10d-10059-10238) | “ap 7° S- 6°55 RETURN TO CIA: . oO _ Background Use Only MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD | _ 7 Do Not Reproduce SUBJECT: WIROGUE/1 Mission to Kinshasa, December 1960 On 13 March 1975 a search of available documents was made to determine the reason for the. comment in. paragraph 2 of a 17 December.1960 cable from Leopoldville indicating — _ that WIROGUE/1 had attempted to recruit a European to be a _ --  jrember of. "an execution squad." The research did not clarify this matter to any great extent, although some assumptions can- be made on the basis of. circumstantial evidence. WIROGUE/1 was jan ethnic ‘Géorgiah-recruited and trained _ for the old. REDSOGXY program. Although born in the Soviet . Union, he oved to Western Europe when two years old... He '. fought in peand as of 1960 was |. : gee “essentially stateless. Involved peripherally with the French | a Resistance,. he was sentenced to death by the Germans_but. . Liberated by the U.S. Army in ie P4s and returned to 10 By 1950 he had managed to rob! ank of a sizéable sum of money, receive a. prison sentence and be released five . years later for good behavior. He was brought to the United States. originally for use as one of two agents for Project OUSESENTINEL. He spoke Gariye)French and fluent Georgian, a German and English. tee: - By 1960 the- Agericy was involved in a reasonably major effort to, resettle WIROGUE/1, possibly in Mexico, for.the _ mission for which he had been brought to the United States had been canceled. WIROGUE/1's file indicates that as of - 30 August steps were being taken to resettle him in Mexico. “However, on-19 September. 1960. two members of Africa Division ~~ met with him to discuss "an operational assignment in Africa. Division." In.connection with this aSsignment, WIROGUE/1 was to be trained in demolition§ small arms and medical : immunization. Plans to resettle ‘him in, Mexico were can-. — _celed. He was provided a new pseudonym and immunization . [°/— . Shots. In- October 1960 a cable to Leopoldville stated that | E2 IMPDET . CL BY 018307, oO ; | | 7 - <a ~ 7 SECRET ey a . CATT To DOL tf 4048) SI z nel
14-00000 WIROGUE/1 was being prepared for deep cover assignment to arrive Leopoldville late November. Headquarters noted fie ‘intent to use him as utility agent in‘order ta“(a) organize and conduct a surveillance team; (b) intercept packages; | (c) blow up bridges; and (d) execute other assignments wo-- requiring-positive. action. %His utilization is not to be. restricted to Leopoldville. Indeed, he may be subject to call by other African stations although it is expected for ‘him to be resident in Leopoldville." In ‘this cable WIROGUE/1 was described correctly as_an inventor, photographer, archi- tect, forger and former bank robber. He was judged to be. ingenuous, observant, shrewd, glib and one who relished ‘intrigue and daring. He was assessed as able to "learn quickly. and carry out any assignment without regard to danger." As he was in the United States black, the plan was for him to depart black, documented as an| 7 | to surface in West:Germany- and from there to proceed on his own to Leopoldville. In November 1960 "to prevent his. identification with the U.S. Government or BKHERALD and to. preclude any unexpected recovery of his past which would = .. gm ‘associate him with his pre-BKHERALD life", WIROGUE/1 under- ~ went plastic surgery to change the shapevof his“nose:? He. was provided a toupee for constant wear and documented as. anf Who had never been to the United States. Cover . for~his présence in_Leopoldville was to be as ] 08. . ' possibly that of a ‘jo A rather lengthy assess- ‘ment of his character can be summed up by saying he was able to rationalize any action if he had strong case offi- cer direction. . Training records for WIROGUE/1, subsequent . to his engagement by the Africa Division, indicate training ©. only in SW. : : | WIROGUE/1 arrived in Leopoldviile ‘on 2 December 1960. a His case officer gave him the following instructions :06 (a) oO to build cover possibly by opening a | and (b) to try to spot persons for a surveillance team, intel’ assets, particularly in Oriental province, and para-~ military - assets. Almost immediately upon arrival he ran into GIVING ‘who told the station that WIROGUE/1 loaked like an intel-.. ligence agent. In attempting to recruit QJWIN? for his _— I "execution squad", WIROGUE/1 exceeded his instructions to a avoid making - approaches without checking with Leopoldvilte station. . SS]
14-00000 -In January 1961 Leopoldville asked for authority to permit WIROGUE/1 to take dilfingilesson§,so that the Station i: could be used for claridestine missions (th praneywas  - registered in WOQPLAM/1's name). Station acknowledged dis- | advantage of crossing WIROGUE/1 and* QULAM/1 operations o2(VYOPLAM/1 was never involved in any assassination schemes). Heddquarters approved fil}ing.lessons.gs By March 1961 WIROGUE 1 had obtained the position of to the vith the{ nd was almost immediately _ used n £- i 4 i e, on the - By April 1961 the| Were attefnpting use iumvobtain arms and. instructors in Westérn Europe. By - 4 ril. 1961 WIROGUE/1 was teaching the| oS ‘although he himself ghad learned only. several MONTHS Carlier and.was readim anuals at night .-- | to stay ahead of his class. In July 1961 WIROGUE/1 departed -.— - Leopoldville because he. had run into difficulty obtaining | a residence permit. He was terminated in September 1961. In a summary of his activity in August 1961, Leopoldville Station said WIROGUE/1 knew very little about station aCtiVe wen: ‘ities. It is the writer's opinion that  WIROGUE/1 was recruited for his Congo assignment because of his third country national background in order to establish a support mechanism in Leopoldville. At the time the Congo was in chaos, BKHERALD | had few assets and there was some likelihood that the polit- - - ical situation would degenerate quickly. The Station possibly - also wanted to have a latent para-military capability and “WIROGUE/1's background and previous training for the REDSOBLS _ program made him a Suitable candidate. ‘This is, (of course, conjecture. aa , . Perhaps pertinent is an October 1964 assessment of - WIROGUE/1 who had been turned over to or resettling ‘in 41 Resettling him had turned out to be an enormous -  prebien: he October 1964 cable notes that WIROGUE/1 had ip an SEE .. an intense desire for intelligence service and enjoyed the .role of lower echelon action agent. Although he threatened ‘to go to work for the French I@S, it was not believed that he Vough/ -imessk would be accepted. The assessment indicated there foe was little flap potential with WIROGUE/1 since he knew little
14-00000 In particular, in the Congo he was aware , WIROGUE/1 spent —. only of the CO most of his time trying to develon contacts and was not — directly involved in_any particular operation. about the Agency. S's contact with ‘contact