can't even say that for sure, no, I yz] |] can't. Mr. Wallach. We have here an article that was picked u;, y the New Orleans Times-Picayune on September 9, 1963, which i think has recently been in the press again. I will egead-a i portionédas it te you. It says "Prime Minister Fidel Castro I cooned up today at a reception at the Brazilian Embassy in | Havana and submitted to an impromptu interview by Associated ll preas:. Correspondent Daniel Arthur." Now, we have been told by CIA experts that Castro givin: , fan interview at that time was somewhat unusual. Would you agree with that? Mr. Cotter. Yes. Mr. Wallach. And it was also unusual that he would go + fa reception at the Brazilian embassy. . Mr. Cotter. What's the date here? TOP SECRET
MARO & PAUL 2000) 810 Fert Street, SE, Vramueger, D.C. 5. 10 ESA asec Mr. Wallach? * Septe > va Posy Pa Moos Mr. Cotter. Uh- huh.” Mr. Wallach. And the first paragraph of the article gays, “Prime Minister Castro said Saturday night U.S. leaders would be in danger if they helped in any attempt to do away with leaders of Cuba.“ Then it goes on from there. Do you recall ever seeing that article or hearing that igtatement from Castro? Mr, Catter. No, I don't. In retrospect that certainly leoks like a pointed signal, doesn't it. | Mr. Wallach. It does, and for reasons of the Meazilian | EMbagay, does take on significance because some of the Sraziisa.. | contacts were being made. | Was anything brought to your attention that any attempts | were being made on Castro at that time? ; | Mr. Cotter. No. | Mr. Wallach. You see, what I'm trying to do is make a : 'distaaction between the blustery statements that Castro was ‘making generaliy about how everybody was trying to get ric lof him, and a Specific threat ayainst the President, and he : wit not be safe. continues on in saying "We are prepared to fight them and ans th 4 ; ; jin kind, United States leaders should think that if they ar: ] aiding terrorist plans to eliminate Cubun leaders, they thensuly I \! u - Now, copies of this «= in fact, a copy of this arcicl., TOP SECRET
WAM & rau 50 F vent Street ST, Weatengtin, OC. POOR'S Sees See ts AG from the New Orl 1 : the same statements November, and he thought there was something to then. Po you recall any of this ever being brought to your attention? Pe Mr. Cotter; No, I.don'ts. Mr. Wallach. Doyou recall at any tima ever seeing any memorandums or instructions that Cuban sources be contacted to sea if there was any Cuban involvement in the assassination of Prosident Kennedy? Mr. Cotter. Well, that's what I was running ghrough my mind when you read that article. If it had come to our atten ioh 4€ it had any -- you know, if this article had been routed ty us, that would have been a typical reaction by headquarters, °c instruct the key field offices handling Cuban matters to alert their sources and be aware, you know, be particularly aware of anything that might indicate an assassination attempt, but ther’ wag no such communication, to my knowledge, ever sent eut from headguarters. Mr. Wallach. If they were sent out, in all likelihood y»-: | probably would have known about it? , | Mr. Cotter. Yes, I think I would hava. It's -- that wool. have been a normal way of handling this kind of thingy. Me. Wallach. Bo you know who reached a decision as te investigation that would be conducted because from the docurne:... TOP SECRET
tar te oerrtateipnntanaatotinennrnasnyen tna SPRAY NEA PTE ERG : sere eae aries feast rs an MAbs ean aes ate Rishae st." bats Aerts RSH Wee rea § Prt ive 4y* “4 4! i re: te ca ; 2 he eis be aeef LA Se eA TER coh abt tte a a en we reviewed,” fies Tappearedetnae oe vem talking figuratively - tne WES “th 8 yen Sta i . ry abe WE uo en . ever pressed the button” me “the Bureau: saying we've got to vhowe investigate the possibility. of. ‘whether Cuba, or there wag Cuban involvement in the assassination of President Kennedy. ant sey? e wot De you know who made the: decision really not to push that ‘ + ‘ ae seb a roars se button? : Mr. Cotter. No, TI don't.” ; | Mr. Wallach. Would you agree that the button really wagn't pushed? Mr. Cotter. Well, yeah. In retrospect, I -= there was very little emphasis on that from what 1 saw on the i | investigating possible Cuban involvement. ¢ f MR. Wallach. What was the emphasis on? WARD hm FAR Mr. Cotter. Well, you'd have to talk to the fellows thut diverted. They were investigating painstakingly every damnec angle they could think of, but this particular phase, I don't | I i | : were running the case, but, I mean, the enphagas was highly | | la | | Ki recall any great stress being placed on it, or any stress at jail, actually. Mr. Wallach. Do you know why? I mean, here we have a situation where che documents refh. -; ) that senior Bureau officials were aware of CIA attempts agate: i icastro, and a specific Castro threat bacz, and there was seme other additional information. SiO Frat Saveet, 5.6, Watnengion, OC. 20003 ) Mr. Cotter. Well, it looks like two and two today, bu: TOP SECRET
ep : BNR th FA ey Pa eta, et an cs apparently vaian'e 2 e Like’ two" ‘and _two then. They just whe eke @y:; Pos ey, didnét put it together," or I am not aware of it if they did. Mr. Watlach.. You! re not aware One Way or another 1f they 4 i : 4 did put it together and made a decision not to follow it up? b *, 5 Mr. Cotter. Yes, chatta true; or maybe they did follow it | ie s $ Be | Se FE . 7 But whatever, it did not come to my attention. | 8 Mr. Wallach. I showed you before a copy of a cablegram : 9 |;}dated 11/25/63 to the Director from Lagat, Mexico City. It is 10 || No. 182 and 183. The paragraph on the fourth page, the bottom ll | paragraph, says, “Ambassador here feels Soviets much too F 12 | sophisticated to participated in direction of assassination of 4 . t 12 || President by subject, but thinks Cubans stupid enough to have ‘ 14 | patticipated in such direction, even to extent of hiring subyos., 15 | 1£ this be the case, it would appear likely that contract would 16 | have been made with subject in U.S. and purpose of hia trip | 17 | to Mexico was to set up & getaway route. Bilreau may desire to ! 1& six consideration to polling aii Cuban sources in U.S. in § 19 Vetfort to confirm or refute this theory.” And then as I shewe.. : 20 vo" this document before, there is a line drawn to that ports i 2} t the document which says, "give consideration to pelling : oy |]all Cuban sources," and then I think you said it was your : py | handweaeing: "Not desirable. Would serve toa promote rumors.” : 24 | I wonder if you recall anything about that, . 25 Mr. Cotter. I don't recall it now, but that is definitel, TOP SECRET
euEeee a pics Pega ed gt ee NT rhe ¢ in het or ee eee fee I don' t recall making that comment or reading this particular : of at ™ “ro a ae ' communication, but te ‘4a’ RY pendwetting. Mr. Wallach. Bo ‘you’ recall’ aver being told that on the wot a gy day of the assassination a Cubaria airliner with no passengers Pie: Pat ee yt ‘a ‘dees aboard waited five houra "in" Mexico city and flew to Havana? hat SN go "y. oo 7 rn * ;, Mr. Cotter. come again. ‘ r missed that. Mr. Wallach. Were you ever made aware of any unusual g Cuban airlines activity following the assassination of President > 10 Kennedy from Mexico City to Havana? 4 11 Mr. Cotter. No. | Mr. Wallach. Were you aver aware that one known Cuban 12 12 litraveled from Tampa at the time the President was there, and WARD & PAUE 14 then ended up in Mexico City, and was the only passenger on 4 i Cubana Airlines flight from Mexico City to Cuba some two or 16 three days after the assassination? 17 Mr. Cotter. No, I don't have any recall on that either. 12 | Mr. Hallach. Were you ever informed of any conversations 4 19 PF any intelligence information that the CIA picked up from .25 _, Kntercents in Mexico City that seemed unusual about the Cuban - | . zg, pRbassy or Cuban consulate there? ‘| Mr. Cotter. If I had, it has slipped my memory. Irecait it now. There wags a vast amount of mail coming in from a let vt BLO Fort Steet, S.£., Wastungtar, O.C. 2000! ' 5 | ifferent sources, and you know, it is possible something was TOP SECRET
oe A re Mr. Wallach. ° De you recall chat 't) thera was a péint in time when there was a Nicaraguan who was alleging that Oswald had received $6500 in cash at the Cuban embassy?’ I'll show youa memo here = I dontt think there's any indication that it went to you. Mr. Cotter. I do not recall this, no. Mr. Wallach. Do you recall any discussions =~ Mr. Cotter. Incidentally, on reviewing this cablegram from Mexico that you just showed me where I made this written | comment about not desirable to poll all Cuban sources in the h i U.S., I have just been thinking about it. I think [ would mics. u | the same decigion today. In other words, based on my Kknowleay:. WARD & PAVE ! of what was available to the Bureau in terms of sources in the al it i just go out on a shotgun type approach and approach 100 dif- i U.S. and so forth, I don’t think it would have been wise to ferent people, or 50 or whatever it might be, to ask them fo: information which they would not have been in a position to hue In other words, you know, the Bureau just didn't -- if one or two real hignly placed sources who might have been privy to this type of sensitive information, I think it woul: have been a good idea, but the Bureau didn't have those kings ef gources in the U.s. Mr. Wallach. Well, to the extent of your knowledge, it LO F eat Street, $.E.. Wastngian. GC. 20003 i didn't. TOP SECRET
ey 7 ay we documented, they had people close enough to Castro tokill him. ; Mr.Cotter. The Bureau did, you say? Mr. Wallach. No, but the Bureau was aware that there Ay, a Cai a ‘ were persons in the united States, be it Mafia figures or whomever, that had high enough level ties. Mr, Cotter. Well, this suggests all Cuban sources. That means all FBI sources. Mr. Wallach. Well, do you know if any Cuban sources pollad? | Mr. Cotter. No. BARD & PAUL itr. Wallach. Do you know why? Mr. Cotter. When you say -- you mean FBI assets, inforna:ts. } sources of information, whatever we might have had? Mr. Wallach. Right. Mr. Cotter. No, Icdon't know that anybody was ever polled on the theory that the Cuban embassy in Mexico might have directed or been involved in the assassination. Mx. Wallach. Well, not specifically whether there was any Cuban involvement in the assassination. mre Cotter. & don’t recall. Its possible that was done, but I don't recall it being done. AED Ft wat Stee! SE. Washenyton, O.C. JONG! I chink it is likely that was done, as a matter of fact, TOP SECRET
BARD & PAUL SIG Feent Street, $0. Wartungion, &.C. rood} anes Beant a Eth wed you this: [- cablegran befora which I read’ to’ ‘you ‘that? portien nee “+ wey! ed ‘to participate in direction ; EN of assassination of: Presidente by. subject, but thinks Cubans stupid enough to have participated in ‘such direction, even to as Pa ’ extent of hiring eubject hee i Mr. Cotter. Yeah. Mr. Wallach. ALL right, now, just taking that for a second, do you recall any discussions within the Bureau as to who was directing the investigation in Mexico City? Was it the Bureau's responsibility or was it CIA's responsibility, or State Department's, or whose? Mr. Cotter. I don't think I should really comment on thas i because this would have been something worked out in Branigas's gection, or at the Division level. ‘tt would not have had anything to do -- I would not have been involved in any such discussions or decisions. So 1 don't know. ZI preaume the Bureaudid have an ayreene: with CIA as to what portions we would handle and what portiss: we wouldn't. But XI don’t know how that agreement transpires. Mr. Wallach. Would any investigation in Mexico City of any possible Cuban involvement have been run out of your section? Mr. Cotter. If tha Bureau was involved in exploring a TOP SECRET
i he ney ie eerten doe ease once 2a fie Sear rare Tit pene shee Sane hope ea +i 2: Ley TNT MRS BE SIRE WARE & FAH. 410 Fornt Steeet, 5.E., Watrenaton, 0.C, 20004 . wt * Mr. met Do” ‘you certia of any such investigation? Mr. Cotter. No, no I don! te Mr. Wallach. Did you have any contact at all, or did you respond to any requests at all from the Warren Commission? Do you recall working on any of their requests? I'm not asking you specifically which one. Mr. Cotter. Yeah. I think 1 probably did, but I don't recall particularly. I know I had some matters about the Warren Commission came u lony after the assassination. I remember just within the last your, a year or two prier ta the time t retired trom tin tle watter came up involving the Warren Commission which i handlec, it was sort of a review of bureau files mostly. ur, Wallach. What was that matter? Mr. Cotter. Ghas wag a e= let me recall now, particula: whag -- it had to do with rumor that Oswala had been a ituts v Lofowat: ema the ressou yok LuVOlVet Vas Lecsuge some warten Lo declaasify that pertion ob the Warsen Cennisgia:r be beg. fx ban buen classitaed top secret. and the question a. arisen by somebody <= offhand I really dun't recall who -- as to whether it could be declassified and celieaused, waS at that time the Bureau's classification officer, so they gent it to me to handle. So I do remember reviewing the files TOP SECRET
WERT Gane nts were’: ved»; and @o‘forth, and as I recall, we decided toe declassify 4t. I was a rumor that had originated with some newspaperman in Texas, and it had. been relayed through the Attorney General of Toxas, as I recall, «° fellow by the name of Wagner. . . Als ye vt af Mr. Wallach. Wagner Carr, -' ‘ Mr. Wallach. That waa, I think, in early "64, ! Mr. Cotter. Yeah, but at the time 1 reviewed it, this ic wasilike '74, Mr. Wallach. Did you at any time, prier to the public disclosure, have any Knowledge that Oswald had left a note at the Dallas field office of the FBI before the assasginasion, WARD @ Pau, Mr. Cotter. No. The first I learned about that was in the newspapers. Mr. Wallach. Where was Stokes? Is it John Stokes? Mr. Cotter. John Stokes. Mr.Cotter. Wagner Carr, yeah. | i | I | i | H | Mr. Wallach. What was his position back in '63? hr. Cotter. He was a supervisor in the CSphonage sectics one of the better ones, more experienced ones. ‘Mr. Wallach. Which area did he handle? Mr. Cotter. I don't know specifically. 1 know he Aun: Soviet cases. Mr. Wallacn. Soviet cases? SIO Test Street. SE. eshington, 1 C. 20003 ig. Cotter. No, one phase. No, they broke them down, TOP SECRET
WARS & PAUL SEO Caeyt Street, 4.5., Wrasmngton, O.C. 20003 fase : i, ro eu e Koons Real: know, one fellow wou ee art te PR would handle: pole cae @lae would handle embassy or U.N. mission and 80 “forth.” ‘Stokes May not have beon assigne this type of case originally, but he may have been put on it ' a, belay because he was considered a “top ‘notch’ agent. ‘ hae: (Pause) me ara ae ° Mr. Wallach. Do you recall generally any discussions withi: the Bureau about the Warren Commission and how it was- perceived? I might state for the record that Mr. Hoover's handwritten comments make it fairly clear that he viewed the Warren Commission as an adversary, and he didn't like the idea of anyone 7 Mr. Cotter. Well, you see, that's a question. I don't have any official information. I can't give you any hard information. WVhis type of thing would have been talked about amongst supervisors and officials of our division. I am sure that I engaged, you know, that I either toox part in or listens ro conversations on the subject. I was generally aware of tiv fact that Mr. Hoovar regarded them with a great deal of wariness and skepticism, and it was my general impression, bused on what I saw and heard, that he wanted treat then arm's length and very officially, you know, and not get chunny, a3 it were. But L don't know of any particular disputes. The Bureau’ TOP SECRET
BARS eg 1D ions’ with thsaveral agencies you know, tn Sther ‘words vouty slat ions’ with ‘the’ WERE - {2 : . H of in that category. ‘They. were one at least at Me. Hoover's level. He treated them with Tesorvations, tet! 8 Bay, He was very leery that the Bureau’ 8 interest would be damaged and so forth. otk 4 t “ ray Mr. Wallach. Do you recall at some point after the assassj- nation Mr. Hoover or the Bureau stated that Ogwald was the assassin:and that ha acted alone? Mx. Cotter. low the Bureau did that, or when thoy éid that? Mr. Wallach. Do you recall that happening? Mz. Cotter. I don't recall any particulars, no. WARD & PAUL Nr. Wallacn. Have you ever heard the phrase “don’t embari dss the Bureau"? Mr. Cotter. oh, yes, yeas. It's halfway a joke. Mr. Wallach. Well, in a lot of these memoranda, Mr. Hoove: refera to the actions of the agents involving the Oswald mutters as having embarrassed the Bureau, aaying that if they 270003 had beech more diligent, etc., they would have been able to prevent that. Mr. Cotter. It was an underlying theme in your Buresc | career that anything that embarrassed the Bureau you were to yet ceally highly disciplined on because of Mr. Hoover’: tO Barat Street, $.0.. Warmngian, OC. attitude. TOP SECRET
Bam & Paws 1D F cost Steere, ST , Warmington, 190 FOO! Fa teeeoni ay fa you to speculate, but if: ‘you ‘are ware of any similar eircum- etances, or hava been told about certain statements made by al. Mr. Hoover that later had to be supported by official research, ete., and the Bureau, for example “= that one time, for example heccame up to the Hill and ‘pata the cost of crime was $11 Lh pe "t million or $22 million, and- that had te be documented. But in any event, what I'm trying to get at is the FBI had @ security case on Lae Harvey Oswald prior to the assausination. we. Cotter. Right. ity. Wallach. And had interviewed him on at least two accaslons. Mr. Cotter. yeah. Mr. Wallach. And had other information on him. Now, was there any daacussion that you are aware of a. to whether or not the Bureau would be blamed for the assass...0- tion of President Kennedy, or B, if the investigation turne:. up other information on Oswald that the Bureau itself hac ne. uncovered about any contacts that he may have had with the Soviets or with the Cubans, that this would put the buresu a Tairly bad light? Do you recall any discussions? tir. Cotter. No, © don't recall anything along that 7... so. 1 dontt reeall anything by either the people an the Intelliyence Division or otherwise, where any great amouns TOP SECRET
a 8 9g thought wa “regard 2 culpability in the thing. I mean, £ know there was 4 big 1] buen, at least many of the ayents who were burned becatise it aN ata o - } 3 discussion and an inspection which took place, and some people I. 4 got censured, and burned. ‘ : | . 5 Mr. Wallach. That wags Gale's inspection? : 6 Mr. Cotter. Yeah, because of tho fact that in retrospect | i 9 they were deemed not to hava actad properly or thoroughly i g || enough, and there was a lot of discussion about whether the; ! s ; mt 9 were really guilty of anything remiss. I know thag throughout , a 10 the Burcau there was some sympathy for the agents who had | 7 eS = as =. Bis ee z 7 Bee é 12] was felt that -- and £ shared this feeling -- tat same of ; t i CG. é Le | them were, or had done what was loyical and everything, bur ; & c 14 they were being punished because of tie bad publicity rashes: go . t ae “ 15 than because of any innate deficiency on their part. i ae | ; 16 For example, there was, I think one of the big things A ™~ : a 17 | centered around the fact that whether Oswald was on the sure. .-f. Be ee ¥, | . . - iz 1 ji security inuex, a biy issue was nade about that. a : $ rg ht “tr, Wallaen. Excuso me for just @ second, 4 a 8 ee, f (Pause) Sor a 6 Re oi Mr, Cotter. I think one of che central things that ie ba 4! ie | . . a op Il Sale was lueking into wnen Ae was ordered to review this 28 |i i * thang, to fin responsibilicy and whatnot, was whether ie: | | was on the Security index or why he hag not been regone:, HBG F eect Steet, OT. Watton, OC, | for the Security index. Ana again, you are familiar with... : § TOP SECRET ean rt EE rN PPE ETE the nay ym eerste havnt ina sommaamennndarins 6 many mmmeesartey An a NIA t = mt Re rea: Ege REE, hehe ER TTT ag PIE oe re gists ff ANU + bt
SO AE Se tees ee tS ' : SE MALS QT Pee oo WARD ® FALL 7006 1 De. ALD Fest Siemet SF. Mathengtine, Sasi i ai Ve ae ren y Z ak Bee ath Of people. Who. ‘would be considered dangerous in’ Lames ‘af i ‘an nergency." Mr. Wallach. f understand, but it is also my understandis:: also that under the dissemination procedures at that time, that that would not have resulted in dissemination to the Secret Service. Lat me =~ I have not myself recently looked at these documents, Mr.Cotter, so let me take a look at thom with you, and I want you to understand that most of the things we have . talked about here today are still classified in one form or another, and Z hope you will treat them aa such. Mr. Cotter, I certainly will. MeW Wallach. This involves an individual named Gilberts Lopez Rodrigues, and I will ask you to take a look at that document. The Witness reads the document.) Mr. Cotter. Okay. Mr. Wallaca. Now I will ask you to gee this memorandun. (The Witness reads the docunenc.) Ma. Cotter, VJhohuh. Mr. Wahkluch. Do you recall at any time that name comin. to your attention, or the fact that he had been the only Bassenyer on the lana? Me, Cotrar. 1 go not recall it, no. Mx. Wallach. Where is Jonn Stokes now, do you know? TOP SECRET
WARD & PAUL 430 Cwrt Street, SF. Wawuangon, B.C. 2000) erat . Nasi, oe ‘ ‘either; Une. eae sinh ae Bie Medan I~ think ‘he “retired Yh! the. late oa. and the last I heard » roa af ‘ of him he had not “= thisis several years after he had retired him. He was fully retired. _In other words, he never + went back to work. Mr. Wallach. Right. Mr. Cotter. It certainly is interesting, isn't it. Mr. Wallach. De you recall -- wa do have some other documents that I'm net going to show them to you, where in essence the Bureau found out some very strange things about his! and then said, well, there's nothing we can do about it beca: he is in Cuba, Cotter. ABout Looper? Mr. Wallach. Yes. And the intelligence information they received from CIA was that he was playing dominoes in Cuba, which seems fairly strange under the Castro regime, you: will admit. Mr. Cotter. Well, didn't the Bureau conduct inquiries in the U.S. ubout his background and who he was? Me. Wallach. Yes, and they founc out that he had cone over from Cuba, I think recently Lefore, u couple of years before, a year or go before the assassination, was involve curtaia FPRCC activities in the Tampa chapter, was alleged, awaiting «2 and again I'a going on my semory of these deo of abouc a month or so ayo ~~ waiting for a phone call froo TOP SECRET
Sand: he: was going to go back to oN . a, ‘ at Nah flan ASE, une Cuba, ‘and: this phone’ call’ Was “coming ate about the time the vieaet Pong " Hee a President himself was visiting: ithe Tampa ragion, and then going down to Miami to address the. Cuban Fetugess Gown there, and he went over to Dallas, and subseduentiy he did receive a phone call, and even though he was. ‘penniless, he managed to end up in Mexico City, and was:the only passenger on a Cubana airlines flight, an unscheduled flight from Mexico City to Cuba. Mr. Cotter. Well, that has all the carmarks of being highly -- what «= do you happen to know who in the Bureau conducted these inquiries? si separ Mr. Wallach. Stokes, I think, was the special supervise :.' I guess. Yeah. WARD @ Fay cotter. I forget, was that captioned IS, Cuba? or £ £ & cfs ra i Ba a Wallach. IS, Cuba. Cotter. Yeah. A copy went to Wannall I noticed. Wallach. i realize again this is hindsight, but ‘far TOtHs 3 exaitpie, the records don't show that Marina Oswald was eve: snown a picture of Lopez, which the Bureau has, or even ashe. 4f she'd ever seen the guy before. Mr. Cotter. Well, from what you've shown me, it looxs line it deserved a lot of investigation. Me. Wallacs. Did you ever talk to Sullivaat or anyon: BO Geert Stowe, SE, Haeshingion, OC. else from the Domestic Intelligence Division abou: why they aa: TOP SECRET
grey mee eee TNT Tage A Na tte ied Wawi & Faun 70001 AEE Freed Srseee VHT | Wartengtaa, D.C, 2 Sa Meee e we an ae yee vey i ey a fe decided : on “the investigative vetrategy. they. decided on? Soa te dy SNe oe wi Byes ® Mr. cotter. Noe AS 1 saye L wasn't involved in that a) is phase of it. st Me. Wallach. I'll read you the portion of the report. This is from one of the people that was interviewed. There wag talk about Lopez having been at his residence sometime waiting for a telephone call from Cuba which was very important. It was understood it was all dependent upon his getting the “go ahead order" for him to leave the United States. He indicated he had been refused travel back to his mative Cuba before, and it also goes on into the fact that he was totally penniless, in fact, he owed poople money. So it is neither here nor there if-you don't remember his name. Me. Cotter. io. Me. Wallach. One other, do you recall anytime after th: Warren Conmission ended its inquiry that there were any rev: of the FBI's investigation of the assassination, general review}. Mr. Cotter. No, I don't have any information along ch.- Mr. Wallach. “You are aware tivat the case was kept Open. Me. Cotter. f am sure it was. It is probably stili open today, isn't it? iy, Wallach. Where were you or what was your position in February of 19677 TOP SECRET
WARD & KALE, AYO Frat Steree, SE. Pe astreegtises, D.C. 20003 ‘ ‘ irs Waa’ ection c ; Has pancanes “a eae ene: sas 1 . an aga mnteltige ay “which’, haa ‘cuban: matter —_ * ys GE SPR ee ib: Roa) bey’ Mr. Wallach: thm going | to, give you ‘a brief factual it history of an event that transpired ‘tn 1967, and then show you i Bae one or two documents that ralatedto it. '. ted ‘oleh Y 1505 In February 1967 te ‘was, called to tha Bureau's attention , PA re Sa that -- well, T'a2, give yoi'the exact factual history <- Drew Pearson talked with & lawyer named Edward Pierpoint Morgan, whose name you may have heard of. Mr. Cotter, I've heard of him. Mr. Wallach. Ne was a former agent at one time, I belier: in the late ‘40s. Mx. Cotter. Right. Mr. Wallach. And Pearson went to the Chief Justice Waris: and told him that Morgan had a client, and I am quotiny now from a hetter from Rowley, who was head of the Secrataservire:, . to Mr. Hoover, Gated February 13, 1967, who was in the unders:: and according to him, that Bobby Kennedy had organized a gro. that went to Cuba to kill Castro, that all were killed uo: itaprisoned except one person who escaped, and subsequently Castro decided to utilize tie same vrocedure to ALLL Presi. Kennedy, and that he hired Oswald to do the job. in any event, what happened after that was that the wo: Justice advised Pearson to have Morgan yo sua tne Bureas, Morgan said he couldn't because he wasn't on goou serus ws" TOP SECRET
wa Bie eas eae: ee REI; i Sop pseu ateoeneiris preemies parte $ Merge HARD & PAVE ATO Font Shimer, $ & » Wathenaton, B.C. 2000 5 “ “the Directoee erm ss as gn ast ‘ oh Lan ei Ne Wim ta Zist. He want to see Rowley, “Rowley nevar met with Morgan, for reasons that Zz: atdi) can! & myself understand, and then by letter dated February 13, 1967, sent this letter to the Bureau. Some two days later, a letter went back to Rowley from vee the Bureau Stating thank you for your letter, and then "In connection with the allegation that a Castro conspiracy was invelved in the assassination of President Kennedy, our investigation uncovered no evidence indicating Fidel Castro or officials of the Cuban Government were involved with Lee Harvey Oswald in the assassination of President Kennedy," And it yoes on and Says, “The Bureau is HOt conducting an, investigation regarding this matter,” Let me show you this letter dated February £5, '67, Mx. Cotter. Okay. (The Witness reads the document.) ‘ir. Cotter. All right. mx. Wallach. Was this allegation aves é2scussed with Cotter, awallach. in Cotter, ie, Wallach, Were you ever asned whether or not the Sue had Gornducted an extensive investiyation? 1¢ realize thac tac: TOP SECRET
ean aT PSC TE ad Frentontess See WAKO & PAVE » Masmngtian, fu SAO t B10 9 oat Stemei, FE Oey 4 ee, ve a se Sg ik connections, but 4 were you ‘ever asked vhether er not the Bureau had conducted an investigation with raspect to the possibility ef Cuban involvement in the assassination at that time? Do you remember it? Do you remember the subject coming up? Mr. Cotter. No, I don’t, wuh=uh. Mr. Wallach. Do you know why that letter would have bees handled out of the Criminal orcGeneral Investigative Division and not out of the Intelligence Division? Mr. Cotter. That I don't know either. As a matter of fact, this is what kind of bothers me. You haven't asked li: question but I'm gure you are aware of the face that the investigation of the whole Oswald cusu was a dual case, of it was conducted by Intelligence Division and part by the, at that time it was known 1 guess as the investigative Division. Mr. Wallach. Hr. Rosen's division. “ir. Cotter. Mr. Rosen's division, the Criminal Divis. in effect, anu fellows like Shroder asd Raupacch, and a Te. names Roege were the chiet supervisors, Dick Rogvye, who not special agent in charge someplace. wy. Wallach. 21 think it is out on the west coast au: Cotter. 4d think it is Buttalo, j wy, wallach. i tnink you're rigne., 1 think TOP SECRET
9 9 a) 7AMA WARD & Paws, AID F cont Steet. § F + Masengiom, OC. 20061 on what phases" wore’ hehdieg’ by. then and what phases, but it was my general impression that they handled the bulk of the investigation. We were sonducting those aspects of it that had security angles, contacts with the Soviets and Cubans, ete, 74 he Mr. Wallach. What,to your best recollection, was the investigation that was conducted by the Domestic Intelligence Division? Mr. Cotter, I really couldn't coniment intelligently on that to the extent of that, or what the criteria was or where the boundaries were between us and Vivision 6. Mr. Wallach. If you Say that the investigation had bec: divided up -- Mr. Cotter. Yeah. Mr. Wallach. Between the two, and from my review of the documents, it seems that if anything the Domestic Intelligence. Division just sort of merely retraced the information that nad already on Oswald in the Security file, to see it there was -- mr. Cotter, Well, maybe f'i wrong on this, but I thiay the mail, when it came in initially, went to Givision 6. otner words, they were tie prime ones in Charge, and then tn would route to us anything with security rani ficarions, Is that true? TOP SECRET
WARD B® Pawsa . Meastangtan, CC. SOGNt AYO Fees? ‘teoet, 4H se ane ; : Mr. Cotter. - ‘Z mean,” ‘here must: be memos" written on this ‘ ay as ta what the lines of jurtadiction are between these two a Divisions. Mr, Wallach. We've asked for them. Mr. Cotter, That must have been one of the chief areas of! Pa Poy ee discussion involving sullivan and the Director and all of the people involved. Mr. Wallach. I think the Bureau has told us they don't any such memos. Mr. Cotter, Really? wr, Wallach. In any avent, I’ve taken you up to the now where we have a letter going back saying the Bureau will not do anything further on the Morgan allegation. Mr. Cotter. Right. Mr. wallach. Even though the Oswald case is open. Mr. Cotter. Right. wy. Wallach. Subsequently, at President Johnston's etive <- he found out about Morgan's allegations aaa irected through DeLoacn that the Bureau interview Edwar.: Pierpoint Morgan. That interview was conducted by agents of the Washington Field office on Murch 20, 1967. Ayain, is conducted through the Investiyative Division, not throw. tne iureiliyence Division. Among other things, Mr. Morgan detailed certain of tn. TOP SECRET
SECRE Gant - ott pieey a ait .) a neg plots and then went on to say == he talked about his clients who at that time the Bureau knew to be Mafia figures involved in the CIA assassination plots. These participated in the project, whom ha represents, and that waa the project against Castro, developed through feedback information that would iden: Fidel Castro's counterassagsins in this country who could ver; | well be considered suspects in such a conspiracy, and ‘he 8 continuing, he said his clients were aware of the identity 1 aaa ' ae . HE we of sone individuals who came to the United States for this : 9 i 2 c 10 purpose, i.@., asysasainating President Kennedy, and he under- E sees 1 Stuud that two such individuals were now in the stata of RS —-. aed ¢ ae : ~ « 12 i dew Jersey. HEY é i A c é WZ | Vo you recall tnat information ever beiny brought to 3 i a oe Gc | ie your attention? c 14 7 roa 15 | Mr. Cotter. Wo, I don't, no. = 16 ‘ix. Wallach. vo you know why it would not have been ' lo 17 | brought to your attention? DB! seal 1é | sir. Cotter. Well, it's a little nard to explain. in * ste ft yy} 1967 Lo had nothing whatsoever to do with the Jswald invests. om . 6 teen. in fact, at so point did Ll have any direct anvolveme:.. : ij > ‘| we . . ; Z est we. Walbach. Bur you Gid have a lor ¢s de with Cuban 3 ob z i ~ ee | Matters, " : {I ! art ig. Cocter, Lf Was the seetion cnse: of sie unit that : ea" Wao hanediny Cupan Livestiyations, Past = Walluchk. Suv can you think of any reason why this TOP SECRET
. that a specific aliejation | was Rare nade, and the other senior Bureau officials knew that Morgans clients were been getting feedback intelligence information from Cuba for -- Mr. Cotter. Well, if whoever read that memo, somebody at some point along the line, somebody must have decided =~ thi that you were just reading from the Washington Field, a letter i involved in these assassination attempts, and they also had | or some kind of communication? Mr. Wallach. Yeah, it was a blind memorandum that was | furnished to the White House in response to the Morgan interview. Mr. Cotter. Well, when that came in from Washington WARD & Fava somebody had to be responsible for siyniny off for the falc. in other words, whoever signed off for che file took the responsibility that that information had been fully actec on Mr. Wallach. Have you ever seen in your years with th: Bureau a cover sheet that says eyes only on it? sr. Cotter. I know this term, but I duntt recall tne 20003 Hureau ever using it on internal documents, no. mr, wailaeh. And also stumped secret? fr, Cotter. No. mr. Wakdach. domight say that was only the inecomina better Irom dr. Rowley, whacn yave information that was BIO F cent Stowers, SE, Wattingtie, OC, available to him from a noneeAtelligence source, TOP SECRET el NN ate PLE ci
RARD & Pat ST. Wastengtan, Dia 2onn t BIDS vest Stemes, Cotter. Yes,-: Mr. Wallach. In March of 1967 there is a Drew Pearson column which 1 don't believe appeared in the Washlngton paper«, which talks about a CIA plot to assassinate President Kennedy - i‘m sorry, it talks about a CIA plot to assassinate Fidel Castro. thee eer ge mee = mae Do you recall that article being brougth to your attentio.,! at all? Mr. Cotter. No, I don't. Could 1 seo it? ar. Wallach. Sure. (The withesy reads the document.) Mr. Cotter No, [ don'ts recall it. Mr. wailach. loam yainy to give YOU these two wmemorana. the handwriting and the names is my handwriting. The names of the peuple, those names were Criyginally crossed out on the documents,-and the Bureau supplied me with the names, and i want you to just take a look at them and see if they ring @ bell with you. They are a memorandus Crom Wannail co Suliivan Gated March &, '67, and a letcer from tne Jirvctuc, PEL, So tne Atte@iney General dared Mirch 6, LY6?. Cia Whines reaas the documents.) ib. ovter., This letter juge summacizes what is in ti: Hh 4 Sathe Lt? tly. “addach., Lf beliave that’s the cane. Cutter. Yeah. Yeo, okay. TOP SECRET
WAR & Faure “Rot te  Washrnaties At basset Semel SE Mr, Wallach. _ Weve been told that that review took place over & weekend, and that virtually -- @ tot Of people from th. section were called in, an awful lot of People were called in to review the files and do the work. Do you recall Participating in that at 411? Mr. Cotter. Gee whiz, no, I don't, although if it wag a sectionwide project as you described -- now, wait a minute. This ig Wannall; in 1967 Wannall was =~ 2 am trying to think of what his role was at that time, his title, what he had under him, Well, okay, I think this changed the whole ballyame ner as far as my comments to the previous Queciions, Cuban mace Were not assigned to me after I became section chief in 19b:., ‘hey went to Wannall's section. In other words, they splic uy in 1968 or late '64, whenever it was, Shortly following +7. Dominican crisis, '65 I'm sure it was, about mid='65, thay Split what had been the Nationalities Intelligence section 1: two sections, und one of them became known as tne Latin Merican section, anc Wannall, who hag beea secrian chiehoas Savionalities dntelligence tuok ove: as the Bacan American ection Chivf and myself, wo hac been umber one man of Nationalities intelligence, remained as Heston ecnier oF satlonglicias Intelligence, sv, Cuban matters went to the sew Sevoden, the Latin Omericun section, aiony with anything in tne Westery Heady +, TOP SECRET a
Prone (Aske 2027} 344-6009 WAR & Faw, and the Nationalities Intelligence Section in effect remained the same section, minus the Latin American stuff, including Cuba. So therefore, like you whole thing about '67 I would involved in any way with Cuba Mr. Wallach. Who became Mr. Cotter. George Mohr asked those questions, this not have sean because I wasn't at that time. Wannall’s number one man? was his number one man for quit: awhile, George C. Mohr, and when Wannall got promoted uy, Mohr took over as section chief. Wallach. “Was Mohr with you betore? Hatter. Hohe had been a unit chiet of the tan: ALOR USA unio, dn the Nataonalicies Intad laceie sechias to tois diviston of the seerion in two. Mowthar wos fy DARN NOW, Lert ANGerSON Was a uuervisor svete under George Mohr oim that unit wloutt Sin: tame of the csacs2 Nrtian, f Rael Gather oan. , the Lacin “sseriecan un wae tae Lata soso kcan undo became sort of che uacles io baat ts oe teh Se % EMC Rare
Prong (Arne 202} 34440668 2 > « a « s & € & If there'a any statements that you'd like to make on thi: record, feel free to do so. Mr. Cotter. No, except that it may have seemed that a lot of my answers were quite fuzzy and whatnot. I have coop to the best of my ability. Mr. Wallach. I think that's true. Thank you very much. (Whereupon, at 1:00 o'clock p.m., the hearing in the above-entitled matter wags concluded.) TOP SECRET