104-10336-10014 ‘Center for the Study of Intelligence Cit ERAQ Via Assassination Records Review Board Vi 600 E Street NW « 2nd Floor « Washington, DC 20530 (202) 724-0088 « Fax: (202) 724-0457 December 18, 1997 Mr. John Pereira : ree OBIX ancl Chief ic YOR Historical Review Group THIS SGOCun ENt y ORMATION I Central Intelligence Agency |? Washington, D.C. 02505 . Re: Status of CIA Responses to Assassination Records Review Board’s Requests for Additional Inforniation 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: CLA-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-O7 Claude Barnes Capehart, CIA-IR-15 Electronic “take” from Mexico City, CIA-IR-21 DRE . Monthly Operational Reports, CIA-IR-22 “A” Files on Clay Shaw and Jim Garrison. Boaaro Memeaers: John R. Tunheim, Chair « Hency F. Graff > Kermit L. Hall « William lL. Joyce * Anaa K. Nelson
Mr. John Pereira December 18, 1997 Page 9 CIA-IR-12 Contacts with Journalists or Publishing Houses. The Review Board seeks to determine.to what extent, if any, CIA might have attempted to influence any journalists or publishers regarding public discussion of the assassination. This request, originally discussed in March 1997, was raised at the DO follow-up briefing on April 1, 1997. CIA has had no response and no time frame for a response. CIA-IR-13 Office or Person Dealing with Organized Crime and Cuba. The Review Board requested that CIA make a particular personnel file available. The file was made available by CIA for review. The Review Board seeks a full and accurate formal response to this request detailing any and all searches made and the results of those searches. Once a formal statement is provided, this request will be complete. CIA-IR-14 Breckinridge Files. CIA (OGC) will determine the disposition of the files of Scott D. Breckinridge. CIA has had no response and no time frame for a response. “CIA-IR-15 Electronic “take” from Mexico City Station. The Review Board has for some time been attempting to determine whether it has had access to all of CIA’s surveillance “take” from the Cuban and Soviet facilities in Mexico City at the time of the Oswald visit and in the immediate wake of the assassination. On numerous occasions, the Review Board has asked whether there was any surveillance take i in addition to what is currently in the collection. On March 18, 1997, the Review Board provided additional leads tq CIA to assist it in answering these questions. The DO has agreed to check Headquarters records for the file referenced in HMMW 12454, to search for the crypts cited in this document, and to search for HMMA 20307 and other cables or dispatches cited in this document. In addition, the DS&T will query its offices for possible records on Mexico City and Cuba and for the present location of Staff D records. Regardless of the
1713-00000 : 4 SECRET ~ Ii y, 24 August 1998 MEMORANDUM FOR: Laura Denk Executive Director, ARRB FROM: ‘ J. Barry Harrelson Project Officer, HRP/OIM SUBJECT: . CIA-IR-12, Contacts With Journalists or Publishing Houses 1. This is the Classified response to referent request. 2. (U) The ARRB staff requested information to determine to what extent, if any, the Agency might have attempted to influence any journalists or publishers regarding public discussion of the JFK assassination. 3. (U) The unclassified response to this request describes the fact a number of covert action projects existed for the purpose of thwarting the expansion of Communism throughout the world. Within those projects there were relationships with journalists and publishing houses. 4. (S) The specific cryptonyms | used for these projects are mentioned in House :Séléct)}Committee’on, ‘Assassinations document: 180-10142=10087 The cryptonyms and a brief description of each Covert Action Staff project follows: A.  QKOPERAs'- a project designed to counter Soviet activities’ in’ international ‘organizations. It was specifically designed to unite and promote anti-Communist intellectuals. The true name of the project was possibly the B. (GRPUNDIT’ -~ @ project involved in book. publishing matters and the international distribution of anti- -Communist books. It was known previously by the cryptonyms ZRBLES ssi WUPUNDIT’ and WUBONBON? {@RMATADOR’ and,ORMOSAIC' were related projects. ; . c. WUSENDER - a project to purchase and distribute books." D. WURASIN? - a project to cover the international mailing of American books translated into Spanish and French. E. WUTRANSIT’- a project to purchase and mail books to selected addressees in Latin America and Africa. SECRET
13-00000 SECRET F. WURABBIT*- a project to cover a worldwide news : r G. WUTARY “and WUTAROY®- (believed to refer to the same project), one for press and propaganda development on targets of opportunity involving Latin America. 5. (U) This, together with the unclassified memorandum, competes Agency action on this project. If you have any questions, please advise. J. Barry Harrelson CL: (0611637 / CL REASON: 1-5(c) DECL: / X21 ; DRV: HUM 2-8 SECRET
13-00000 $° 4 18 September 1998 “MEMORANDUM FOR: Ms. Laura Denk Executive Director, ARRB FROM: J. Barry Harrelson JFK Project Officer, HRP/OIM SUBJECT: CIA-IR-12, Contacts With Journalists or Publishing Houses 1. This is in response to referent request which asked for information about possible CIA contacts with journalists and publishing houses in the context of the JFK assassination and ensuing investigations. 2. Following a search of its records, the Directorate of Operations provided a response which describes a number of such activities engaged in by the Agency. The DO response is attached hereto. 3. This completes the Agency’s action on this request. If you have any questions, please advise. J. Barry Harrelson Att. A/S
13-00000 . . UNCLASSIFIED 21 August 1998 MEMORANDUM FOR: {U) Chief, JFK Declassification Project/HRP/OIM/DA FROM: (U) Fredrick C. Wickham, Jr. Chief,- Information Management Staff, External Support Group SUBJECT: — (U) DO Response to CIA IR 12 REFERENCE: (U) ARRB Request for Additional ' Information and Records No. CIA IR 12 1. (U) This memorandum is an unclassified response to informal request number 12 (CIA IR 12) from the staff of the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB). A classified response will also be provided to be more specific and detailed. The staff has requested information about contacts with journalists or publishing houses, that is to what extent, if any, CIA might have attempted to influence any journalists or publishers regarding public discussion of the assassination. 2. (U) The terms like “journalists,” “publishers,” “publishing houses,” “media,” and other such generic terms were not searchable. To answer this question required the research of crypts mentioned in various documents in the JFK “assassination records.” , 3 (U) The research of the crypts provided from ’ documents in the JFK “assassination records” all refer to projects managed under the overall guidance of a staff in the Directorate of Operations and in all instances they were projects that concern press and propaganda programs designed to promote anti-Communism and to counter Soviet press and propaganda initiatives worldwide. Specifically, these various projects were developed for the following reasons: A. to counter Soviet activities in international intellectual organizations,.in order to unite and promote anti-Communist intellectuals. B. to be involved in book publishing matters and the international distribution of anti-Communist books. UNCLASSIFIED
13-00000 . _¢ UNCLASSIFIED SUBJECT: (U) DO Response to CIA IR 12 Cc. to purchase and distribute books. D. to cover the international mailing of American books translated into Spanish and French languages. E. to purchase and mail books to selected addressees in Latin America and Africa. F. to cover a worldwide news and feature story service. G. as a Press and Propaganda Developmental and Target of Opportunity project involving Latin America. Fredrick C. Wickham, Jr. a UNCLASSIFIED