20, 1963 cableA&is also set forth: in a CIA memoranfim ¢ ~ of December 1. Oe it specifically concerned | ‘the CIA's relations with the FBI, ~ (CIA Memorandum a information provided to the Warren Commission (This form is. to be used for material extracted from ClA—controlled documents.) Lee Harvey | Oswald's trip to Mexico City. (CIA panne sD A 1/31/64;~Memorandum-for-J.... ~ heaid eee na Lee ~pankin from Richard Helms) Much of the in this report was based upon sensitive sources | and methods, identification of which had been deleted completely from the report. The CIA policy limiting Warren Commission knowledge of CIA sources and methods was articu- lated as early as December 20, 1963, at which time a cable was -sent from CIA headquarters to the Mexico City Station which stated: _ Our present plan in vassing information “to- the-Watren Commission~is to eliminate mention of[ telephone taps) in order to protect: your cohtinuing ops. Will rely -instead on statements of Silvia Duran and on contents of Soviet Consular file —. which Soviets gavel o SED (CIA-Doct-FOTA 8 5. #420-757, 12/20/63, Dir 90466) ~ The basic policy articulated in the December # a for File, 12/20/63, (Birch O'Neal, iheluded. in with soft aa _— es file materials) In that memoranduf, Birch O'Neal | . of the CIA Counterintelligence Special Investigations Group segs wrote that he had been advised by Sam Classification: ; Classified by derivation: 0 0 g G d 3 A ee. Sh, NER, “GER. Gn. s
go “SECRET Classification: (This form is to be uséd fof material extracted Papich, FBohWAsannttdled decu@Bat;.) that the FBI was anticipating a request from the Warren Commission for copies of the FBI's materials which supported on or complimented the FBI's five volume report of December 9, 1963 that had been submitted to the Warren Commission. Papich provided 6'Neal With rey were” this report which indicated that somf united States Agency was[tapping telephones in Mexico — and asked him whether the FBI could supply the Warren Commission with the sourck of theftelephone ~ . ' a taps /| ONeats memorandum shows that he discussed this matter with Scelso. After a discussion with Helms, Scelso was directed by Helms to prepare CIA material to be passed to the Warren Commission. “O'Neal wrote: Sane 4 Classified by derivation: 08 Classification: 9 i}: pide A : “UE, GR. WA, i NSH. SE, NRE)
ile! eee” * The opinion expressed by Scelso as of December formalized fashion,” When Helms expressed his concern regarding exposure by the FBI of Agency sources to the Warren Commission. Helms wrote that the CIA had become aware that the FBI had already: (CIA dissemination to FBI, 1/14/64 Classification: (This form is to be used fér material extracted from ClA—controlled documents.) He (Scelso) was quite sure it was not .the Agency's desire to make available to the Commission at least in this manner~-via the FBI~—sensitive informa- tion-which could relate toL telephone taps; ] (CIA Memo. for File, 12/20/63, by Birch"\o! Neal, / included in.Soft File ee SS a Lae ET 7 ree he § fe iat a eS: CoA oA t nn . . a or Sing is Oo Ss mrwi ve! Tay (3 oN. vi ip pr i a, Set “ : e : f . : = Lf me. an a “Se AS RS ~~ a ‘ “wee Orem gy - P eS) OOP SL: 1963 was set forth on January 14, 1964 in a called to the attention of the Commission, through its attorney, that we have information ((as deter- mined from Agency sources )| coinciding with thé date}when Oswald was in Mexico City and which may have some bearing on his activities while in that area. CIA # CSCI-3/779/510. FOLA 4a4-04 ~ Mr. Helms further indicated that the CIA might be called upon to provide additional information acquired from checks of CIA records and agency sources. He suggested that certain policies be employed to enable CIA to work cooperatively with the Commission in a manner which would Mm » protect CIA information, sources and methods. Among the policies articulated were two which Helms claimed would enable the Agency to control. the flow of Agency originated information. In this way the CIA could check the possibility of revealing its sources and methods inadvertantly. The policies articulated were: wu id a) Fa‘l C3 + Classification: 085645 | Classified by derivation: — = a a a on “edn. “WA. NGA. “Ot,
dg. we. te bases? Alinscwitn au 23 re Soe lenl Peta eed Pa’ @ we -?® Le tn ra on ae gt y we seg a Z OLE rscSct PO CRTERST S Be (This form is to be used for material extracted from ClA—-conirelied docuinents.) The CIA policy of eliminating reference to Agency sensitive sources and methods is further revealed by examination of an Agency cable, dated January 29, * Beit ON a Ae ne ey aay REET TN 3 1964,. sent from CIA Headquarters to the CIA Mexico ©°. City Station. (CIA Doc. FOIA 2398-204, 1/29/64; — 4 “DIR 97829) This cable indicated that knowledge of “ Agency sources“and techniques was still being with- j held from the Warren Commission, and stated that on ? Saturday, February'1, 1964, the CIA was to present 4 a report on Oswald's Mexico City activities to the 2 Warren Commission which would be in a form protective of the CIA's Mexico City Station's “4 sources and techniques (Ibid.) __. - . “y (Footnote cont'd from pg. 23.) a 4 1) Your Bureau not disseminate information re- Z ceived from this Agency without prior concum , +) ° rence a “4 2) In instances in which this Agency has provided 41 information to your Bureau and you consider ” that information is pertinent to the Commission's 7 ok interest, and/or compliments (sic] ox otherwise e is pertinent to information developed or - received by your Bureau throug other sources : and is being provided by you to the Commission, “ you refer the Commission to this Agency. In such cases it will be appreciated if you will ep u, L advise us of such referral in order that we may « |. . 4 as Con anticjmate.the possible fpeure interest of the -Hithes ~ Commis ASSN iace carecthpresaratcry steps to meeting its needs. (Lbid. )didven LEER “Classified by derivation: : Pa a ets a i a SF Pat ‘
No aaa Niece Ate ai seen meee cache 4 | lee (This form is to be used for material extracted from CIA==éontrolled documants:) Télebhone Taps. Mr. Helms offered testimony regarding the CIA's reticence to inform the Warren Commission, at least during. the initial stage of the Commission' s work, of the CIA’ s[zelephonic: and] proto surveillance » operations in Mexico city. The reason “for the sensitivity of these [telephone | tap sand urveillance was not only becya Ase ft wag’ sensitive from. the__ Agency's standpoint, but the[telephone. “taps were Chererore, 1f this ha ecome public knowledge, it would have caused very bad feelings between[ Mexico}: ‘and .the, United States, and that was the reason. (Exec. Sess. Test. of Richard Helms, 8/9/78, pp. 51-52) * TheC1a' s,whwillingness to inform the Warren a - . . - a, ay a =o: CommisSion 2 the early stages of LS “investigation 2 the aboverdesct iped surveil rénce operdticns is a. urce, Of concern to) this Committee. It..iS rae o : - a a a a indicative. ‘Of an. Agéncy polity designed to skew a red oo th its“favor , the form ahd substance | of informatign Jorn hc nvon < thé CIA felt unconfortable_pfoyiding the Warren commiésion. (HSCA Class.,.Dépo. of Jolin Scelso, ‘ A a might well have s a “ o hampered the Commission's ability to -proceed in 5/6/78, p. 158) bbtue wer Sanaa SY TS, oN ayer aos, ada WETTER ST ar be ba Te, cee ef ete tan,
er, 26 = | SECKEL Classification: 7. its inves {his 2 fort, cH? at ad f for merece extracted ot ron Ancontro to a s.) S perore it. é As noted previously, on January 31, 1964, the CIA provided the Warren Commission with a s Memorandum that chronicled Lee Harvey Oswald's Mexico City visit during September 26, 1963 = Seb hat l4 v altheusr FA ¢ {CIA Doc. FOIA #509-803 1/31/64 PSEA LUGE October 3, 19632. ‘That. ‘memorand not mentionsns : pork pane ‘ ~ ~ ae a ES that Oswald's various conversations.with the. Cuban’ we a and Soviet Embassy/Consulates had been[ tappéd_ ‘and. % aey the Agency’ Ss Mexico City Stati ~ subsequently |transcribed™ Furthermore, that memo- -rvandum did not mention that the CIA had[tapped 5 / employee Sylvia Duran and Soviet officials at the ‘ 4 and] transcribed conversations between Cuban Embassy on Soviet embassy /Consulate (or Wie ention nade of [plete ng a aes _Détticos. an Ambassado © Mexito Armas“which the CIA ralsoftaaped and) tr scribed.) a the conversasiins betwee ? Az ee a On Pebrua 1-;~1964, Helms appeared before the. Commission and bekerty discussed che memorandum of * January 31, 1964. (CIA Doc. FOIA #498-204, 1/29/74, 6 ‘ + ¥ DIR 97829) On February 10, 1964, J. Lee Rankin wrote Fateh Helms in regard to the CIA memorandum of January 31. (JFK Doc. No. 3872 ) A review of Rankin's letter “tied. Classification: Classified by derivation:
Classification: (This form is to be used for material extracted from ClA—controlled documents.) we indicates that as of his writing, the Warren J 3 (oar! Commission had no substantive knowledge of [tne hore ete [telephonic survei lancd|Bpevation or the: production / . i.e. di the tapes and ‘transcripts (Gron-that operation.] Rankin inquired in the February 10, 1964 letter: whether Oswald's direct communication with employees (°° of the Soviet Embassy (as stated in Paragraph L ae & ° ol of January 32 memorandum) had been facilitated by eat ESB “yt — woe eitelephone or, “interview. Manifestly, had ‘the Warren Commission been. informed of the[telephonic surveillance] operation and its success inftapping] Oswald this inguiry by Rankin would not have been made, _Raymond Rocca's testimony tends to support this conclusion. It was Rocca's recollection that between the time. period of January 1964 ~ April 1964, Warren Commission's representatives had visited the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia and had fy e been shown various transcripts resulting froxf the —. ». & _PCIA's telephanic surveillanceftoperations in Mexico = City. (HSCA Class. Depo. of Raymond Rocca, 7/17/78, p- 89) However, Mr. Rocca did not personally make & Classification:
ag Classification: SFeo>-~ © 4 am § (This féim is to be uséd for material extracted from ClA—controlled documents.) this material available to Commission representa- tives and was not able to state under oath precisely the point in time at which the Warren Commission first learned of these Operations. (Ibid.) On February 19, 1964 the CIA responded to a . Cc P B84, Fo, A Va SS3- Foe Rankin's inquiry of February 10. The Agency response did indicate that Oswald had phoned the Soviet Consulate and was also interviewed at the Consulate. However, the Agency neither revealed the source of this information in its response to the Commission nor indicated that this source would be revealed by other means (e.g. by oral briefing). _ (Ibid..) CIA Telephonic Surveillance] Warten Commission Knowledge cf During the period of March ~ April 1964, David Slawson drafted a series of memoranda which among other issues concerned Warren Commission krfw- ». *~ » ledge of and access to the production material | | derived from the(CTA telephonic surveillance] dperations in Mexico City. “A review of these memoranda tends to support the Committee's belief that the Warren Commission, through Mssrs. Slawson, Coleman, and Classification: __ Classified by derivation: 000050 we af. i “GE. “SEG, A, 0 ME. NGM, Nee
™ ned” a 3 Bud Ro ~~ im 3 Le ¥ mat a Classification: ~~ € waksew oo oc, 4° 7 and wile dthialertinibetoobeased iei-wewralopeies'ed teléphonic from ClA—controlled documents.) surveillance] materials until April 9, 1964. On that date, Coleman, SLlawson and Willens-metcwith ESTP, Re. “in scott) the CIA's Chief ‘of Station in Mexico \ a City, who provided them withr ‘various. transcripts: (Slawson io eens and Neansiations[ierives sson[ xp serertons yes of the Cuban and Soviet Embassy/ Memorandum’ of April 22, 1964, Subject: Trip to \Mexico: City P 22.-) | - Prior to ‘April 9, it appears doubtful that the Commission had been given even partial access to the referenced material. Nevertheless, by March 12, 1964, the record indicates that the Warren Commission had at. least become” “aware that{ the CIA a a a a a did maintain telephonic surveillance]of the Cuban Embassy/Consulate. — (Slawson memorandum, March 12, 1964, Subj: meeting with CIA representatives). Slawson's memorandum of March 12 reveals that. the Warren Commission had learned that the CIA possessed tré 5» ' «= NEA, scripts of conversations between the Cuban Ambassador Vejvdes es) alt to Mexico, “armas, and the Cuban President Dortico The & Dorticos-Armas conversations, requested by the Warren hich Ly ado een Zamna aed inn - /) S cA 16 Jannsrg Bl rmgpmeen’ ey ries BH i/3'[2 7 cl im "5 Ae A AF BoOT- Kobe ence. Cen “Sie RET ss wy oes ga ° von D Ba - ( Classification: 3 “kK Slaw son cs NO Ake CSA canes = 90:0652 Sart 4+ wee Pete HR ERO Qumare of fhe ao “clessfied by derivation: : of CIR uch PEs linnc sorties tn iMexicad oot
Classification: (This form is to be used for material extracted - from ClA—controlled documepite Mand ta Commission representatives at PAGE TITS 3 with CIA officials, including Richard Helms,. concerned Silvia Duran's arrest and interrogation by the Mexican Federal Police. (Slawson Memorandum of April 22, 1964, pp. 3, 19, 45-46) Helms responded to the Commission's request for access, stating that he would attempt to arrange for the Warren Commission's representatives to review this material. (Slawson Memorandum of March 12, 1964, p. 6) Another Slawson memorandum, dated March 25, 1964 concerned Oswald's trip to Mexico. In that memo | Slawson wrote that the tentative conclusions Ha. SNA, wf NE, “WR, RI. NSA. NU. he had reached concerning Oswald's Mexico trip, a were derived from CIA memoranda of January 31, 1964 anc February 19, 1964, (Slawson Memorandun of March é 25, 1964, p. 20) and, in addition, a Mexican federal > olice summary of interrogations ducted or i. ——"a oe PB Y g poor At ras, arthatee _s ct “it. J) Slawson wrote: A large part of it (the summary report) is simply a summation of what the Mexican police learned when they interrogated Mrs. Silvia.Duran, an employee of the Cuban Consulate in Mexico City, and is there- - fore only as accurate as Mrs. Duran's testimony to the police. (Ibid.) Classification: i I, i ‘er i, h
. Classification: (This form is to be used for material extracted from ClA—controlled documents.) These comments indicate that Slawson placed qualified reliance upon the Mexican police summary . Moreover, there is no indication, -Ehat Slawson had been provided the Durainf telephonic. intereépt] tran-. scripts. In fact, by virtue’ ‘OF Slawson's comments concerning the Mexican police report, it would appear that the Warren Commission, as of March 25, had been provided-little substantive information pertaining to Silvia Duran. As Slawson reveals, the Commission had been forced to rely upon the two Memoranda that did not make reference to the surveil- Sa. “GMA. lance operations, and a summary report issued by the Mexican Federal Police. Thus, the Agency had ee > for over three months: -= exposing the ‘surveillance operations tec chetreview of the bo aeemenannnaatal + ABU, concerned Warren Commission staff members. As was 3 “> ole stated in the-cIA cable of December 20, 196f to its Mexico City Station: PB 2¢« § »* Our present plan in passing information - ee to the Warren Commission is to eliminate & mention of [telephone taps, Jin order to = protect your continuing operations. Will kG v rely instead on statements of Silvia wre Duran and on contents o i t consular , oy ae file which Soviets gaye [ODACID-Fere. . Bs nn ae (CIA Doc. FOIA #420-7573 0, 1964,3 - ax? CLA dbp DIR 90466) rare C ; wa a é @ Sickel é Classification: — |
Classification: (This form is to be used fér indterial extracted from ClA—controlled documents.) The Committee's belief that Slawson had + [pelephenic nereegt J not been given access to the Duran“transcripts is further supported by reference to his memorandum Qees of March 27, 1964 eRarFZ} wherein he states his conclusion that Oswald had visited the Cuban be ak lealt Hot erdrosabubla os ov” Embassy orf three occasions. “(Ibid, p. 2) This conclusion, he wrote,was based upon an analysis of Silvia. Duran's testimony before the Mexican police. This memorandum bears no indication that he had reviewed any of the Duran transcripts. access to thes, transcripts, | into fis anatYsis and accordingly noted for thise L. pikgose, Sis anaiygie ona have. feflected the fact of niS review either by its,Sorroboratidn Or 7” ‘criticism of’ the above erica Mexican police summary report. we a ave pee ncorporgees Logically, access to the[c: 's telephpriic exésurveillance Toduction would have a some *B » ¢ MS ambiguities. For’ example, Septembery#27, at 4:05 p.m. ne : ra Z (Slawson Memorandum of April 21, 1964, ; ; , ; \ + rom Soviet and Cuban Embassies in Mexico, p,. 2) put Ft. ae Classified by derivation: S2CRET a Classification: ; | 000054 Ce Qe, EAD
o ge e . c wo P Classification: SECR3I ; Silvia Duran, tehgehones bbe So vkedioPtaagy and g stated thaloa ClAnsenrell geuments.) ntly at th , Cuban Embas requesting an ji-transit visit to , = Cuba... Thas Amex} can was 1 Ler determi ed by cly’ ‘analysts 7 “to be QSwald. /Again on September 29f at ll: gfe. mM. . ‘ate, ag Duran” telephoned the Soviet Consu¥ate statiey that” é wv an American, subseq, ently a by @IA andlysts as Oswald was at hoe Cuban Embassy.  (Fbid. p. 4) f f Coco tort SsWalds visits? pette CWcan Rmbassuy Had this’ informatior*been mdde available to/Slawson, his calculations of Oswald's activities in Mexico City would Have been moré firmly established than f r erleced s 10 Ras reMo f AAAI they were as*of March 27, 1964. _ The record supports the Committee's finding that as of April 2, 1964 the Warren Commission had ~ = still not been given access to the aboverret renced 3 ‘eta, ie “Ot. sep given access apiontn eo BIC TASC CASE Oa “series[of{telepnonic interceprs ‘ ~~ memorandum of . gk that date -by. Coleman and Slawson, '- posed one eS question to the CIA and. made two. requestsfor information April 2, 1964, Subj: Questions Raised by the Ambassador from the Agency. (Slawson - Coleman Memorandum Ofne Mann File) Coleman and Slawson wrote: ‘ar 1) What is the information source referred to in the November 28 telegram that ithe 2p NB spe . : te fag Nes dy es ae = Classification: = J000GS5 ; Classified by derivation:
2) 3) at 10: 37 1964, p. to request the source of the information, ope ae enern: Classification: _ SECRET (Thiwddra isn teehaaded:dorSmetetial axeactetn from ClA—controlled documents.) Odessa; We would like to see copies of the transcripts [of the: intercepts] translated if possible, in all cases where the fintercepts] refer to the assassination, or ‘related subjects; We would especially like to see the [intercept] in which the allegation that money was passed at the Cuban Embassy “is discussed (Ibid.) The question initially posed by (Item I) in the above-referenced memorandum of April 2 concerns the[ CIA telephonic intercep] of Septenber: 27, 1963 a.m. (Slawson Memorandum of April 21, 1) Obviously, Lf Slawson found it necessary not as yet been provided access to the original 3 Bs‘ ened a aa | in 000056 Fal Cd. , Classification: Classified by derivation: he had © a NEG, “aa, Get, Nea i as lace a: material by the CIA. ¢ oom | ~ 7 je Item Number T of the above-Tisting tends to show aa Pal iy rae that the Conmisdion had not beén giving | aécess to the[intercepy nncerning Coe ssecseasaticn 7 “Nese
2%, ~~ 35 — Classification: S3CREL (This fori is to be used féi material extracted from ClA—<controlled documents.) Item number three of the above listing reveals that the intercept Jos Jene Dorticos-Armas conversation of November 22, 1964, in which the passing of monies was discussed had not as of April 2 been provided to the Commission. The Commission had specifically requested the Dorticos-Armas transcripts at a March 12, 1964 meeting between Commission representatives and Agency representatives. (Slawson memorandum, March 12, 1964, Subj: Conference with CIA on March 12, 1964) On April 3, 1964, Coleman and Slawson expressed their concern for receiving complete access to all . materials relevant to Oswald's Mexico City trip: The most probable final result of the ‘entire investigation of Oswald's activities in Mexico is a conclusion that he went | | there for the purpose of trying to reach Cuba and that no bribes, conspiracies, 2 og etc. took place. ...In order to make such a judgment (that: all reasonable lines of investigation that might have uncovered other motivations or tn aii a4 pid baa | Classification: aA 000057 Classified by derivation: A NOR BH. a a NER, A. ~y ti v