.1 March 1968 “SUBJECT: pos Garrison and the Kennedy Assassination? vey... Interview of Garrison on Dutch TV by 7 William UL. Olemans (201-155221) | REFERENCES: A. Joint State-USIA cable, HCM 553, 7 , - HAGUE. - 3981, 24 February 1968 'B. The Haguct3870, IN 59064, 27 February 1968 , SUMMARY - Garrison appeared on Dutch TV on 22 February 1968. He continued -- in fact, escalated. -- his attack upon CLA in a persuasive ‘performance. “There is-a possibility of a follow-up program in. ’ Holland and replays cisewhere in Europe. Garrison's interviewer, William L. Oltmans, is a Dutch pro-Communist, although he pretends _ not to ‘be, and a Romosexual who seems to be or to have been intimate . with ex-President Sukarno of Indonesia. ‘Consideration is being given to forwarding to. he StationJat i njovert derogatory information about Garrison from the U.S. Xv press and TV/radio interviews for release to CA assets there. DETAILS 1. References state that on 22 February 1968 Garrison ‘appeared on Dutch TV (Dutch. Television Foundation,, NTS) during _ prime time for one hour (time not stated). Neither reference explains ‘whether Garrison travelled to The Hague or whether the show wa3 . taped in the U.S. and sent on tape to Holiand. The Dutch desk believes that the latter is true.
Crnery Renate a thee . 2. The following were Garrison's charges: ae Kennedy was murdered: because he favored a- .\ detente detrimental to the interests of the “military- oan a industrial complex". : = b. Kennedy was the victim of a ‘CIA plot. CIA . .has made common cause with the military-industrial, establishment because of a vested interest in maintaining the cold war. ; .¢, CIAis committed to the land war in Asia, i whereas” ‘one of President Kennedy's last.orders directed : . .a reduction of troops there. d. AU.S. president who ‘brings the U.S. to > the ' brink-of peace will suffer Kennedy's fate. e. Asked why the program had been designed for a European audience, Garrison‘said that the growing | influence of CIA on U.S. media had made it impossible for him to be heard in his own country, . 3. Reference As says Garrison, c | calm and composed, was. sufficiently credible to clicit rather favorable reviews from generally — _ well informed Dutch newspapers. “Several Dutch viewers also commented on the credibility / “ot 7} his person and presentation. Likely that the NTS will try to sell this program to other European stations." 4. Reference B says that the Dutch press was gene rally favorable and that many comments noted he seemed logical and_in_cantrol of his facts. The majority opinion among Embassy, USIS, \and CLA Jpersonnel at The Hague is that-he_s¢emes dible to a large proportion of the Dutch viewers. \SYMPATHIZER 17}/feels that the program created an . all-time low in the UTS. image in the Netherlands. Dutch TV alluded _ to ‘a third part of the interview, still to come. 5. Garrison was interviewed by William L. Oltmans. A synopsis regarding Oltmans follows: , ae |
Cc” ey as DPOB by June 1925 Huizen, The Netherlands. b Studied at Yale 1950 but expelled for unstated misbehavior, . ce _ Thereafter worked briefly as correspondent for, U.P. and for. Dutch paper. ‘De: Telegraat but dismissed ‘by ‘bath for unstated cause. . d. An FBI report. of 1960 states that: he calls himself: anti-Communist.but expresses the views. "of a great admirer of communism". — -e. An IeNS. report of 1961 lists his address for. 1956- 1961 as 118-09 83rd’ Ave., Kew Gardens, Long Island, New ‘York. f. AGIA report cf 1961 lists him as a UN correspondent then planning an unsponsored trip to East _ Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. Dutch __ correspondents said that they had yet-to sce a story written “by him. When he applied for membership in the UN correspondents association, he'was unable to [produce a Single clipping in support of the ‘application. He travels extensively. He has excellent contacts in all Communist countries including Cuba. The Haague Post of 15 April 1951, avith a nationwide readership, “characterized Oltmans as an intimate friend of the then President of Indonesia, Sukarno, - and as having tried-for- five years to arrange contacts for Sukatno in. Holland. ho An FBI report of 24 November 196) restates the above and adds that he had been separated or divorced from his American wife 18 months earlier because “he is not a man". He was Living with a male at the time of the ' report. -i. An FBI report of 1 February 1962 includes an interview with the ex-wife Frieda Bieling (she had remarried). CNASe A a
erases Wee bee She said that her ex-husband and President Sukarno were. ‘close friends and that he wrote to Sukarno at least once a weck throughout their marriage. Around “1957 she and Oltmans liv ‘ed at the Paramount: Hotel, New York, for a-time. The Indonesian government -- paid their bill, which was more than $300. She met Sukarno: through her husband in May-1959 in. Copenhagen. ‘At the time of the introduction Sukarno cleared-the reom of all advisors, and bodyguards, | then said ‘to her, "So youare Frieda. Well, lam Sukie." He told her’ “that he looked forward to receiving ‘his weekly messages from her husband and that he always read them just before he went to sleep while he was in bed." She said that ten minutes after her wedding ceremony with | Oltmans was over, she-waa alone. Her father, she said, learned that Oltmans had a police. record for molesting young boys in Amsterdam. She obtained a Mexican divorce in 1960.. She said that Oltmans is at least intellectually a Conimunist and believes Communism to be the economic system of the future. — je (HAGU- 1365) 24 October 1966, says Oltmans. ‘wrote pro-Gumumba articles in 1960, visited Cuba in 1962 and perhaps 1963, developed friendly relations with “Chicoms at The Hagud and may have visited China in L904. In August 1966 he applied for a Chicom visa at The ‘Hague. k. An FBI report of 12 May 1967 saya that Oltmans claimed to have written for Ramparts an article about CIA in Indonesia. No such article has been found, 6. Refe rence B. requested background information about Garrison's mental health and performance as a public official. A. - suramary of de rogatory information from overt U.S. media for the past year (March 1967 to: “March 1968} has been compiled in respoase. : A-decision will soon be made as to whether part or all of this material may be sent to) he Station for use by Dutch CA asscts.. [ eed 4
14-00000 Distribution: : pe . Orig- DCE | be ‘DDP, ADDP 1 -~A/DCI . lL. Eur/Netherlands . 2a Office ‘of General Counsel | Office ‘of. Security: 1. C/Ci, DDC/CI. i - R&A chrono: : .1 - DP reports file 4