104-10429-10247 data relative to the Subject. “The purpose | of this survey is to permit. a oa Oo, Anes SECRET 2 May 1975 SUBJECT : The Photo of an Unidentified Individual in the Warren Commission Report: A Factual Chronological Survey - REFERENCE: - Memorandum by David W. Belin to Mr. E. . Harry Knache, 15 ror] ‘1975 (Attachment A) ® 1.. Reference memorandum suggests it would be appropriate to reconsider full disclosure at this time of the circumstances. and factual realistic evaluation of the suggestion. Background. ae This ‘examinatton and. summery of the record concerns a cropped photograph considered by: ‘the President! s Commission on the Assassination —— of. President. Kennedy (hereinafter cited as the Warren Commission) and introduced into evidence. as (Odum Exhibit No. i. The photograph | (together with: others of the same individual) originated fron a highly 1 See Hearings Before the President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy (hereinafter cited as Hearings), Vol. XX, p. 697. os SECRET re me : | Tr werner et oF cana lee es ea tg Se fone iy mentee eeenieeNRteeeNttGe mre nt meena eat “ap = ee ee ee ne nce ene
13-00000 22 November to the local FBI representative, and later that day, © Mrs. Marguerite OSWALD 's allegation that she had been ‘shown a cropped SECRET sensitive intelTigence operation being conducted in October 1963 by the CIA and (lexi can. se security authorities: pagainst the Soviet and Cuban Embassies in Mexico City. 3. ‘Under the extraordinary press of effort to develop information : on the assassin and the assassination, copies of the’ photograph were made avai lable by CIA's Mexico Station Chief on the afternoon of asserted ly on the decision of the Ambassador, copies were conveyed by an FBI representative by a special Flight carried out by the U. S. Naval investigation: - One photograph ,: cropped by the FBI, was shown to Mrs. Marguerite OSWALD (Lee Harvey. OSWALD’ s nother) in DaTTas: on the . evening of 23 November 1963 by FBI Agent Bardwell D. onum. ~ | 4, The. Warren Commission’ § report describes the sequence of events. at pp. 364-365 and 667 (Attachment B) which ultimately resulted in photo of Jack RUBY the day before he murdered her son. (A further complication compounding this erroneous conclusion was the fact that Attaché to the Dallas office of the FBI for possible use in the ongotng 7 . A ‘ . woke . : a > sennaeanegnne anna, :. A we ee Sn ae when’ she had been shown a copy of the. same photograph in her appearance - before the Canmi ssion, it had been cropped by the FBI in Washington in a slightly different manner. ) 5. No detail 11 in the Warren Commission report illustrates more vividly than this one the difficulties that beset simple truth in the SECRET co ene rere ee ett sti eer septa pnt eth RRNMT ferent UE Nep une
13-00000 SECRET. politicized, rigidly deterministic interpretive climate that has been. nurtured by the media over the past decade about the Kennedy Assassina~ _ tion. The photograph, acknowledged now not to be RUBY, has continued to preoccupy "specialists" and has” become the centerpiece of another hypothesis that holds OSWALD to have been "framed" by the use of a a double in his activity in Mexico City.? | » Lee Harvey OSWALD - Reporting on Mexico City Stay 6. Although in no way. related to Lee Harvey OSHALD or his stay in . Mexico City from the morning of 27 September 1963 to the morning. oF 2 October 1963, at Teast one set of. photographs of the unidentified | man. ' originated. during OSWALD's stay there. -- It is important, therefore; to. an understanding of the acquisition and handling of the photographs by the Mexico Station to review what the Station ascertained and did with - the. ‘information it developed about OSWALD in Mexico city. together with an Headquarters. action on that information. 7. “pyonaN) cpadibte evidence known to. this time (none, incidentally, added since the exhaustively unique work of the Warren Conmissicn), 7 Lee Harvey OSWALD spent four (4) full ‘days and two (2) partial days-— about n6 hours - in. all--in Mexico city from about 10:00 a.m. a7 September 2 This is the thrust of the article "The CIA and the Man Who Was Not. Oswald” by Bernard Fensterwald and George O'Toole in the New York Review | of Books, a copy of which is attached to reference (Attachment A). erfrOot wt . . oe . . . oa “oF a. : ’ * . . . : + a ' , . a a. . . cone ae scenes teat tacts esndttntnpensaee Dateline it gt en an nee Ae RN ee a AO ee ee
13-00000 SECRET 1963 to about ‘8:30 a.m. 2 October 1963. His place of residence was a smal] commercial: ‘traveler hotel, not frequented by "gringos”--the Hotel Commerci o--where he was registered under alias. Exhaustive and detai led. interviews and interrogation by the Mexican authorities and the FBI, after the assassination, established that in the recollection of all hotel. personne] he left early, and returned late each day of his stay. . "8, Assuming, and ‘allowing. for the fact of Tate arrival and early. , departure, ‘that he slept one-third of the time of his stay (38 or ‘39 hours), there remain some 78 hours of activity to be accounted for. Overall, CIA's, information can account solely for very brief perfods during 27, 2B September ‘and 1 October. AMI coverage by CIA during the entire period was technical. The Station had no live source Civing agent) coverage either unilateral or From! Mexican Vaison: » 9.. It should be noted that OSWALD wes in no sense under investi — gation." None of the facts of his defection and stay in the USSR and return to the U.S., 1959. - 1962, were known to Mexico Station Files . before 10 October 1963, when the bare bones of his biography were - forwarded by Headquarters in response to a Station cabled report of 8 October. which had forwarded, on a routine basis, what appeared to be (a contact ‘by. an Anerican for a visa to Cuba in transit to the USSR. This was indicated and deduced from technically acquired information ‘on 1 October, which was the first and only occasion in which OSWALD identified himself (partially) by true nane. SECRET 2 mettre eens catenin Meee frm rier Pe SSCS cRNA . . . ' mo. . . . ec . . commer commas ae ut watts weed wy ae ot “aca ete ete eee et gn A RR ST RE a RS eS EAD © SNE NON Fmt Sam
13-00000 “rN SECREG. "70: At no time during his stay in Mexico City did the CIA acquire a photo of OSWALD. A careful review of all coverage, voice intercept, as well as photographic, of both the Soviet and Cuban Embassies was conducted by the Station on 22 and 23 November 1963 after the assassina-— tion, going back to materials from August 1963. It is therefore, fim ; that there was . no CIA photo coverage of OSHALD at any: ‘time during his - Mexico trip or stay in Mexico city. Moreover, although it hed riade a cabled request on 15 October, the Mexico Station had na photo of OSWALD ‘in its records, nor did it receive one fron Headquarters—vhich did not have one either--before 22 November 1963. 1. 2uetty Enis intensive review of voice intercept transcripts by the monitor and other personnel on the basis of the T October inter- . cept--which had been reported to Headquarters and disseminated to ‘the a interested members. of the inte1ligence: community (as an ex-tlarine OSWALD - was @ Navy and FBI case under the Del imitations Agreement . and potentiatiy of interest to the Department of . State)--turned up matches based or - ; content with materials intercepted on 27 and 28 September "1963. These matches were reported to Headquarters. on 23 November 1963. Analysis based on voice comparison (except for what could: be recalled by the 7 monitor--and. this was - not an insignificant element because of the menorably. poor Russian spoke by OSWALD) could not be made because the tapes, in accordance with the normal practice, had been erased and re-used. SECRET
13-00000 ‘vapid and accelerated basis in four or five day “peaks.” .One of ‘the SEEREI 12° It must be stressed that the voice intercept and photographic coverage was not (and normally is not) processed in "veal time.” ‘The means of acquisition and the volume of the information precludes anything but the spot reporting of items judged by the monitor to be of more than ordinary interest and, therefore, noted in summary Togs . Full texts of — selected items Fequire consultation of the tape and either @ full ‘tran- oo scription or full trans lati on or both. “Photo coverage tends to becane available in quantity. lots which requires scanning and selection on ‘a "triggers" that: normal ly operates to focus and accelerate more: ‘speedy | review and reporting of this kind of raw intelligence as the menticn of. a name. This was: precisely what otcurred in the second. of ‘two conversa= tions on ] October. with the Soviet. ‘Embassy, during which the speaker ‘said Be he. was “Lee OSWALD." ‘It was. this information reported by the Station to Headquarters in its first indication on OSWALD on 8 October 1963. 7 13. The Mexico Station did one nore thing in its 8 October report eo on Lee OSWALD based on. its 1 October voice intercepts: it coupled the data with. descriptive information. it had acquired from a sensitive collateral source--a photograph ‘of a male individual, apparently an American, who was observed entering the Soviet Embaesy on 1 October. - The Station reported this detail on the 8th as a matter of coincident. fact. The Station did not assert or suggest that the data deduced from the photo wasin fact OSWALD, or indeed, was in any way related to OSWALD. ‘SECRET. . * , t : SRN meee ns ey = Sep et en te teeter ay . . an 7 eapeenemanee erect a ane ee i grea eee ran snergeenetn enters »
SECRET - Lee Harvey OSWALD - CIA Coverage of His Mexico City Stay 14. One additional element of background must be stipulated now as the final ‘precondition to understanding the relevance (or irrelevance) | of the photo of the unknown individual placed in the chain of, evidence ‘on 23 November in Dallas by FBI Agent Bardwell ODUM: what was the | totality of CIA Mexico ‘Ss coverage ‘of OSWALD" s activi ty as of the after * noon of the 23rd -when all available coverage had been checked? | 15. The totality of Mexico Station coverage on, or reasonably inferable to ‘be OSWALD, consisted of five (5) | voice Intercepts as: 5 fotlons: . oe Fa September 1963 (eriday). 1605 hours Hexico city time. | Silvia DURAN, a Mexican national, a: ‘local ‘employee of the Cuban’. Embassy. Consular section,. a recepti onist, speaks with an unknown , male at ‘the Soviet Embassy. Silvia DURAN tells the man ‘that the fo Ameri can citizen was there, phe one who wants a visa for Cuba: ‘on . his way. to the Soviet Union, and he wants to know with whom he was : talking ‘there because she (si ia DURAN) had sent him. to the Soviet | : Embassy, saying that if: they: accepted him and gave him. a visa, then ‘ the | Cubans: (Enbassy), would also give. him a visa without further = paper. “work, only advising Inni gration in Cuba. v The American, she | “ says, wants ‘to know with whiont he had talked there because’ he says . : he was ‘told there would be: no: problen. The man in the Soviet . - Embassy says: to wait a monient. OA different Soviet Speaks , and “SECRET
13-00000 SECRET - ( .  ¢ Silvia DURAN explains the same thing to him. This man says to | leave a name and telephone number and says he will call back. Silvia DURAN gives the telephone 11-28-47 (Cuban Consulate). She also takes advantage of the, conversation and states she has moved: and. wants to advise the Soviet Embassy of her ‘change of | 7 address so ‘that she can receive the Soviet Embassy's Bulletin. The man says. to call KOU KHARENKO to give her new address , then he | | asks the name of the Consul or Cultural Attache. Silvia DURAN says . _the name is Teresa PROENZA and the telephone number is 3-26. an “The man Says thanks. a b. . 27 Se tenber 1963 Friday), 1626 hours Mexico Gity time. : ee An unidentified male, a Soviet, calls the Cuban Consulate, asks | Silvia DURAN af the American had been there. Silvia DURAN Says he a as there now. The Soviet says the American showed papers from the | ‘Consulate in Washington, that he wants to go to the Soviet Unton _ and -be there for a long time with his wife, who is Russian, . but - ‘the answer has not come fron Washington in respect to this problem, and according’ to this procedure it takes four or five months, but without having permission from the Soviet Union they should ask, or better said, they cannot issue a visa there without asking Washing- _ ton. However, according to this. man, he showed a letter indicating he was a member of an organization in favor of Cuba and that the . Cubans said that they cannot issue a visa without his having a visa SECRET a oa cima nae nee otvntmnete wade ee femy ne
13-00000 “oN SECRET for the Soviet Union, -and nov he (the Soviet) does not know what te a. do with: nim (the American), because they have to wait For an answer . from Washington. Silvia PURAN agrees the same problem exists with the Cubans, that. the problem with him (the American) is that he does not know anyone in Cuba. ‘and therefore. if that is true it wilt be difficult for him to get a visa for cuba, because he was thinking of proces— sing his visa (for the Soviet Union), because he knew: it would a require waiting a long time: for his visa to the Soviet Union white. in. Cuba, and from there go to the Soviet Union. . The. Soviet said . _ the thing is that if his wife right now were in astrington ‘she a : would receive her visa right. now, or permission, from the: ‘Soviet - ' Union, to return to. her country, ‘she is going to receive. her visa in eo Washington but having this visa, “she could communicate to any place _ this. permission, for example here or any place she could receive it (visa or permission), but right now they do not have them. Silvia ‘DURAN says certainly. and they cannot give a letter either ro because they do not know if the visa will be approved. “The Soviet | | says he cannot give a ‘letter’ or recommendation ‘either because he : ~ does not know him (the American) and asks to be excused for | bothering her. Silvia DURAN says that is all right and many thanks. c. 28 8 Septenber 1963 (Saturday), 1151 hours Mexico “City time. _ Silvia DURAN calls the USSR Embassy and talks to an unidentified SECRET e ‘ ; : . oy a oo . . ‘ @ en egy ee Ne eR cn cram oe cee ene enero:
13-00000 asks the American in English what does he want? The American says American says I was just now at your Embassy and, they | took ay | Cuban Enbassy to ask them for my adéréss, because they have ite . SECRET Soviet. She says that in the Cuban Embassy there is a Horth American who was at the Soviet Embassy. The Soviet says wait a minute. Silvia DURAN speaks English with someone--and comments in Spanish that they gave APARICIO telephone 14-12-99 and to take the number. down--Si Ivia DURAN then says the. American citizen is going to talk with you, j.e., the Soviet. The American first speaks Russian and the Soviet speaks English. They continue tn English. The American: talks’ broken Russian and says I was in your Embassy and spoke to your Consul. Just a minute. A Soviet takes the phone and Please speak Russian. The Soviet Says what else do you want? The oe os address. . The Soviet says I know that. The American, in hardly | recognizable Russian, says I did not. know it then. I went to the ‘The. Soviet. ‘Says. why don’ t you come again and leave your: address en | with us; it ‘is not far from the Cuban Embassy. The American in says ra be there > right away. ad L October 1963 (Tuesday) 1031 hours Mexico City tine. An unknown male: (American) cats the Soviet Embassy, the Military | Attache! S. number , 15-69- 87, and says to an unidentified Soviet respondent: I was at your place last Saturday and talked to your Consul. They said that they would send a telegram to Washington, 10 SECRET [0 emmermenn orne —earenercaremmnenrarnmemnepantnaran saya mon et eR EN ey Teen an 1 ewe cee mee ‘ a ‘ : . ee meeps age wa apne ree en FE EE .
13-00000 SECRET and ] wanted to ask you if there is anything new? The Soviet says I would like to ask you to call another phone number? ‘Please write it down: - 15- 60-55, and ask for a consul. Thank you. e. 1 October 1963 Tuesday), 1045 hours Mexico City time. The same person who phoned a day or so ago and spoke in broken Russian ‘speaks to-OBYEDKOV (a Soviet Embassy guard). - He says: This is Lee OSWALD speaking. I was at your place last Saturday and — spoke to a consul, and they said that they would send a telegram to | Washington, so I wanted to find out if you have anything nevi? But I don't remember the name of that consul. OBYEDKOV Says: _ KOSTIKOV. eae ante anette meme on mete ene eI et er aru He is dark (hair. or. skin-- 2). . OSWALD says yes. ty name is ‘SHALD. a oe ( OBYEDKOV says, just a minute, I'11 find out. They say that they - have not received anything yet. OSHALD says: Have they done anything? OBYEDKOV ‘says: Yes, they say that a request has been sent ‘out, ‘but nothing has been received as Ss yet. — OSWALD says, and . : what ve? OBYEDKOV hangs up. Ee 16. Each of these items, including the texts of the raw intercepts, were read by, discussed with, and-examined by Warren Commission staffers 7 in Headquarters and at the Mexico Station during a stay from 8 - 13 April 1964.2 All were made available promptly to the FBI” 3 The Warren Comission group that visited the Mexico Station consisted of Mr. Coleman, Mr. Slawson, and Mr. Willens. They examined not only the oe SF rRE T + Neen Ae RN ee ee oe tna RNR pe sn As Guten gen neta ten ne tngte pre + cere eee Shee mee ;
13-00000 SECRET 17. Summing up, we, can state, ‘or by free interpretation reasonably infer From the intercept evidence, that OSWALD made or could have made the following contacts with the Cuban and Soviet official establishments in Mexico City. 27 September 1963 (Friday). After arrival and check-in to. nts te hote?, OSWALD went first-to the Cuban Embassy where he talked with Mrs. Silvia DURAN. The time of his first Cuban Embassy visit. is unknown. The time of his second Cuban Embassy visit was about 1600 hours, (i. ens Just before closing). Sometime between the two. : Cuban Embassy. visits, at. Mrs. DURAN" s indication, he must have - visited the Soviet Enbassy. We have. no indication who he talked. a with at the Soviet Embassy. intercepts. a - e’above,, but others for the 27th and one for 3 October: a that seemed to: have. relevance. These have not been included in this summary. because: they. appear, on review, to be. excludable fron the OSWALD. matter. on logical or substantive grounds, or both, bearing in mind that the Soviet. Embassy. received many. calls. pertaining to visa matters - On the 27th. at 1037 hours: ‘the. Soviet Embassy received a ‘call fron an 1 unknown: individual. speaking. Spanish who said he wanted visas to go to : Odessa. He was. told: the Consul was not in and to call back at 1130. OSWALD is. known ‘to. have’ arrived at“the Flecha Roja bus terminal on bus #516 at circa.1000 hours on the-27th. It was, therefore, possible for him. to: have-made this call. But granting this, it is unreasonable to believe the calls. were OSWALD’ s for. the Following reasons: La rhe-caller wanted visas; “and” specifically for Odessa. “OSWALD; wa s: ‘seeking a visa and: never in any context did he. specify the: Black.. ‘Sea a port of Odessa as a \ destination. FrPET ne a mae ontee eeen e rntne cs a pe _
13-00000 : soviet Enbassies were closed to. the public on Saturdays. Photo~_ 7 “graphic coverage was normaly suspended Saturdays an Sundays.J - correct ‘number, and called the incorrect number on 1 October. SECRET | ( There was no photographic coverage of OSWALD's entries into either the Cuban. or Soviet Embassies on the 27th. The Tack of . coverage. on. the Cuban installation is explainable: the camera, | .. based: or. ‘the recollection of ‘officers. still in service tn Head - : © quarters. was down on the 27th because of mechanicat malfunction, “nich was in course. of correction. Why OSWALD was missed in his a probable. entry to the Soviet installation on the 27th ts not yet explained, but. no ‘technical | operation of that kind is ‘infattible, oo 28 September 1963. (saturday). ‘[Note: Both the Cuban and | -& be. ‘The call was directed to the correct Soviet consular. number: ' 15-60-55. On 1-October, OSWALD first called the wrong ‘ number; 15-69-87. (the MA's number), and had to redirect his calt to: . the correct number, 15-60-55. It seems unlikely he would have made - what would have been his initial call, on Friday the 27th, to the -¢. There-is every reason to believe from the context of the intercepts, para 15, a-e above, that OSWALD's first destination after: arrival and check-in to his hotel, was a visit to the Cuban Embassy. . ' ds. The use of the Spanish Janguage would exclude OSHALD unless he made use of an intermediary, which seems unlikely from what is known of his modus operandi. On 3 October at 1539 hours an individual speaking broken Spanish, then English, called the Soviet Embassy and asked for a visa. The Soviet respondent. says: call on the other phone. The requestor says: I'm 13 e crore Tf ete t= megane en A= me
13-00000 Soviet: Embassy in Mexico. OSWALD, notwithstanding the holiday schedule, went on Saturday morning to the Soviet Embassy (his second visit) where ha spoke to a Consul. He apparently could not recall his new Texas address. _ At circa 1151 hours he went to the Cuban Embassy--his third entry-- where he had registered it in his visa application the day previously. He secured the address from Mrs. DURAN and she called the Soviet Consulate presumably to permit him to give them the ‘address over the phone. Instead, the Soviet with whom OSWALD spoke over Mrs. DURAN's telephone invited OSWALD to come back in person, and he said he would nmediately. Presumab Ty, thereupon OSWALD went t ‘back to ‘the Soviet installation | his. third entry). locking for a visa to go to Russia. The Soviet says: Please call on the - telephone of the Consul, 15-60-55. The requestor. says: One moment please, I'l] have to.get a pencil to write the number dawn. . They issue- - the visa there? The Soviet: That. depends on your conversation. I don't | know about this business. The requestor asks for the number again. The | Soviet gives him the number and tells. him to ask for the Consul of the . The rélevance of ‘this intercept to  OSHALD is excludable « on ‘three grounds: Lo! The use: of broken Spanish. OSWALD throuighcut used. broken Russian: or English.. He had no competance in Spanish to handle a conversation of. this kind. . be The. ‘substance of the. request, indicates a visa request in the first: stages -of- initiation::: OSWALD had developed his matter _with the: ‘Cubans: and the: Soviets. ‘the ‘previous Saturday to a point well beyond ‘the: stage % indicated. Ay the: substance of this call. SECRET “ L . et ey ve ff . 7 . . . . . . ‘ an) . ca toot : wtye Tt momen my canta = eee cee © 6 ag cg tar RE AN fn ert Pre ee PAPE ef -ace nnnnsnnupavetr “pte mney angtamenaneaprepacuiifamunnst:
13-00000 ~ Loredo bus, departing 2 October 1963 at 0830 hours.) would have gone to ‘the Soviet Embassy on that date. | 18, The camera at about mid- 7day registered. ‘the entry into. the Soviet Enbassy of a white-shirted individual who, in the opinion. OF the could not have made this local call. SECRET c. 29 Septenber. 1963 (Sunday). No activity registered. d. 30 September 1963 (Monday). No activity registered. (It is known that OSWALD reserved space this date ona Mexico City-  e. 1 October 1963 (Tuesday). OSWALD made at Teast two calls, _ at 1031 and 1045 hours, to the Soviet Embassy. He identified himself twice during the second call when he talked with OBYEDKOV—a- guard— and referred to his talk on Saturday, probably with KOSTIKOV. | There : was no photographic coverage of OSWALD on 1 October; if the follou- _ing reasoning is correct, that was as it should be. ‘From the context _ of the two calls, there would have been no reason for him ‘to go to : oe the Embassy. His case had clearly been placed at the- ‘sufferance oF the USSR’ Embassy in Washington. - His two calls on 1 ‘October were oe 7 concerned with whether any’ reply had been, received from washington. a Under those circumstances , it. is unreasonable to believe. OSWALD td c. “OSWALD had left Mexico City, based on all the credible evidence, the early morning of the previous day, 2 October, and SECRET a te oo cyrmmene een. arenes AO ae LL LL FET EA Ante RE“ ree EEE! Se ety ee een = <a eh mine (perenne aa ange pee emer ere ee PE PE ESPs - ; a a —
13-00000 SECRET Station, among all the persons photographed that day, appeared to be the only person-+a. non-Latin, and possibly an Anerican--who entered the Soviet installation. On the chance there could be an association between the identification data derived fron the voice intercept and the descriptive data derived from the photograph, the Station reported the two elements — as separate facts in its cable to Headquarters on 8 October. 19, The Station's, action was not unusual and really amounted to an — analytic “quantum leap," justified by the primitive and initiatory status of the OSWALD identification. - Many. examples of a similar kind oF thing 7 can be found in the day-to-day record of Station-Headquarters correspon-. - _ ‘dence and reporting. Developments from 8 October ~ 22 November 1963 2). Mexico Station reported to Headquarters on. 8 October (received in - . Headquarters 9 October) the following initial information on OSWALD.4 - (1) On 1 October 1963, an American male who spoke — broken Russian and said his name Lee OSWALD (phonetic), | ‘stated he was at SovEmb on 28 September when he spoke 4 Cablese has been rendered here, and throughout, into readable English, without substantive changes or omissions. Cryptonyms and pseudonyms have been omitted or put into clear text. 16 SECRET ae Ate ee ge 2 OTE RN ¢ me ne ae eee me ee
13-00000 SECRET with a consul whom he believed to be Valeriy Vladimirovich KOSTIKOV. Subject asked the Soviet guard [Ivan] O8YEDKOY, who answered, if there was anything new regarding a telegram to Washington. OBYEDKOV upon checking said nothing had been . received yet, but the request had been sent. (2) Mexico Station said it had photos of a male who appeared to be an American entering the Soviet _ Embassy at 1216 hours, leaving 1222 on 1 October. Apparent age 35, athletic build, circa 6 feet, _ "receding hairline, balding top. ‘Wore khakis and ' sport shirt. 7 ~ (3)... No Yocal dissemination was being made by the - Station. « 2l. On 10 October 1963 at 20122 time the WH Division responsible for action: disseminated this report ‘to the Department of State, the Fer, and the Navy, Department by routine electrical transmission, adding | sane ee details drawn from a preliminary file review: rd a). on 1 October 1963" a reliable and sensitive - source. in Mexico reported that an American male, who identified himself as Lee OSWALD, contacted the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City inquiring 7
13-00000 ( | SECRET  ( whether the Embassy had received any news con- cerning a telegram which had been sent to ‘Washington. The American was described as . approximately 35. years old, with an athletic build, about 6 feet tall, with a "receding" hairtine. 7 - | (2) ‘It is ; believed that OSWALD may. be identical a tol Lee Henry [sic] OSWALD, born on 18 October 1939 - in “New Orteans, Louisiana, a former U. S. Marine : who defected to the Soviet Union in October 1959. oo and later made’ arrangements through the United . | ‘States Embassy in Moscow to return to ‘the United | ‘States with his Russian-born wife, Marina | 7 Nikotaewa Pt -PUSAKOVA fsic] and their child. | (3) The information ‘ in. paragraph qq) is $ being 7 dissemi nated to your répresentatives in Mexi co City. Any. further information received on this subject | will be furnished you. This information is being made avai lable to the Immigration and Natyratization Service. 22. Although the reaction of the Headquarters desk was "by the book" and in good time, there were a number of errors in this advisory to the departments which, on the record, were concerned with the OSWALD case: 18
13-00000 a. OSWALD's middle nane was misgiven: “Henry” for Harvey. ". The reason for this mistake is simplicity itself. The sheet opening the file on OSHALD on 9 December 1960 had been erroneous ly inscribed "OSWALD, Lee Henry.” That sheet--unchanged except for the notation of the error--is still the first sheet in the OSWALD file. ry b. His wife's maiden name was misspelled: "PUSAKOVA® for PRUSAKOVA. . mo ee Neither of these errors are significant (though they persist in the Headquarters communications. throughout the month). More important was: —_ c. Paragraph .(2) of the Mexico Station's report, which dealt with _ - @ concurrent, but separate, phenomenon, the description of an individual _ "observed going into and. out of the. Soviet Embassy, had been locked’ on to Co Lee OSWALD as an alleged descriptive fact. The Station’ s qualification, “appeared. to be-an American," was transformed in the: flat designation oF the unidentified individual as "The Anerican. " oe There can be no » question that this misreading oF the Mexico Station : report — _ was an analyst's error which escaped detection in the coordination before release: the descriptive details attributed to OSWALD were SO far off the - mark as’ to be. ‘immedi ately recognizable as such by the recipients in Head quarters, among whom both ‘the: Navy. and FBI had photos of OSWALD. Cin: partial explanation, : if ‘not exculpation, be it recalled that as of that moment CIA - had no photograph of OSWALD in Headquarters or in Mexico City to refer to.) 23. - Confirmation of this judgment 3 is provided by the contents of the cable compos ed by the same analyst and sent as of 2209Z time (two hours later) to Mexico Station, referencing its 8 October cable: 19° SECRET a ae : . : . . 7 Ly a eS
Pm wk ke ( (1) Lee OSWALD who called Sovfiab 1 October probably identical Lee Henry [sic] OSWALD born 18 ‘October 1939, New Orleans, louisiana, former radar operator in United States Marines who defected to USSR in October 1959. OSHALD is five feet ten ‘inches , ¢ one hundred sixty five pounds, light. ‘brown wavy hair, blue eyes . (2). “On 31 October 1959, he attempted to renounce his United States citizenship to the United States Embassy in Moscow, indicating he had applied for Soviet citizenship. On 13 February the US Embassy. - Moscow received an undated letter fron OSWALD ~ postmarked Minsk on 5 February 1961 in which sub~ or Meee ae ject indicated he desired return of his US passport — — as he wished to return to USA if. "we could cone a to some agveenent concerning the dropping of any Tegal ‘proceedings against me." On 8 July on his own. initiative he appeared at the Embassy with “his wife to see about his return to States. . Subject stated that he actually had never applied for Soviet citizenship and that his application at that time had been to remain in USSR and for a | temporary extension of his tourist visa pending | outcome of ‘his request. ‘This application, according to OSWALD, contained no reference to Soviet 20 SECRET . * y . . . Se ee ne ee eee aot et tie pam Sie oe ware pera cian: eam -ostemmmnessss-aERenmetepatetseeste setemete—sseeteseeftseeetsnetet a
13-00000 | had a maturing effect on OSWALD. 7 and his Soviet wife have exit permits and | _ Department of State had given approval for thet travel with their infant child to USA. (a). The Station should pass” ‘the information of J kL w& Is & 6 citizenship. OSWALD stated that he had been emp toyed since 13 January 1960 in Be lorussian radio and tv factory in Minsk where he worked as a metal worker in research shop. OSWALD was married on 30 April 1961 to Narina: Nikolaevna 7 PUSAKOVA [sic], a dental technician born 17 duly 1941, USSR. -No Headquarters traces. He attempted to ‘arrange for his wife to join him in Moscow so she could appear at Embassy for visa interview: His American passport was returned - to him. US Enbassy Noscom stated twenty months - “of. realities of ‘life in Soviet Union had clearty (3) Latest Headquarters information was an Fer. report dated May 1962 saying the FBI hac deter- os mined OSWALD is. still a US citizen and both he _ reference [its 8 October’ cable] and paragraph (1) above. to the Embassy, the FBI, the Navy, and T&NS — “Toca. The information given above as 2h SECRET
13-00000 SECRET “paragraphs (2). and (3) originated with the FBI. (5) Reference and possible identification being disseminated to Headquarters of FBI, State, Navy, and. I&NS. Please keep Headquarters a advised on any further contacts or positive | identification ¢ of OSWALD. 24. Headquarters feedback to Mexico city of OSWALD's correct _ description should have been, sufficient, in view ‘of the ‘incongruities with ‘the detai ts deduced. from the. photo of the unidentified mate, to os keep these. two matters apart as investigative facts. ‘But things. aid: noe _ a ha Aes at work out ‘that way. 25. Mexico Station on 15 October 1963 asked Headquarters’ to "please pouch | a photo of OSWALD. " Headquarters electrically delivered to the Department of the 2 Navy the. following message on 24 “October 1963: a “Lee Henry [sie] OSWALD ee "It is requested that you forward to this office as soon as possible two copies of the most recent. . ~ photograph you have of subject. We will forward them to our representative in Mexico, who will attempt to determine if the Lee OSWALD in Mexico City and subject are the same individual.”. 22 SECRET 4. ‘ . . . 2 few ne nen eet nn ons eine panes ee em ect entree he NA REE
13-00000 SELLER | No photo had been received by CIA hy 22 November 1963. done because--as it was ultimately ascertained--he had left Mexico City “any case. Even with a photograph , it would have taken very Special - There the matter rested until mid-day 22 November 1963. The Insertion of the Photo of the Unidentified Indiyidual into the — Chain of Evidence 27. ‘on 22. Wivenher-1963 the Mexico Station cabled Headquarters at 22292 time“after. learning of the arrest of Lee H. OSWALD, age 24, . the field. efforts, ‘triggered by the other interested U. s. agencies, to have 26, ithin its limitations and capabilities, Mexico Station had al] it could to comply with Headquarters instructions: a. Headquarters had been alerted, and in turn those agencies with an investigative or policy interest in OSWALD as an Anerican — in the United States had been alerted, both in Washington and in b. Mexico Station had no further contacts by OSWALD to report - on 2 October. c. OSWALD was not an Agency investigative responsibility, im - made. a positive identification in view: of OSWALD's hotel registra ; coe tion under alias. . SECRET
13-00000 possibly in. connection with the assassination, and referenced its earlier messages of 8-9 and 15 October and Headquarters’ reply of 10 October. The Station requested by: "priority pouch a photo of OSWALD so that Station can check. all recent coverage for OSWALD. Forward-— ing. soonest copies of only visitor to Soviet Embassy . on 1 October ‘who could be *eneica with OSWALD.* &- 28. It. As clear that Mexico Station had forgotten that according | , to its own communication, the unidentified male in.the photo was of — “apparent age. a5" and that the accurate description of OSWALD forwarded by Headquarters. ‘on 10 October precluded the identity with OSWALD of the 0 . person whan they regarded ‘as the “only: visitor to the Soviet Eabassy ‘or 1 October who, "could be identical. “ | 29... The: ‘Station fiearmhite had 1 begun an exhaustive and: accelerated ne ; review of all: ‘its technical and photographic inteTTigence. A dispatch was prepared in accordance with the ‘indication given in the cable ‘of . _ 22 November, cited in paragraph 25 above. "The dispatch noted ‘that . photo coverage: ‘of the. unidentified individual had turned up on 4 and 15 October at. the ‘Soviet and Cuban Embassies , respectively. The text of the 22 November 1963 pouched dispatch read: ne attached are copies of the only photographs obtained . . . on 1 October 1963 which appeared 24 SECRET coe re ee eee eet ‘ce ete ea a ener em tment tn re tee
13-00000 SECRET to be an Fnerican. This same man visited the Soviet Eabassy on 4 October 1963. "DL Copies of these ‘photographs were shown to the U.S. Ambassador on 22 November 1963 and a copy of - “each of the two photographs was given to Chief FBI, Mexico, on that. date... . _& "P.S. Photographs dated 15 October 1963 were’ inserted after typing of dispatch. These were - taken n as: Ethe]. person-entered, the Cuban Embassy Attached were eight photographs: four (of which two were ‘parked - (unmarked on reverse) showing the individual ina black shirt. It would seem to be logical that the. word "sets" was - probably omitted From. paragraph two of the dispatch bebieen the words “two” and "photographs." 7 . 30... That the Station was working under forced draft fs ‘clearly | apparent fron the text of the dispatch, which ‘tacked ona material fact as a postscript. That fact was ‘reported simultaneously by cable to Headquarters. at 00532 time, 23 November: , . n Mexico Station has photos same unidentified American type who is possibly OSWALD entering | Cuban. Embassy on. 15 October. Searching for ony, SECRET rn | October on reverse) showing the individual in a- white shirt, and four | t : a enor sameeren etcetera nt nv ae-npnsgn nnn tetera REDE EL, ee ret teen me Fee EEE SE
13-00000 SECRET possibi lity photo-documented entry Cuban Embassy other days. "2. Also attempting establish OSWALD entry and departure. Mexico." & 31. Headquarters, at 0136Z time, 23 November 1963, asked Mexico Station to send a staff member wi th all Photographs to Headquarters on the next avai lable Flight. 32. Concurrently with or before the foregoing cables te Headquarters, the Chief of Station, Mexico. City, had. spoken directly by double-tatk ” (Psa. - | ‘telephone, with ‘the. Western Hemi sphere Chief of Division, rae, : ' and secured permissi on to give copi es of the photographs of the tniden- oe tified individual to the: Legal Attache and to make them known to the Abas sador..-° 33.- What happened next i s best reflected in a personal + note by the . chief of Station to the WH Division Chief, mailed to the Tater fran - Dallas, together with copies of the photographs, by ‘the Legal Attaches - representative who delivered them ‘to the FBI in that city. — a . "22 November 1963 “Dear SensliipianNay : “Reference is made to our conversation of 22 November — 26 SECRET - . A en tame nme ee em ent ae aettnee + sears Sat ts ADA = - aPE ESSSengsnnnnaabeTene
13-00000 in-which I requested permission to give the Legal ‘Attache copies of photographs of a certain person we, 15 aim to you. "attached are copies of each of the photographs — we. have with the dates. of the visits Stamped ‘on the. back. on “At. 6 p.m. Mexico time on 22 Novenber, The Anbas~ sador decided that this was important enough to have. a menber of the Legal Attache's office take. “copies ‘of. ‘these pictures . to Dallas, Texas. The cs ~ Naval ‘Attache is:making a special flight fron: nals “Mexico city for ‘this purpose. The Legal Attache's- "Ss - officer who is going to-Dallas has promised to: ae 7 : mail this material to ‘you for me. “"cepies of these photographs are also being sent oe a | by pouch which will leave Mexico City on the - night of 22 Novenber 1963. | . "Best wishes. | (DEN i 7 i _——_ According to.a sidelined comment on’ this letter, the Legal Attache's officer was Eldon RUDD. 27 SECRET . é ” e . . . erty UE . . . > a . : nn re ee creer een cette tems
13-00000 Na 34: The decision to remit.the photographs to the FBI in Dallas ~ had been made by the Ambassador, according to the Chief of Station, who simu Itaneous ly with ‘the FBI agent’ s departure reported to Headquarters _ by cable (0244Z time, 23 November): | "FBI agent. left here 2000 local time with two copies each of six photos of a’ person suspected to be OSWALD, on a special flight for Dallas. He is _ carrying envelope with one copy each photo For we airmail Special from Dallas to SRR at toew t home as per telephone conversation with aere. One copy: of each of these photos plus a copy of ously Ge. «Saat te pets seis es ee eta the Cuban ‘Embassy forwarded by menorandum leaving by regular pouch tonight. In. view of above does : ; Has ‘still want a staffer with additional photo(s)?" 35. “Headquarters responded two hours later, 04227 mes - 23 November 1963, cancelling its request: Te No need send staffer with photos. We have | asked Navy for photos: agains but Mexico can see _ OSHALD! Ss: picture soonest ‘on the press wire. Have just re-enphasized ‘to ‘FBI Headquarters i the sensitivity of photos you. are | Sending and also 7 28 SECRET fm eer eerie ane eee ete SEER te
13-00000 36. Ko 37, relaying names of travelers with similar names. Note radio says OSMALO lived under alias of O. H. LEE.". On the 23rd at 1729Z time, Headquarters advised Mexico City: "The FBI says that the photos of the man. . entering ‘the’ Soviet Embassy which Mexico ‘Station’ sent to Dallas were not of Lee OSHALD. Presume Mexico Station has double-checked | | / dates of these photos and. is also checking an pertinent photos for possible shots of CSWALD.* we And: at this point, 20882 Z time, 23 Novenber, Mexico Station po Finally saree: . 38. "Saw photes of Lee OSWALD on television night of | 22 November and it obvious photos sent to Daltas oe were not | identical with Lee OSWALD held in ‘Dallas. ee Dates are’ as given on photos. "Mexico Station is reviewing all available photos of persons. entering Soviet and Cuban. Embassies." Two hours later (22547 time, 23 November 1963) the Station had reported the results of its effort to review all available coverage: 29 St dt a A ols
13-00000 SECRET . "Complete recheck of photos of all visitors to Cuban Embassy from August through first half of ‘November against good press photos shows no evidence of OSWALD visit. Similar blank against all Soviet Embassy photos From ] September. | Note, only visit we know he made to Cuban ‘Embassy 28 September: Saturday, on which Embassy closed and we had not had coverage cee 39. With this. communication the matter » of the "unidentified | individual” reaches the end of Phase I, the key element of which is the conviction, at first latent, then expressed, that the photographed individual might be identical. with OSWALD. ‘This applies especially ‘to the Station, though at a certain point: even Headquarters moved no oe rebuttal despite the hard fact that the description of OSHALD and the unidentified individual were quite disparate. 40. This. review has attempted | to deal even-handedly with att items in the case. record that have a. bearing on what happened . The operational zeal, innovativeness , ‘and the high comini ttment of all involved, | especially. in Mexico city, speaks for itself. Equally apparent 7 because of the. 20/20 advantage of hindsight--is the evidence of non-perfomance. It was a critical failure, for ‘example, that. no photo. of OSWALD was’ made avai lable--though it was expressly requested both at Headquarters and byt “the Field--or that it was not more aggressively 30 SFCRET ‘ ne ee é
13-00000 Hearings, op cit, Vol. XX, p. 268. ( | 7 ( sought by CIA, before 22 November. A photograph of OSWALD would have obviated--in a way the mere possession of a correct physical description evidently could not--the whole successive deterioration of what began in Mexico City as an impressionistic selection of tne photograph on 1 October 1963 into a cause celebre today. , - 8 40. It should be clear from this factual survey that never had there been a cause celebre with less intrinsic merit. It is equally clear from the facts thenselves that there was nothing contrived or conspired in what happened, unless we have now descended to that point in human values achieved under STALIN in the USSR and under HITLER in Germany, where just a plain mistake is per se evidence of conspiracy. 7 The Genesis and Development of Odum Exhibit No. 1 and Commission Exhibit 237 41. Special Agent of the FBI, Bardwell 0. ODUM, - on 23 Novenber 1963 showed one of the six photos flown up fran Mexico City the previous ~ day to OSWALD's mother, Marguerite OSWALD. ODUM himself had trimmed off the background by straight cuts. .Mrs. OSWALD had no recognition of the. image in the photograph. ODUM's own detailed account may be found in F 42. The photograph shows the unidentified individual ina black — shirt. It was one of the five photos taken of him in front of the Soviet 31 SECRET
13-00000 <n - z SECRET Embassy in Mexico city on 4 October 1963, two days after OSWALD had left the city. — 43. ne tats potnty tor the record, the total available phota coverage of the unidentified individual numbers twelve (12) photographs: | a. Five (5) taken on V October. 1963, entering and exiting the Soviet Embassy. . He is garbed in a white shirt and light-colored (khaki 2 trousers. b. Five (5) taken on 4 October 1963 in front of the. Soviet Embassy. He is garbed in a dark, open, button-down shirt with a : hhigh-neckline undershirt showing and dark trousers. . “Two (2) taken on 15 October 1963 in front of the Cuban Embassy. He is wearing a dark, collarless T-shirt or light sueater. The . negatives of all of these are extent and are now held in Headquarters as integral parts « of the OSWALD and related file holdings . 44. The result of ODUM's display of the photograph--to repeat, a | cropped version of one of those noted under paragraph 43b, above--was | Mrs. Marguerite OSWALD's allegation that she had been shown a picture of her son's killer, Jack RUBY, a day before he perpetuated the deed? Again the Warren Commission Report (pp. 364-365, 367) exhaustively disposes of this erroneous charge and requires no repetition here. A complica- ting fact developed along the way was Mrs. OSNALD's (correct) observation, Fe meee nee neem ae escent seein Ya ea at gen ne eo ee Ante ee
13-00000 ' the Hearings. 2 bE URE ft vhen she finally adnitted before the Commission that the OUH photograph Liam was not RUBY, was that the photo had been crepped differently from the “one she had been shown in Dallas. Inspector MALLEY's cropped version of the ODUM photograph | became Connission Exhibit 237 (see Hearings. Vol. XVI, p. 638). 45. The net effect of the developments in the hearings of the Commission was. to require the admission of the cropped photograph into evidence in a chain of depositions beginning with ODUM, including the 7 FBI Inspector, Janes R. MALLEY (who had trimmed the photograph used by the Commission’ ‘in ‘Washington), and Richard HELMS, who deposed for the 7 originator. These. documents speak for themselves and will be found in Vol, x, Pp. 468- 470. - ag eo Station and: other senior Agency officers strongly advised. agatr tthe: publication’ of the photograph in any form on the. grounds. ‘that. of a useful and: continuing U. S. inte11igence operation, and the opera tion wou Td gi down: the: ‘drain. There were repeated cables exchanged on this point: between Headsuarters arid Mexico Station during the summer of 1964, in ‘particular fron 23 Septenber to 15 October 1964 when the Station. had plans underway to abandon. ‘the operation. Ae Th acceding to the Commission's request for a deposition, | Mr. HELMS , then the Deputy Director. for Plans, replied affirmatively to 33. SECRET he Soviets » would. be itimedi ately alerted to the existence - . . # : . _ ‘ ; . . t .? - a a ae i ne a ee nae at ee er oe toe
13-00000 ¢ - ( | ( Mr, RANKIN by memorandum of 23 June 1964 which included the following additional observation: "The Central Intelligence Agency recommends that this photograph not be reproduced in the Commis ~ sign's* report because it would jeopardize a most confidential and productive operation. In addition, it gould be embarrassing to the indivi- dual involved who as far as the Agency is auare had no connection with Lee Harvey OSNALO or the’ assassination of President KENNEDY." 48. In this instance the needs of the Commission prevailed over the DCI's statutory obligation to protéct sources and methods. The "Unidentified Individual" remains to this day unidentified and there is no credible evidence up to this:time to rebut the assertion made by Mr. HELMS in the concluding sentence of his memorandum to Mr. RANKIN on * 23 June 1964. And the operation did, as predicted, go down the drain. Within a week of the public appearance of the Odum Exhibit No. 7 and ‘Commission Exhibit 237, members of the Soviet Embassy began systematic efforts to survey the surrounding buildings, ostensibly for rental space, but clearly their inquiries were directed to “spotting possible camera sites. The operation was continued in any case. Within a year — it had become almost totally unproductive in coverage on Azericans in contact with the Embassy--a clear sign that this category of visitor was being warned away by the Soviets themselves. 34
See Phase III: The "Unidentified Nan" Photographs, 1964 - 1975 4S. As could be foreseen, there has been parsistent pressure by critics of the Warren Commission Report to exploit Odum Exhibit No. 1 and Commission Exhibit No. 237 for partisan interpretive purposes. A considerable correspondence has accumulated since the end of 1964 in- which the Agency has attempted to be responsive to these requests and, simultaneously, has tried to satisfy what has been its sole interest from the inception of the matter: to protect the method of acquisition of the photograph and the foreign liaison relattonship;which made the | acquisition possible. 50. Following are highlights from the correspondence during the current phase. e Se, _a. On 16 May 1967, over the signature of the General Counsel of the Agency, Lawrence R.. HOUSTON, CIA voluntarily submitted a | . statement about the photograph to Judge BAGERT of the Criminal. — District Court for the Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana. The response dealt affirmatively with the contents of the subpoena that had been delivered to the United States Marshall in the District . of Columbia, despite the fact that the subpoena could not be . executed because of the lack of jurisdiction. | Mr. HOUSTON proferred on Agency behalf categoric assur- -ances to the court regarding the inaccuracy of statements and 35 SECRET 1: eee mitre eer cL eheor-aronAgArenuerasioun 1 #2 ‘ a a ee
13-00000 won g . fica ee ‘ inferences made by ifr. GARRISON in New Orleans about the photograph of the unidentified individual. The following is extracted from . HOUSTON's memorandum. "Because of the publicity which has surrounded the - Orleans Parish Grand Jury proceedings, we have recently carried out an” exhaustive search of the : files of the Central Intelligence Agency for any picture: of Lee Harvey OSWALD taken in Mexico. As a-result of this search, I can state categorically that. the Files of this Agency do not contain, and never have contained, any’ such picture of a | Lee. Harvey ‘OswALD taken in Mexico and that we have _ no information whatsoever that any such photograph ever existed. To the best of our knowledge and - , information, therefore, there is no such photograph. ‘Furthermore, the photograph which is printed in the o Warren. Commission Report, Exhibit No. 237 in Volume 7 XVI, never contained more than one figure, and the figure in the photograph depicts an individual who, to our knowledge, has not been identified» The circumstances of the filing of this photograph with the Warren Comission are set forth in affidavits on pages 468 and 469 of Volume XI, Hearings Before the President's Commission on the Assassination of 36
13-00000 rN ica sf *. President Kennedy. Consequently, we have no record of any photograph that answers in any way the description of the one we understand was requested | in the subpoena. "I hope you will accept this information in this form in the spirit of cooperation in which it is proferred." be The Agency has repeatedly serviced requests about the identify of, the. unknown individual fron Mr. Emory L. BROWN, Jr.,. ‘Route: ay: Box : 82, Squankum Road, . Farmingdale, New Jersey. The last ; : exchange oF correspondence in cur record covered the 2 period 4 a fort 1970. 0 —— c. Detailed inquiries on the unidentified individual were -received: “on J- and 24 November. 1971, to which the Agency responded on ‘15, Novenber and 14 December, respectively, from Mr. Paul: L. HOCH; | 35 MighTand Place #2, Berkeley, california. d. The most extensive effort to pursue the unidentified individual was and is being made by Bernard FENSTERWALD, Sr. , who is now Executive Director of a Committee to Investigate Assassina- tions, 927 55th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., beginning on 22 March 1971, shortly after the Agency declassified Commission Document No. 674, and extending through 11 October 1972, after the 37 SECRET
Seager “SECRET FBI's declassification of Commission Document No. 556. On & April 1971, ir. FENSTERMALD- was invited tu the Agency for a discussion with the General Counsel, Mr. HOUSTON, of his question about the photograph .of the unknown individual. Two other photographs of the unidentified individual, in addition to the photograph depicted in the two Commission exhibits, were shown toa him at that time. It is a matter of more than ordinary interest to note that on this occasion Mr. FENSTERWALD, who was accompanied by his partner, Mr. William OHLHAUSEN, told Mr. HOUSTON and another representative. of the Agency in attendance that he knew who the unidentified man was. The following is extracted from Mr. HOUSTON's Memorandum of Record, 8 April 1971: ° "3, Mr. FENSTERMALD came to my office this morning with his partner, William G. OHLHAUSEN, looked at the other photographs, and told us he ‘did know who the man was. He said he is presently serving a prison term somewhere in the United . States and admitted that he had known OSHALD, but Mr. FENSTERWALD said there was nothing to indicate any connection between the man in the photographs and the assassination of President KENNEDY. Mr, FENSTERMALD did not give us the man's name at _ this time, as he said enough people had suffered “unnecessart ly fron allegations that they were 38 ee neem aot nase stern enennanesensieeneteteeter eee ere PERE
13-00000 ~~ SECRET . associated with the assassination, but he did | ‘say he-was sure we had a fi Te on the man. He asked’ if he could have the photographs, and I asked haw he could use ther. He Said he did not know and finally agreed that for the time being he would not press his request. ... The whole meeting was extremely friendly and they thanked us for our response." : ' The following is extracted from the Memorandum of by the other CIA man present, & "Mr. FENSTERWALD said he knew who the person was and had spoken to him; that the man was too Nervous to cane forth on his own. FENSTERWALD . _ would not give the man's name but said he is an Anerican, serving a prison term in this country on a criminal charge, and that he had met OSWALD in Mexico. I asked whether the prisoner had any conspi ratorial relationship with OSWALD. FENSTERWALD replied he did not know the answer as he had not interviewed the man as yet. We | rei terated that we did not know who the man was, and said that we would like to know his identity. FENSTERWALD replied that CIA has a Record
13-00000 Le] rr Cy a —} thick file on the ‘unknown man, and that we will be furfished his nane. in due. course... ore FENSTERUALD made no reference in his subsequent conversations’ ‘and correspondence to. this allegation about the identity of the. “Un entified Individual, c though the claim, if true, would be of: direct evidential interest and possibly permit us to assert with fina ity, what? we believe has been the fact from the beginning: the “Unidentified Man" has ‘nothing to. do with the OSWALD case at all. _ Attacl en dur mn by David W Belin. to Mr. E. harry Knoche,__ ae di oA pr yas Not 0s with attachment: "The CIA.and g ai 368, ‘and 667 Fron the Warren Comission’s report. : . SEFRET se or ents san ant sagen
13-00000 ATED S81 AT es 7 “ATTACHENT A Da: rig W. Belin, Executive [Meeetas “late. ‘Septenber and: ‘early ‘October, 1963. Shortly: after. = he left:Mexico: City a: ‘photograph was taken of an American  . male. ‘and. a question was raised whether or not this male was. Lee ‘Harvey - ‘Oswald. The.CIA and the Warren Commission both. - oe ‘determined that the picture was not of Lee Harvey Oswald .-- fo and that the picture was taken aftex Oswald Aeft Mexico woe een te enh, erten, tommenaty oo =. “Although portions of this record have ‘been released to the . _ public, other portions. have remained classified because “ 9£ concerns by the CIA at the time that a release of the ~ a era seis were, eae disclose sources and methods. _which the . ff ad 7-2 0 cr t fle. os fil Ss ft Fr fe 6 Ha ry] =) eu Qh 0 nF err la 10 Hy pa) ie] wv 0 id whether or rot “the: entire matter can: be tally Be cx “on “this! entire matter. . yp cE ; Sincerely yours, rr _ a Wee “ pavia: We “Belin a os oe . ‘Executive Director , ,
13-00000 a . i i « arp « es rn ey ne a ete oy "NT oo IN A so i — ny ; ae ee ea — Vp ley o> Vad eye aN s SE AN weg mene ot t Lore CA and joe avian Wraao VIDS ANOn ‘( Bk ae eee : wees Geforce the assassination of ecronousty sive as “Heacy” in the ° Ohe co ". vesdene Xeanzdy.o2 Novernber- 22, mepiect Tins and ia paceaceptt bvo of . ean only guess at tre confusias S55, the Cantcal Intelizesce Agen ham of Stee OSALD i sneer no Na. oF the Picters. The F2t needed srt the following teistype message te ook ng SUPRA SRE ey AO DEY Photemagn to establish that been, Usted as “PUSAKOVA,’*? ; oe Bureau of- Investigation - ‘the mystey men way rot Oswald—Le- gisiments of State and the Lee Hency OSWALD C. 1 Octaber’ 1963 a retiaole © 2 souses in Mexice - + Bat ‘Les Harvey Orvald was not “agproximaisiy 35 years old, with an athistic build’; he was twenty-three ears old and slender.” Apsacently tae CIA. was concemed about tae’ dis- epancy, far on October 23 it seat the following. massage to the Depart Kiarvay Oswald way Sittity handenfies ix’ a thice-llaor office of the Dallas polices headcuartess. Tk next ea’. Speeial Agent Bardoysp DB. -Odunr was ispatcred. with the -photeg-oh to the motcl where Oswaid’s wits and rothse ' were hiddar. H= showed the Pleture to. H . that an Amervicza male, Wweaits mentof the Nay ° . mere Who idartitied -himsalf 23 Lee ’ Mrs. Marsubrit= Osweld, ccother of th= _ 8ceused asiasske Birs, Oowzld iaoked ot! the -phote mt tolé Oduer she didn't. . -, fecogniz= the man? the following-  Rucdeped in’ the baseemmat of Datlzs: regarding possibia presence of Bibe | i ject in Mexico Gity. It is requested - ‘that you forward ta.this office’ag: 4 “7 “s8dn as passivla two copizs of the .° the poss the FRI hed shown hee.a most recent photogrash you have Birs. of subject. We will forward them - ' “Tto our representative in Mexico, whor will attempt to determine if . - the Lee OSWALD in Mexice City —~— OSWALD, contzcted‘ the Sovier subjact: Lee Henry OSWALD -. Embassy in Mexico City izquicing- ; we maa. 7 - : Sn ; ‘Reference is mads.to CIA Qut Ca REY kad weeirrd | Teletype No, 74673 ‘{the eaclier wi ch het been gan to Wenn - mressaga}, dated 10 Octobar 1963, ton, The Americans was daseribed 23 approximately 39 years old, - wits ast atustic build, about six feet tsi, with a receding hairliae. 2. Ie is wstleved that OSWALD Uraay~ 08 identic:l to_.Lee Henry ROSWALD, bom on 38 October $1339 in New Orleans, Louisiana. A . Bfoomer U.S. Marine who defected ato the Soviet Unign in Octaber - vs O1959-end latsr made arrangement . 2 wrguge, che United States; Em- ana it her recollection of a brict ” co Ci . | Blance at the phatogaph, two faces: and subject are tha same individ- -- * became oom Bet the mi Sdentificrtian : val* ee OS made it necessary for: the Warren : Sisce Oswald fiad sexed -in the (| Bion to refer, however oblique- - Marine Corps, which comesunder the "5 "ike pie aStair Of the mystery men. * administration of th: Navy, his persom- testi = . nty-ste volumes of publishes - nel records would have included _ estimony and evitence Supplementary - Macina  Nikolazvna eporn = wils, fusakova, and thelr child. * ivformation in piragcaph wy clseinated to your wes in Mexico City. BY facthes inlarmation reseived won this suSiect will be furnished hou. Tal: information is- beiag imade avaishlz to the Immigration and Nacurtization Service,! Henry Oswald of the ¢ Harvey Cswald? Yes, tard Hales, chen chief v's Chaadestine Szrvices, ot ovis rnemurandum 29 J, 2, je ttl counsel to the stplained his photogesn. ° What tre Agency did not say in this cable is that it had in its possession a- photograph of the man who had. » appareatiy “identified hims<if" as Os. waid, Tae man in the C{A photo was mot Lee Harvey Oswald; he was, just as- the Agency's “rejiable and sensitive source” had cescbed him, approxi- mately thisty-five years.old, with an ‘ gthielle Gell) and a receding haitine. According t9 a memorandum by Helms, the CiA never received the Navy's pictues of Oswald sand only conctuded afler Une’ aysassinaiioan that propia were invalved.? two differant ps Meanelits, the photograph was deliv- ered eo the FSI oa November 22 fuss? . *: had provided the Fp? graph of Ss contains a vary implieztiza that the cry Kiysiscy mln wes "25650 to the Warren Report, the Commission - biinted the picture that was shown te Mrs. Oswatd.* The Wacren Report" C brie 2ccount of the incidear, - 0° * - TE “According to the Report, the Ctl. wi a phato- man who, it was thought at the time, mickt boys bez scscciated with Osw2id"? The Reso Gdavie by Rishacd. Stein > orginal phetogrash hag bees taken by 2 3 the CIA oulside of tna United Stare; : = cS od sometime betwese July 2 1o62 ang November 22, }9$7.>-10 The Commission's exchezti 1S o° Pa ed bath miccursie
13-00000 wel y ~ Osesid or Theft mea en ehak. of eras Rad accidentaiiv Halkeed both tig man ia tie oneregaen ana ths IR Who “ecwrcted” the Savist Em- vigsy ta Les Harvey Oswate . oo The truth was further obscured by Repos piecenes to the Helms ilesevibed the cilream.- % the mystery man was only In the most vague - generl term, The affidavir was - a August 7, 1964.") However, the Commission never nientionad in its :gort o7 in ins twenty-ste sugplementae- oC rOhistes if had obtained .an - Hes afSidavir from, Heiss on July 22, 334 in which, he Wag much miore “ “The origigal pactograpn, °* . JLSAL ssthfied, “was taken In Mex “ ity an October 4, 1993.73 (This ‘2 utlae Helms affidavit was relsased ir” 297 throuaix the effares of Paul Rock, flvate ressarchar.) 4° There is no available record that Biche. ard Heims ever told tas Warrer. Commission exactly wheres in "Maxica | cEy, the mystery mas was _ photor grtphed, but the ciretimstaness ia” which tha photograph was given te the ozen; a 2d Bae em se antes on f | ” yagmorandum . from Richard Helms to the Comals deg and ctl Bia back. 4 Jawyer, tah thac they siever called im tuwk a: id the Warren Report contiias no expansion of th av Pasties 1 ARTI _ey’s mistaiks. Anotnes piece of the puszis feu int place early in 197), when the Nati ronal Archives released a sevioudly classified stout th us mystery mad son general counssl, J. Lee Rank- 3 Dated March 25,: i954, the memo informed Rankini, «+t? Or 22 2nd 23 Nove imber, im- a mediately following tha assasc- nation of President Kenaedy, this? cabled ‘Sesorts were received from. {dzieted) in Mexico. City relathve — to photograchs of an unidentitied - man who visited the Cuban and > Soviel Embassies in that city dur- _ ing October ' and Novarmbs: © 1963,...19° . af thos On the basis ‘of these cables, "Helas - went on to say, the CIA had sent séveral reports to the Secret Service. “~ Attzched to the Helms memorandus “were paraphrases of these reports." Commission ‘offer. a. very plausible |. Iwo dealt with the mystery mas: suggestion, The CIA required the ‘FBI to crap out ins background in- the - pisto before handing it. over to the. Commissioa.’* The obvious conclusion: is that the photograps was takes bye _ _ « hidden suryeilisnes camera, and the ~°- CIA wished: to avoid disclosing its. . location, According te knowledgable former employes of the CIA, tha Soviet and Cuban embassies, among others in Mexico City, were under constant yhofographie surveillance at tha time, Tf seams likely then that the . maz who, according to the CIA, “jdeapitied himself as Lee Oswald” was _ “pued leaving the Mexico City . smbasy GF the Soviet Union or. of 30me othe: communist couciry, The first’ public hint that the myse- iecy man may have been impersonating (evald cams: in 1966, with the publi- stion Of Edward Jay Epslein’s Le eegest, a ssholasiy study of the Warren Somalision.' 5 Epstein interviewed one of the Cocamission’s 1 egal staff who rs¢ullet the incident. He sald he szymond G, Rocca, the sa with the Commis re photesrazn. The low :4 word icom the Agency vy man was though to be tecture the phot eyaah ens EY fiermed text search Staff, The Secret Service, - bee 3963, at i030 hours. . a . . Through sources avaliable te it, a _tpe CLA [daleted} had come inte * possession of @ phologragh of an  waidentifiad ‘person thought: to" have visited the Cuban Embassy in raid-Octaber, This individual, it was believed at the time, mightbe . identical with Lee “Harvey, 05- WaLp.*? _ and, |< Message to the Protective Search Staff, The Sseret Service, . delirvz by hand on 23 Novem- . ber 1983, at 1030 hours. . ° CIA Headquarters was informed [deleted] on 23 November that gavecal photographs of a person known to [equeat the Soviet: Embassy ia Mexica City, and who might bz identical with Lee Har- vey OSWALD, had bzen forwarded to Washington by the hand of 2 ‘United States official retuoniag to this couctey.7? tlelms’s covering memiraadum 2f- wehe subject oF the ghoto- meationed in these reports is Blessage to ‘the Protective’ Re- a “delivered by hand on 23 Noveme-  . Bee yeko ? bose tas Cuvex cmbasies, Wax it mystery Iman whose pscturs shown to Mrs. Oowahl?. Or v another Osvald Dopgsleia ss Fires evidence of the: existance of , additions} photogrzone of the unideati-! ficd mon meationsd ia the Warr oe: Report was- turned ‘w'>. by Potear * Smith, a) pri tivate. rssaazcnes, In 1972 Smith, then reztacc’ director for the! tartad : ere ak vt a .. Commission to Tavestigate- Asso asinae! tions, was porizs, ever sors reesall, a ‘decigisified Yarrsa Coracaissian docu . ments wren he found reference to thet ” ynystery phate eed two afer views of. ‘the sane persar** Smith. .cal Led. nie -@iscavery: to the attentions of oas! of. the authors, Bermand Pensterwald, ‘who. - jnstitutad @ suit uader the Freedarm of Inforssxtion Act for release of the two: ' pictures. The pavermment yieided anc turned. over the gaateacaghs fo Fens sterwald, and Smith. They arc Pub lished here for te first time: : The two-new views of the mystery man were taken -at a diffesent tims _ from the first picture. In the ‘Riest “picture, the oe -publishsd in the . Warrer- Corarnissiass. volumes, . he’- is wearing 2 longeleeved’ darks shirt and. appears empty-haadeds in. the two new: : photos. he is wessing a shartslésved ‘white shict and is coccyieg™ some Kir kind, of bag or pouck, Ths new photos alsa ‘show him holding a sonal, passporti ' ged booklist and what appeurs te ben -- wallet, As im ties ficst photogeph, the * Backgrounds. - of the lwo new photoz *_ have been “exopped out. Whoever he +7 was, he manoged 03 be photographed, : appareatiy by the CIA's hidden sur . * welilages cameras, om ak Jenst hv. *.separsis” occasions. And neither of th hew photography reveals AGY», reser blaace betwee tite mystery. mam an. Lee Hervey Oswald, . The Warren Conunisvion coacleds . that Oswald had been in Mexico in 3st September and. exty October: 1982 ’ Records of Mexican Cestoms and Ix " salgration, bus nas, a2e a Mexico Cit hotel indicste “thet Oswald entere Bextco 2% Nueva Lavedo on tre U border on Sestentse 26, traveled? Wb bus to Mexico City, arriving there th mext moming, and” returne? to th Uaned States aa Octaner 3.74 Pesyer Ss om the bus ta Mexico Cit gemembeced Oswatd, bul there is ¥ SOs LO cyewitness testimony to saz port the Commission's ceranstevecio of Oseat'’s movemeses after be geeise in that citvt* The = Coen atan” Foe
13-00000 ing tha ist Ereiid meade rested yrnis ia Sot the Soviet aml Cocas embsauirs rests heavy urs the alf.idswet ef one ‘elRgR | wae 37 wittesa, 2 Mesicas worked 32 the Cauea Em sassy. Siteia Tizzto de Duran was secretary ‘o the Cudaa Consul iss Mexico City. ia B@ swoon statement®® shz gave to the | femagy. Cirestar of Mexican Feceral - sourity of Navembee 23, 1983, she aia that C imbassy im iste September to apply or a viz ¢2 visit Cuda ducing 2 isane@ tra t9 che Soviet Union, Mrs yarn yecaties 2 neste ed exchaage ba- weer Gpe2tl aad he Consul when : C. Pf r eole sim his sequest aw Fined efirsis auld Ret ce srrated Epmediae sly, Sha- mmamorred mtking 3 “semiofficial’’ see 2! i2 the Sovie? Esrbassy to | 4 iD ssiet up action cn Oxvald’s arvey Cont wie ‘istted tne Cuban ; eceused aswassin whote seared im the Mexican a ase Waren Commissies wiew Silvin Burana, mnisiy on mor aff. y atitragr to talk t2 sais nad visited ths Cuban . newssager régorter tried to interview — hec in April 1954. Her husvand would, net pemnit the man te speak .with her, ~ “ szying “she had" suffered a nervous. breakdown following her interrogation by the Mexican authorities end ked been prohibited by her physicien. .. from discussing: further."°° I€ this report is, correct, the Interrogation of Silvia Durer may have. been a more emotional interview ..- than one would conclude ‘from the report forwarded by the Mexican poe - : lice. The report gives the impression that the police were routinely collect. - ing information about Oswald's Mexi- . can tip for the American authorities. | One guestion that arises is whethee Ducan’s statement was given volua- tarily, end, if mot, whether her iden} fication of Oswald 3s the visitor to the . embassy is walid, _ The Warrea Commission may have omitted 2 fall exploration of this Question because iz had collateral evi- dence of Oswald's visit to the Cvbdan Be sy- There were, fer examots, Oswste’s sppticatian for a Cuban sisa, boning his photezrsgh aad signae” ture,?? and 2 letter reportetly written by Oswald to the Soviet Embassy ia Wastingioa, refeering to his visit to the . SP cae 2 Cetat EmPany.** The address book SIS i ate EMRE. the Oswaid . matter, ; 7 s § fet ore . . cf Ges 0 ge mrvaneadh mney (oar i POTEET OR FIP SUT RT a. PO oe papEricm Ia tee eRe eens? moreover, Coctacm: Duris’s Rome and telechone nucie But the only cree fole eyspitnuess testiinoms that Oswaid. in, fact “visited the eonaasy ix the | ; Statemaat of Sivir Dares. - -_ Whee viewed” ip “the light ‘of the | _ Pistely - the * qusstiak | of the three *enisidemtified.- pkotes- seems extraor=! inary. It is probabke that the CIA did ! in fact suggly am expiseation of the} H “ photagrepas that was enough to satisfy _ the Commission at the time, If sa, that~ ‘ explensifion yemains a part of the : dlussiiiea Were Commission eacte ments not available te ‘the pablic. Reymond Rocez (who, until: his crecext resigestion, was the Ageacy’s action .offieer for all posi“waren Re- : ‘port inquisies about the matter}? told” ons of the sutzars mat tke CLA could | rot identity the mystecy men. If this is : so, we may wonder how the Agency ¢ could have offered 2 satisfactory ex- : Pisuation of the incigerr to the Com ° riission. Unatiz acdisionat documents braving on this reatter are declassified the conclusioz that Oswald really visie- . ed the Q:tea Ermbessy crest remiln in. som: Goust Bat ever if he dil, the — Question whelher sonisors tvas never- thetess Irying to Emgeconite hint re- sitive 2 ccucial ons, : es mase we 1 80960 aocrmr ge tacesm@ras sey ot eer ey
13-00000 ' wikkdb wicitas! 2 Cxoan enmvbasves in th. 1953, what implica- drawn from this dis Tog. ‘ Wwe bec, - *Yoid. Her carvact maiden name Prusacava, was aan “t Ce mManiaa Docrnwest 3268 ‘tne atoaal Archives, Wa hintise ~ aa Me Zan. *5 Report, p. 233. cures Sovious interpretation is nan eee nes "as a 3 Report of the Presieent’s Commission 261yid., pp. 733-736 rent Sumsoae sought to counterfeit a on the plezezrination of Presiden? Lene 27 # trosh connection between the maa whe | redy (US Government Priating Office, Ibid., p. 734. Two othec witnesses told the Fai they saw Oswald 3 VAS SSOA io became the accused 1963), p. 144. (He fea! iter, Report.) _ told . ‘ ; the presidential assassin and the govera--- - ou : Cuban Embassy, A Mexicen privats teats «sf . * ot , ete ie WwW a 2 tents Of chose tivo communist couc *Commission Document 631, op cit. detective who 196 3a - ss 4 wcita, But it is mot necessary to Spas o entiftied Oswai bid, f = ~ sisulate rthe sone “2 - - - rom newspaper photewrashks 2s some- 2 ag to ‘Impeneoate “Ciesla eight "8 Hecrings ‘Before the President's Come one he had sesm feaving the embaszy * a de * e e : on that date in the campany of < \ »Taks, eflare the : Weren Commission’s theary of a lone: “aes, uncoanscted: with any - ‘Con. acy, : the case “Should be reogened. assaseaation, . the - . “. | Gent Kennedy (US Government Print. ” ing - Office, ASereafter, Hecrings). is ‘szricudy undermined: and oy > mission on ihe Assassination of Presi= 1954), Vol. li, o.° 469 Tyyid.; p. 463, *Ibid., Odum Exhibit 1. Cuban. The detective was shown other phatos of .Oswald. and. fsited tto ides tify hin, and. the FRI ssems to have concluded that he was mist2z<n (Com- mission- Document 566). The Waire: wn, There “eculd be,._of courss, an: Report Gots noat’olfer the detecrive’s _» PRoseRT ox jumatior” of ow the Cla on. . “ . testimony cs evidamee of Oswald's visit. A ie Report, 9. 364. Another witness whe clzimed io. have _ tame” to “misidentify: “the, raystery gran - .85 Loe Harvey _ Oswald: Oswald may ; sotualty have visited. ‘the Cuban and | » Saver embassies, Lf this‘were the case, ica somewhere in’ the CIA's files | _ 'Ibid., pp. 364-365, §! Frearings, Vol, il, p. 469. *2Commission Document 1787, ‘The National Archives, Washington, } De. seen Oswald at the Cubin Embassy tetracted. his testimony after fating to pass a polysroph ¢ examination (Rezort, p.303). 3 -« e 28 Commission. Document 7153, The | rere should be photogcapas of the 33 idl Lote . “real Les Harvey Oswald daparting from - ; — National Archives,  Wassington, BC. : the Sovist and Cuban. embassies in -..-_ . 4enring. #, Vol. 11, pe 469. ie _ LG . | Mexico. City. If tress - photographs . i exist, theie putlication would kelp to Settle the question. If they don’t, the- ‘CLA should cow explain why not, Ia °°. sither case, it should alsa disclose what , knows about the. mai it wrangly j identified a3 Oswald on two separate © ‘oceaions, Je should. explain why it. ed So Rocea, ‘deputy chief of ‘the CIA's Counterinfelligence - one of the four senior Agency officiats jsgavara Jay Epstein, Inquest: Tha . , May Warren Commission and the Exteblish=. "| ment of Truth Wiking, 1966). Staff, was - who resigned, Jast ‘December in the . wake of Tre New York Times’s revela- “30 Cénuniaatow’ Docament S63, Natiqnat’ Asshives, Washingiog, “bes t ié. , -. +=" Cs “te Bete ’ Besctness ¢ Commission Exhibis 26: ” *71hid, Commission Exhibit. ¥5_ .. believes that this man was not imper ” _ tions ‘of illegal domestic operatians by. . ee ane ; sonating Orwald. All these matters _ thé CIA’s Clandestine Services. , . . a * ee ek wid be clarified both by the CIA 1 TEpstein, Inquest; p. 94, * Mee ee : iissi. and by the congressional come as . te cet, : . mittess that ure about to investigate its . Commission Document 674, The ae «tee wel ; "activities i : a National Archives, Washington, DC. vt Fett - ° . 2073. ‘ ie . ; oom , . 7 * iia, re . oe ; ~ # 22a: ve . . . ™ : . . ibid, ; acre fnment wiret: apring, to Investigate Counsel for Senator Edward: Long’s investization of GEORGE O'TOOLE is the e BERNARD EENSTERWALD ‘is Director of the Com. Assassinations and was Chief e former chief of tie Problem Analysis Braack of the CIA, His books incite a nov, Osher Site, Tepes: Ait F, a naedy ond the a Fe and, moat cocently, Palicis Caverig. eigent O27 Tie ssascinesi tne scse Elsetzonie Prove inia the Muster uf Solus
13-00000 , . SECRET a & 2 May 1975 MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Chief, Operations StafE SUBJECT :_" Review of Agency Holdings’ regarding Photograph of Unidentified Individual ‘in Mexico City published by, the . a Warren Commission REFERENCE : Letter dated 15 April 1975 by I Mr. David W. Belin, Executive Director oo. . of .the Commission on CIA Activities within the United States, to os Mr. E. Henry “Knoche (copy attached ta. accompanying report) . 1. This is further to, and in compietion of, my _ interim memorandum of a few weeks ago. 2. The attachment is a detailed review in natrative, chronological order ~- together with appropriate comment— ary - of our extensive holdings on the OSWALD case that have a bearing on the matter of photographs taken by. Mexico City Station on(1, (4)and 25 October,1963 of an Unidentified Individual: As a con: sequence of a conbina— tion of analytical error, misjudgement and under the stress of an urgent desire to contribute to the develop— ment of the investigation of the assassination, a cropped version of one of the photographs of the Unidentified Individual was introduced into the chain of evidence in the OSWALD case on 23 November 1963 by an. FBI representative in Dallas. The successive vicissi- tudes which have new made this event a cause celebre right down to the present moment are detailed in the nerrative. & SECRET EINE UY sy. Peay
13-00000 y ( + SECRET. C . 3. The attached report is not intended to be an answer to the Fenstervwaid/O'Toole article which Mr. Belin attaches to his memorandum. (I have prepared @ paragraph- by-paragraph refutation and comment on that article, . which I believe is more appropriately handled by a sepa~ .; + => rate memorandum to Mr. Belin, and I will prepare this as > rm. a memorandum if that is desired.) . . oy (Le = jve- - rs * “ao 4. The point of the referenced memorandum is that: “ perk consideration should be given now to "whether or not. the = entire matter can be fully ,disclosed at this time This phe submission is designed to make it possible for you; the | IG and others whom ,you may desire to consult to make this. | decision. The narfative-interpretive summary: has been. ste | put together in such a way that it discloses no cyptonyms, ; pseudonyms or other CIA jargon. However. its contents go well beyond what has been released to the public thus far .in the Warren Commission documentation. This point must be borne in mind in making a decision on Mr. Belin's *. question. To remove any question in anybody's. mind about... our good faith in this matter, the narrative is backed up- — by copies of actual documentation from our files. It .  . seems to me necessary, in reply to Mr.. Belin, that. he or — his representative review the documentation that backs up - the narrative. The documentation has not been keyed into the narrative presentation, but it follows the chronologi- cal order of presentation from 9 October into the latest developments in the matter, and there is an overall index “EF - to facilitate reference to individual items. [NB: There (/™ is only one copy of this collection; this is it-] 5. As. noted above, one of the photographs taken in Mexico City on 4 October 1963 was introduced into the Warren Commission public record. However, it was intro- duced into that record in two cropped versions. The Warren Commission and its staff were made fully aware in the course of their inguiry at Headquarters and in ; Mexico City of the origins of the photograph, the fact that we had additional photographs of the same individual taken at different times in Mexico City and on the basis of full knowledge of these facts reached their own con- ‘Clusions regarding the irrelevance of the photograph to CSWALD and the assassination. 6. In fact, we actually hold twelve different photo- graphs of the Unidentified Individual. Each of these are?— reproduced in the collected documentation backing up the narrative report (see Items 25 - 27). Chief, LA Division, 2 SECRET ce prec e nRRNE eEEO ENUN  MAAALIN e-eneereey—emvettnetenc . *
13-00000 SECRET had indicated in writing to Chief, CIOPS, that he has no objection for Mr. Belin to do whatever is desired with these photographs at this time. It should be noted that Mr. Fensterwald in 1971 ~- 1972 was actually shown, by Mr. Houston during a visit to the Agency, two of the twelve photographs, other than the one already published in the Warren Commission report. (It is these two.that he has published in The New York Review of Books article which Mr. Belin attaches to his memorandum.) . 7. %It seems to me that*whoever makes a decision on whether the entire matter can be fully disclosed at this time should bear in’mind that a subsidiary decisian must also be made, i.e., whether to crop or otherwise fuzz up the background of the photographs or, alternatively, to publish the entire run of the photographs for the first time without taking out the background. Obviously, none of these questions apply to the passage of this material to Mr. Belin and the Rockefeller Commission itself. I .. think they should see the entire documentation as it stands. Perhaps after that, the question of what could. be discussed and the question of "how?" and "how much?” — could be taken up with Mr. Belin himself. My personal — recommendation is that the more we can say about this matter in a fully open and final manner, the better off | we will be as an Agency. But it is my understanding ‘that there are still sensitive aspects deriving from the fact that the operation which produced the photographs was jointly. rm with Mexican liaison and as a consequence. . publication at this. time would create additional problems at that level in Mexico. Also, it should be noted that the Ambassador, according to Win Scott's memorandum to J.C. King on 22 November 1963 (see Item 8 in the backup documentation), allegedly played a direct role in the decision to put the photographs into the hands of the FBI in Dallas laterally from the Field. As far as I know, - there has not been anything published about this aspect at any time in the past nor have we had any discussions with the State Department about that aspect of the matter. * _ Day 32. Attachments: — as stated ' wot 0 seeereintemmanencers ge emanate eater ot. Se ne es ak ne ee ee oe ence a sow ame pment nnn eee te i eemormenlt sss eum ene utp . *