(foat01as-t0az9 Il. HSCA Hearings The HSCA has scheduled public hearings for August, September, and November. @e. The King hearings are 14-18 August, and 9, | 10, 13-17, 20, 21, 22, 25-29 November. It appears’ that CIA is unlikely to feature in in these hearings, although this is only an impression. e. The Kennedy hearings are to be on week days, 6-29 September. CIA doubtless will share the Stage with the FBI. We have requested the HSCA Staff for information on the plans for the hearings, with special attention to the security considerations, (orally on 29 June and 13 July, and in writing from the DDCI on 26 July and 4 August). To date what we know about plans was acquired from The Congressional Monitor. | e. It has been the practice of the HSCA Staff to- avoid dialogues, the effect of which is to conceal much of what they are doing or thinking. The . resulting frustrations of trying to cooperate with apes. the “investigation are not important; inevitably we ~ ~ ~e Reruns TO en’ | c ‘eockground Wes 22276 “Oo Not Repro Uce pom ae Es 12s IMPORT G1 6YS: | en a ore Ree RAS (estat nan me ma
14-00000 IT]. are provided partial insights into areas oP of interest, if not the details. The. | Significance of the tactic, however, grows as public hearings approach, involving as they do subject matter that we view as having considerable sensitivity and importance to CIA. We obviousty do not know ali the lines of inquiry pursued by HSCA investigators. They have undertaken to reconstruct as much as possible about Oswald and the assassination of President Kennedy. They also are attempting to develop an evaluation of the performance of the intelligence agencies in the investigation. Two areas of special interest have become evident, both of which involve sensitive operational considerations: iat Mexico City @. Mexico City is considered one of the most ‘important | bases for Soviet clandestine operations against the United States. As a result Soviet and Cuban > diplomatic installations have long been the subject of CIA surveillance operations, conducted | | ae e. Telephone and photographic coverage of the Soviet installations is carried on, as well as physical sepa + ‘19.0
14-00000 surveillance.: They are aware of the fact of photographic surveillance. ®. Because of the telephonic coverage CIA was able to provide the initial firm evidence onOswald's contacts with Cuban and Soviet | officials, in his attempt to obtain visas to Cuba and the USSR. CIA, limited in not being able to conduct a traditional police- type investigation, was able to suggest to the Mexican authorities that they interview at least one person known to have dealt with Oswald during his visit. However, gaps remain in:what is. known about his visit. This has. attracted HSCA attention... of e. The reported questioning of some HSCA investigators has on occasion appeared to be developing a basis for criticizing CIA's performance in its part of the investigation in Mexico City, under its charter to evaluate the performance of the intelligence agencies. At one time, and possibly still, they appeared to be attempting to develop a case to the effect that (1) there was photography, |
14-00000 and (2) CIA must have suppressed it. 2? Practically all the above CIA reporting on Mexico City involves Classically sources< and-methods material. | . Nosenko Yuri Nosenko was a KGB officer who defected in early 1964. Among the items of information that he asserted he brought with him was knowledge about Lee Harvey Oswald, from his file in the KGB. The bona fides of Nosenko's defection was the subject of doubts and he was subjected to extensive interrogation. He was in the custody of CIA for some five years, under laws concerning such persons, some three years of which was in solitary confinement under what the Rockefeller Commission termed "extremely spartan living conditions." Eventually Nosenko was judged to be a bona fide defector. He has proven to be’ the source of a wide range of information on many hundreds of KGB officers, and KGB operations abroad, as well as about the KGB. Over the years his“information has been responsible for a number of successful counterintelligence initiatives by either the VE PEAY
14-00000 U.S. or its allies. The recent book about Oswald, Legend, by Epstein, has dramatized Nosenko's defection, repeating the early doubts about him and leaving the strong implication that he is still to be doubted. Recently the HSCA investigators seem to have shifted the _ emphasis of their inquiry from this issue to how Nosenko was handled; this judgment may be in error and the issue of his bona fides may return during the hearings. CIA did mistreat Nosenko. He was kept in solitary confinement, he was given a minimum diet, he was allowed few comforts, and he was subjected to intensive interrogation & < for extended periods of time. He ‘believes that he was subjected to drugs, -but there’ is no record that such was the-case; those who were involved say he was never subjected to drugs, although it was considered once and rejected. The question of the bona fides of Nosenko's defection could involve mat ters that have sensitive connotations; however, -a decision to emphasize only his mistreatment would be only embarrassing to the Agency.
14-00000 IV. In the absence of agreement with the HSCA on: how — sensitive matters are to be handled in its public hearings, the Agency may face the dilemma of how to protect intelligence sources and methods. « Current employees could find themselves faced with the dilemma of abiding by their secrecy oath and requesting to be excused from@testifying, but having to choose between a contempt citation and violation of the secrecy oath. @ Against the possibility that HSCA does not undertake to work with us on this problen, we may have to give notice to the employees of the problem, A draft letter has been prepared (copy attached) for forwarding to pregent and current employees who have been interviewed by the HSCA. Its limitations are apparent, in that it serves primarily to apprise the employee of his or her dilemma. OGC will request further advice from the Attorney General. Should the most pessimistic development come to pass, the situation will be more political than legal. The fact is that time is of the essence, and any stretch-out will reduce the time in which the Agency can react with considered judgments, either in cooperating in the public Yo? 6 H ar afiat } . fa eg ’ 3 i$ ot wah ie "4. {
RRR 5 e e ” ‘ t { af b ee hearings or in opposing their conduct because of absence of adequate means for protecting sensitive subject matter. a &.