Classification: on the basis olfhigrfarre: dita hei used fos meaterial extactedses. Under from ClA—controlled documents.) oath he supported this Proposition: Mr. Goldsmith: In summary, -is it your position that the Agency gave the Warren Commission information only in response to speci- fic requests by the Warren Commission? Mr. Helms: That is correct. I want to modify that by saying that memory is fallable. ‘There may have been times or circumstances under which some- ( thing different might have occured, but my recollection is that we were attempting to be-responsive and supportive to the . FBI and the Warren Commission. When yet they asked for something we gave it to , - them. —— - 7 As far as our volunteering information 7 a is concerned, I have no recollection of ‘ whether we volunteered it or not. Da (Ibid., p. 34.) Mr. Helms‘ characterization of fulfilling Warren . os Dey COS : Commission requests on a casedbasis rather than uniformly ‘Volunteering relevant information to the Warren Commission “GR. EGR, | 2, “SRA “ESR. “SE. “GA. Stands in direct opposition to J. Lee Rankin's perception -Of the CIA's investigative responsibility. Mr. Rankin was asked by Committee Counsel whether he worked under the ¢ Gh. ? e impression that the Agency's responsibility was simply to respond to questions that were addressed to CIA by the Warren Commission. In response, Mr. Rankin testified as follows: Not at all and if anybody had told me that I would have insisted that the Commission com- municate with the President and get-a different arrange bot a we might not ask the right oC assificahiones “2 oht not ask the rig S = aN 20 4; NNR: Classified by oricthit b.
2 me ABS B W. David Slawson, 11/15/77, p. 29) assification: ~Seezet_ assitication: * (This form is to be used for material extracted feds dpxm is noisy asebolaheaereris extracted ‘from ClA—controlled documents ~13- ‘Wan questions and then we would not have the ' information and that would be absurd. (HSCA Class. Depo. of J. Lee Rankin, 8/17/78, p. 4) Mr. Slawson added support to Rankin's position testifying that Warren Commission requests to the CIA were rarely specific. “The request was made initially that they give us all information pertinent to the assassination investigation." (Exec. Sess. Test. of CIA's “Failact to Biiscless C14 anri- - MPs cl A hin nw : ae Ne tee TOO. SEE AAEM ON Pi *K4 > TP Marlen _ ca) - . . RL Me PRES LOS om a sy a So unfortunate consequence: of 43 aren Lemni sri, reliant on “GH, “A BB SA a PhS CLA fo preude tna Commi sston we OTR AA celia Cane oo } r ~ CIA materfAl forre tic rel fin the subsequent exposure of the CIA's anti-Castro assassination plots /(SSC Book V) see also (Alleged Assassination Plots Involving Foreign Leaders, Interim . . . Me - fe Report, SSC, 11/20/75) /. Paratosreatly;eventi-rhe ° Werreiree = 4, : ah The record revewl § that the ptrots;, 2 CIA's point of contact with the Warren Commission. weetd—ret—haverbeen—abtie-to-promidenthe_ Qu tha Cthessi ffiecHiam: — «O60 Crostiied by derivation C+ Berk
G assification: —Seeret™ assitication: | (This form is to be used for material extracted . figs Cosm—iortrohed weduciantrmpaterial extracted ‘from ClA—controlled documents.) ~l3a- Mrs-ROsee" Sesto —revedi a GE RT ho knowledge at the time of the Warren Commission investigation of Agency efforts to assassinate Fidel Castro. (HSCA Class. Depo. of Raymond Rocca, 7/17/78, p. 50) Set p FE SSiLOn With infomation so" Lequeste . "AS g
Classification: (This form is to be used for material extracted fram ClA—controlled documents.) to Warren Commissiotibeen rerfiiésted by the cnigs Frac ern fo) ne eng ot cr ti-Castro assassination erations, Rocca‘'s “ iq, out fine ley efforts’ would have produ Koon. as. ». asy* aloo —- The record eh reveals that the CIA desk no stantive informa- officer who was initially given the responsibility by Mr. Helms to investigate | oa Lee Harvey Oswald, and the assassination of President Kennedy had no knowledge of such plots during his investi- — gjestly, gation. HS Class. Depo. of John Scelso, 5/16/78, pHaa(4B Othe Cgacd +o the HALAS A aaerect jon pp. 73, 14+-412)A Mr. Scelso testified that had he known of such assassination plots the following action would have been taken: “we would have gone at that hot and heavy. We would have queried the agent (AMLASH) an i, about it in great. detail. I would have : vhad him polygraphed by, the best opérative security had to see if he had (sic) been a double~-agent, informing Castro about ™! «6 our poison pen things, and so on. I ~would have had all our Cuban sources. ; queried about it." (Ibid., p. 166) 08008; ; wy a . As the record reflects, these plots were known by few within the CIA. Mr. Helms' testimony regarding w Rocce. acyt ified | he was netia aperit my to ans wer ques Hons related to C1 asd qakise zis: 78 mgacanct Caste bur ted press pastite pe ans wut Pug OTMLIS Ao wee inthe cain & daamark AM. a Weak Rast Fs Lk time INCH: wation CEratay 2 <i cee eer cme ye em = Classification: we - *See | also HSCA Classified Deposition of “Janes Angleton, 10/ /78,; pp -<o-}twherein Angleton states frat nedud noi mayen & hie > S to AS Fad9 1 WE Fiter “ aw hve dat AR ay Fe SEER ON oe 139 194 ‘ zs GIG Foe eee, eT a Cn
Classification: (This form is to be used for material extracted from ClA—controlled documents.) these plots reveals that the Agency compromised +he play ot ats Pirectec -Lts=promise to supply all relevant information to. Sex sradinentot Jona Muren€, IP loa herein :) the Warren Commission. The following exchange between Committee Counsel and Mr. Helms illustrates wases the jextent . ‘of the Agency! Ss compromise: Mr. Goldsmith: 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 ta be informed as to why the Warren Commission was not told by you of the anti- Castro assassination plots. Mr. Helms: I have never been asked to testify before the Warren Commission about . OUX Operations. Mr. Goldsmith: If the Warren Commission did not know Of the operation, it certainly was not in a position to ask you about it. Is that not true? Mr. Helms: Yes, but how do you know they did - not Know about it? How do you know Mr. Dulles had not told th , How was I to know that? And besties® I was not the Director of the Agency and in the CIA, you did not go traipsing around to the: Warren Com- mission or to Congressional Committees or to anyplace else without the Director‘s permission. EET. ¢ o ARAL, st. Mr. Goldsmith: Did.yvou ever discuss with the Director whether tne Warren Commission should be informed cf the anti-Castro assaSsination olots? Classification: ot A, Classified by derivation: 1.96.63 ¢ & fsieay h