104-10336-10020 ar we ABA Ae at ARR oto fl mE NP EE sReuaee OGAp UP RS oS e MEMORANDUM CIA HAS NO OBJECTION TO DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR RELEASE OF CIA INFO October 17, 1996 "FORMATION ctober ~ INTHIS DOCUMENT To: Barry Harrleson, CIA/HRG From: Manuel E. Legaspi, ARRB Staff Subject: Operational Reports, Cuban Exile Groups In recent weeks members of the ARRB staff have attempted to locate and/or ascertain the disposition of monthly operational reports for certain Cuban exile groups which (in some cases, allegedly) worked with the Central Intelligence Agency during the years 1963 and 1964. . . Our initial survey of the JFK Segregated Collection and the Microfilm reels indicates that monthly operational reports do exist for one group in particular (the Directorio Revolucionario Estudiantil (DRE)), but that reports for the time frame immediately: surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy are not present in the collection. To the extent that it is possible, could you and your staff please assist us in identifying, if they should exist, monthly operational reports for the time frame March 1963 - March 1964 for the following exile groups: e The Directorio Revolucionario Estudiantil (DRE) ® Cuban Revolutionary Council (CRC) @ Movimiento Recuperacion Revolucionario (MRR) Thanks for your help.
3 CIA HAS NO OBJECTION TO Oc atry Harrelson DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR October 27, 1996 RELEASE OF C'A INFORMATION Page 3 - INTHIS DOCUMENT will discuss issues with CIA. HTLINGUAL. It is the Review Board staff’s understanding that CIA continues its search for HTLINGUAL records and will provide an oral briefing on the subject. It is also our understanding that some HTLINGUAL records have been located, but that they have not yet been made available to the Review Board. Recent and additional informal requests that we have discussed with you: Operational Reports for Cuban Exile Groups. The Review Board staff has been unable to locate in the collection monthly operational reports for the DRE, RC, or MRR for the period between March 1963 and March 1964. Please advise whether these récords exist and when we may review them. Moscow. CIA has been asked to search for additional information regarding Mosco as discussed with Michelle Combs on October 24, 1996. Tape. CIA has been asked to search for additional information regarding a tape as discussed with Irene Marr on October 24, 1996. ' Please let me know of any inaccuracies in this letter or any suggestions that you have. Thank you for your help and cooperation. and Associate Director for Research .
13-00000 wwe mere oF rn ee FAX TRANSMISSION ASSASSINATION RECORDS REVIEW BOARD | GOO E STREET, NW, Suite 200 WaSHiIneTon, DC 20530 (202) 724-0088 x26! CiA HAS NO OBJECTION TO Fax: DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR RELEASE OF CIA INFORMATION AN THIS DOCUMENT To: Barry Harrleson, CIA/DCVHRG Date: May 16, 1997 Fax #: 703 613-3063 Pages: 1, including this cover sheet. From: Manuel E. Legaspi Subject: § Mont COMMENTS: - The Op reports reside in the following DRE folders in the JFK Microfilm: Reel 25, Folders 25, 26, 27, Reel 26, Folders 2, 3, 5, The following is a breakdown of. the Op reports Iv was able to find: Already in collection: 1962: May, June, September though gh November,/ lef | &y 1963: None. 32/ 1964; May through December. ‘1965: January through March, May, July through December 1966: January through July, October through December. We would like to make this a complete series, but have a particular interest in the reports for Deember 1962 through April 1964. Thanks! 25 Fitly 2dr tuFep 697/) Yi heed 23, Helen 27 CUPGA ~ GES?P) thd heikiae, Btar2 CUFEA “7089 ) 2 fem hal a5 Ha 25 CUFCA /b, /6F)
to | | Re C1 LK-2/ Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street NW « 2nd Floor « Washington, DC 20530 (202) 724-0088 + Fax: (202) 724-0457 ~ December 18, 1997 ik HAS 5 NO OB oBIEOTION mom ATIO Mr. John Pereira a CVA INFORMAT \ON Historical Review Group me Center for the Study of Intelligence Central Intelligence Agency Washington, D.C. 02505 Re: Status of CIA Responses to Assassination Records Review Board’s Requests for Additional Inforntfation and Records Dear John: Iam writing to follow-up on our telephone call earlier today and to convey my serious concern about the status of CIA’s responses to the Review Board's requests for additional information and records. Although CIA has completed its responses to several requests, and many others have been answered in part, a significant number of . requests have not been answered — including some that were made more than two years ago. On many occasions we have been assured that responses would be forthcoming, only to have promised dates come and go without answers. It is now — extremely important that these requests be answered promptly so that we may conduct a proper follow-up if necessary. The issues that we can now identify as being of the highest priority are identified in the text below by double asterisks (**)' and we request that they be answered within the next month. We request that the remaining requests be answered by April-1, 1998. The remainder of this letter is divided into two parts: first, a listing of the formal requests for information and records, and second, a listing of the informal requests for information and records. Please let me know if your understanding of any of the following points differs from ours so that we can resolve any potential discrepancies. ‘As identified more fully below, the issues are: CIA-1 Organizational Material, CIA-6 Cables and Dispatches, CIA-13 Backchannel Communications, CLA-IR-03 HTLINGUAL Documents, CIA-IR-04 Disposition of Angleton Files, CLA-IR-07 Claude Barnes Capehart, CIA-IR-15 Electronic “take” from Mexico City, CLA-IR-21 DRE Monthly Operational Reports, CIA-IR-22 “A” Files on Clay Shaw and Jim Garrison. Boaro Memeceas: John R. Tunheim, Chair « Henry F. Graff + Kermit £. Hall - William L. Joyce + Anna K. Nelson
13-00000 a Oy & i Mr. John Pereira December 18, 1997 Page 11 fNeme Realy eee 7. Byron B. Morton, Jr. _ | ARRB SERA SE SES RS REE . awaits documentation. . 8. Marie Cheatham ARRB awaits documentation. 3, Paul Garbler ARRB awaits documentation. 10. Verna Deane Brown ARRB awaits documentation. 12. Howard Guebler ARRB awaits documentation. HRG will check for files. 13. Gordon Duane Novel ARRB awaits documentation. HRG will check for files. ‘| 14. Ed Butler ARRB awaits documentation. HRG will check for files. 15. INCA (information ARRB awaits documentation. HRG will check for files. Council of the Americas) 16. Permindex CIA-IR-20 Monster Plot. ARRB awaits documentation. HRG will check for files. This request is complete. *SGEA-IR-21 Monthly Operational Reports for-DRE.. In March 1997, the Review Board requested that the CIA search for monthly operational reports for the Cuban exile group Directorio Revolucionario Estudiantil (DRE) records for the period 1960-1964 with particular emphasis on the reports for August and November 1963. While some of the reports for this period already exist in the JFK Collection, others, including the reports for December 1962-April 1964, are missing. We understand that the CIA has done some research on the missing reports. We request a comprehensi¥e memo on the creation and disposition of DRE records be provided for the Board. In addition, we request that the CIA work to discover the identity of “Howard,” the CIA officer mentioned in the DRE files. We request his full name and Office of Personnel file be provided to the Board.
13-00000 + SECRET ioe . The DO has checked Headquarters records for files referenced in HMMW 12454 and for files on the crypts cited in this document and searched for HMMA 20307 and other cables or dispatches cited in this document. As previously explained, the crypts in HMMW 12454 have been researched. The dispatch was apparently written in haste and in . truncated language without correct knowledge of the operational crypts for the specific operations in Mexico City. The crypts in the dispatch are the more generic crypts for teltap operations, not for the then- current operations in Mexico City. (S) **CIA-IR-21 Monthly Operational Reports for DRE The gap in the Directoria Revolucionario Estudiantil (DRE) records has been researched. The explanation is that the reporting lagged because the DRE apparently would not take CIA directions or instructions for their operations and CIA funding was reduced. Further complicating the situation was the personality clash of the DRE official and the CIA case officer. DRE records identified in a search have been located in the CIA’s JFK microfilm files and have been discussed with Manuel Legaspi of the ARRB staff. (S) The CIA has not been able to identify “Howard” as “mentioned in the DRE files.” Knowledgeable case officers from other regions have explained the name could be a routing indicator from a covert officer for ensuring that something gets to the CIA. The name does not track as a pseudonym, registered alias, nor true name of any case officer involved in the DRE operation at the time of the dates on the documents so marked. (S) 4 SECRET CL Reason: 1.5(c) Decl On: X1 Drv From: Multiple
13-00000 t Memorandum For: T. Jeremy Gunn Executive Director Assassination Records Review Board . From: J. Barry Harrelson Senior Reviewer JFK Project Subject: ‘CIA-IR-21, Monthly Operational Reports For the DRE 1. Reference is made to your request for subject information as further refined in your 18 December 1997 letter to Chief, Historical Review Group. Specifically, you _ asked about missing DRE monthly operational reports and the identity of “Howard,” the name to which the DRE appears to have sent correspondence. 2. The Agency has searched appropriate data bases and files for the “missing” reports. In addition, the responsible offices have researched the questions contained within your request. Based on these rather extensive efforts, we can advise you as follows. 3. Missing operational monthly reports. The searches conducted by the Agency failed to locate any of the reports that appear to be “missing” -- December 1962 through April 1964, in general, and those for August and November 1963 in particular. It should be noted that during the period in question, major policy differences between the Agency and DRE developed. This was particularly true of the latter years of association because the DRE would not take directions or instructions about a number of operational matters, insisting on engaging in activities the Agency did not sanction. These differences caused the Agency to reduce the level of funding for the DRE. It also replaced the officer designated to deal with the DRE. Then, about the same time, the monthly operational reports trailed off. It seems probable these events are linked and that reporting in the form of such monthly reports simply stopped. The DRE files we did find are also within the sequestered JFK collection and they have previously been made available to ARRB staff member Manuel Legaspi. 4. The identity of “Howard.” With reference to your request for information on “Howard,” we, like you, have no clear understanding about the use of this particular name on
13-00000 DRE messages. ‘The phrase, “To Howard” was used as the addressee of several DRE prepared memoranda. We first attempted to identify if, in fact, “Howard” was an actual person. The name was not found to be a pseudonym. It also was not found to be a registered alias. It also is not the true name of any case officer associated with the DRE operation at the time the DRE documents were written. Following review of those data bases, knowledgeable case officers were queried suggested that. the use of “To Howard’ might have been nothing more than a routing indicator to ensure that the documents got to the correct CIA office/officer or that the sender was someone known to the recipient. 5. If you have any further questions in this regard, please advise.
MEMORANDUM | | | IA HAS NO OBJECTION 1 | DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR March 3, 1998 | RELEASE OF CIA INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT To: Jeremy Gunn Executive Director cc: Bob Skwirot CIA Team Leader From: Michelle Combs title Come Le- Special Assistant for Research and Review Subject: CIA-IR-21 DRE Case Officer for December 1962 - April 1964 In response to ARRB’s informal request for additional information and records, CIA-IR-21, CIA provided access to the Office of Personnel file for Mr. George E. Joannides. I have examined the personnel file for Mr. Joannides for the period 1961-64 and 1978-79. Mr. Joannides appears in documents in the CIA Sequestered Collection under his pseudonym Walter D. Newby. . During the period December 1962 to April 1964, Mr. Joannides was assigned as a covert action officer at JMWAVE, serving as deputy and then chief of the station’s covert ' action branch. During this time period, Mr. Joannides was the case officer for the Cuban exile group Directorio Revolucionario Estudiantil (DRE). The descriptions of his duties and accomplishments in the personnel file are very general and contain no specific reference to his relationship with the DRE. There is no mention of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in the file and no information relevant to the assassination in the file. There is also no indication that Mr. Joannides may have used . or been known by the name “Howard” during his contacts with the DRE, although personnel files typically would not reveal this information one way or another. . During the period mid-May 1978-January 1979, Mr. Joannides was assigned to work for Scott Breckinridge, the CIA’s principal coordinator to the House Select Committee on ' Assassination (HSCA) as a focal person to keep track of the status of HSCA requests, particularly to the Directorate of Operations. In this role, Mr. Joannides developed and maintained a log and records of HSCA requests and CIA’ responses and handled the day-to-day follow up to HSCA requests. Several performance evaluation reports from the 1962-64 time period and a memoranda from Scott Breckinridge on Mr. Joannides’ duties during the 1978-1979 time frame were designated assassination records and are being processed for release. e:\combs\cia-ir21.wpd File 4.20.1 and 4.20.4
13-00000 ma of e at t we # 2 & eb. ' SECRET 26 March 1998 MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD SUBJECT: Joannides’ Fitness Reports, ARRB Request, CIA-IR-21, Relating to DRE 1. Request number CIA-IR-21 from the ARRB is for information on the Directorio Revolucionario Estudianti (DRE), its monthly operational reports and its handlers. 2. Significant information has been provided for review by ARRB staff and the staff has written a memorandum, dated 3 March 1998, concerning its review. In addition, an HRP memorandum has been prepared for the Board concerning most of subject request. These two memoranda have been reviewed by the DO and approved for release. 3. (S) There remained however, the question of who within the Directorate of Operations served as the case officer for the DRE during the period before and after the Kennedy assassination. That person was George Joannides and he is identified generally within the DRE materials by his pseudonym, Walter D. NEWBY. 4. (S) The ARRB staff requested access to his personnel file and the same was provided for their review. From that review, they selected five fitness reports which have been designated assassination records. The DO has reviewed the five fitness reports and made suggested redactions to. the fitness reports, primarily to protect such things as size of station resources, etc. Joannides’ name is released. However, they redacted the pseudonym, NEWBY. Note that — items blacked out on the fitness reports reflect their exact condition within the personnel file. The five fitness reports have been added to assassination materials awaiting indexing and review by the ARRB. 5. The inclusion of the five fitness reports within the JFK collection for future processing completes HRP action on subject request. J. Barry Harrelson 36 [93 date SECRET