SECRET ‘(This form is to be used for material extracted. . from CiA—controlled documents.) | ; Had Rocca, as the CIA's: working level representative . + to ‘the Warren Commission, been requested by the Commission t to ‘research and report on any and all Gta’ a anti-Castro. assassination - operations, Rocca! s efforts would have produced no substantive informa- tion. (ibid. . Pp. al | | - 7 ~ The record also 2, af 5 sist that the CIA desk 7 officer’ who was initially given the responsibility . a“. by Mr. “Helms to investigate - 7 7 oo = Lee Harvey Oswald, and. the. assassination of. President Kennedy | had. no knowledge of, ‘such plots during his. investi- gation. — (HSCA. Class. ‘Depo. of John Scelso,” 5/16/78, a — BPs 73, 121-112), Mee Scelso, ‘testified that “had. he - oy - ¢ known of such assassination plots the following dl “action \ would have been taken: : — 7 ey ae ‘so —- double-agent, informing Castro about our poison pen things, a would have had all our es> - queried. about it." . (Thid., D- a yok "73903 "§ As the record reflects, these plots were ‘known, . by few within the CIA. Mr. Helms' testimony: regarding OS é . Roo ca scot syed b he wes nebin a pest as to answer gues tions re lubed pa C1F a. 4 - qakies plete mac AE Caste but Tho Press hastite. pe ans HOC Ru, oT whe waren tne chain 7 _ EE RINATK ANA A Wand Race ‘Rad cand TG INH mst Fain pai) | 2 OPT Classification: 9+ &* ! = ob * *See also. “HSCA Classified "Deposition. OF “Janes An leton, 178, pp.2o~#%wherein Angleton statesfhat ncd se ddaa tl carne yc patil ae to a5 5ady AES, Fidei Caste aati weet rhe METER Web ren 499190 F
(This form is to be used for material extracted - from ClA—controlled documents.) these plots reveals that the Agency compromised the pal ot. ~oyts Pirector . ar ts Promise. to supply all relevant information. to. . . See stattmentet Joan Ment, Toa herein yf ‘the Warren Commission. The following exchange. “> . between Committee Counsel and Mr. Helms illustrates the: lextent | _ Mr. Goldsmith: “Mr. Helms: : Mr. Goldsmith: Mr. Helms: Mr. Goldsmith: Classification: | lof the Agency’ s compromise: - Mr. Helms, I take it from your testimony that your. position is. that the anti-Castro plots, in ~ fact, were relevant to the .- . Warren Commission's work; and, in light of. that, . ‘the Committee would like to be informed as to. why the Warren Commission was not told by you of the anti- _ Castro assassination plots. I have never been asked to testify : _ before the Warren: Commission, about our operations. know of the operation, it certainly was-not in a position: to ask you "about it. Is that not true? Yés, but how. do you know they did. Ol not know about it? How do you ~ know Mr. Dulles had-not told them? . : How was I to. know that? And besitips, I was not the Director of the Agency and in the CIA, you did not.go eo traipsing around to the: Warren Com- -. mission or to Congressional Committees - or to anyplace else without the Director‘ S$ permission. Did you ever. discuss with the Director’ whether the Warren Commission should be informed cf the anti-Castro assassination plots? Se nnn a . f 5 ee f of f f 7 : Classified by. derivatiori 190037 a
of the cra’ s anti-Castro assassination plots ‘Class. Depo. of John ‘Mccone, 8/17/78, Pp. 13), the: following response: a 16 = Classification: “(this form is. to be used for material extracted ” - from ClA—controlled documents.) Mr. Helms: . —  £ aid not, as far as I recall. ee (HSCA Exec. Sess. Test. of. Richard. Helms, 8/9/78, pp- 30- -31. 4, p emphasis - Aah teuth - Mr. ‘McCone testifed that he first ‘became. aware 2! _ involving CIA-Mafia ties during August 1963. He stated that upon learning of these plots” he airectea . that: the. Agency cease all. such activities. (HSCA cae “When asked whether the CIA desired to withold “ingosmal 2 tion from the Warren Commission about ‘the Agency anti- | castro assassination plots ‘to avoid embarrassing: the . agency or causing an. international crises he gave - _ 87 Cannot answer that since ‘they (ca oe a ” employees knowledgeable of the... - continuance of such plots) withheld . -the information. from.me. I cannot: answer that question. I have never . .been satisfied as to why they with- — ~. held the information from me. pid p. 16) : a a Regarding, the “relevancy of such - plots to 2 such inforppeion 2 should have been reported to the _ yf ie geet |
secret Classification: (This form -Geserveteen Bp eetkPain ¢ le (rs, _. fram ClA—co Warren Commission. (Exec. Sess. Test. of W. - ‘David ‘Slawson, 11/1s/77, P. 27; ‘Exec. Sess. est. sel ‘of Arlen Spector 11/8/77, pp. 45- 46; cr, ‘Exec. Sess. Test. of Wesley Liebeler, 11/15/77, p- 71 where he states — that possible witholding of information by CIA. about Agency attempts to. . assassinate Castro dia not. significantly affect Warren Commission- investigation) | From ‘the CIA's. perspective, “Mr; Rocca’ testified that had he known of the anti-Castro | -possibility of. a retaliatory assassination against | _\ President Kennedy by Castro would have ‘been. intenai- fied. 1 He stated ‘that: wa completely different a ~ procedural approach probably ‘would and should have 7 ‘been taken." (HSCA Class. Depo. of Raymond Rocca. 7/17/78, p. 45) os ; | John Scelso, * the above-cited CIA. desk officer who ran the CIA's initial investigation of presidete ° Kennedy' s assassination ‘until that responsibility was given to the CIA's counterintelligence staff, offered a highly critical appraisal of Helms' non-disclosure to the Warren Commission: Classification: _S5¢ a cRET assassination plots — his efforts to explore. the Og 90035 - - Classified ‘by derivation:
Classification: - _ this form is to be. used. for. material ‘extracted - . from CIA—controlled documents.) . a “ “Mr. Goldsmith: Do you. think Mr. Helms was. , re . acting properly when: he failed to tell the Warren Commission o about the. assassination. ‘plots? © ‘Mr. Scelso: No, I think ‘that was a “morally rr highly reprehensible act, which a he. cannot possibly. justify | under | 7 -. his oath of office, or any n other standard of professional. ‘4! public service. (HSCA Class. . gh _ Depo. ef John Scelso, 3/16/78) Bye lark oe (os mere A enc! Concern. for the Sanctity of Sensitive Sources and ‘Methods. « Factors Affecting CIA. _Resporise to Warren Commission Requests - The Jength of. time required by. the: CIA to. + wespond to. ‘the. Warren Commission’ s requests, for . a information was dependent upon 1) the availability ; . of information;  2)0 the complexity of the issues. | presented by the request ana 3) the extent to which . . the relevant ‘information touched upon sensitive ‘CIA - ,sources: and methods. On. the first two’ ‘points, Mr ry a a satisfy a Commission request, the CIA would then send a reply. ‘back: "and some of these inquiries obviously took longer than others. - .For example, some might involve eur : _SEGaS Helms testified that when CIA had been able. ‘to , : ; - Classification: —_ ae aS en 099040. Classified dy ¢ derivation: :