‘stantial evidence tending to show that Oswald had received -at least one week ordinarily transpired between the time eThis form .is. to be. used for material. extracted *” from ClA-—controlled documents.) OO Thus, the issue has arisen whether Oswald's receipt of a Soviet visa prior to his entry into the Soviet Union was an “odd happening" as Anson characterized it; circum- special assistance in order to enter the Soviet Union. During the course of its investigation the Warren Commission shared Anson's concerns.:. In a letter to the CIA dated May o 25, 1964 J. Lee Rankin inquired about the apparent speed with which Oswald's soviet visa was issued::.. Rankin noted that he had recently spoken with Abraham Chayes of the State Department whe contended"at the time Oswald received ; wn his visa to enter Russia from the Soviet Embassy at Helsinki, of a tourist's. application for a visa and the issuance of * (continued from previous page) that visas during the 1964 tourist season were being granted in about 5 to 7 days. .: , This information from the Department of State and the Central | Intelligence Agency thus suggests that Oswald's wait for a visa may have been shorter than usual but not beyond the range of possible variation. The prompt issuance of Oswald's. visa may have been merely the result of normal procedures, due in part to the fact that the summer rush had ended. It might also mean that Oswald was unusually urgent in his demands that his visa be issued promptly. Oswald himself told officials at the American Embassy in Moscow on October 31, when he appeared to renounce his citizenship, that he had said nothing to the Soviets about defecting until he arrived in Moscow. In any event, the Commission has found nothing in, the giecumetances of Oswald's entry into the Soviet Union vid 2 Classification: -_ which indicates that he was at the time an agent for the U.S.S-R. (WCR, p. 258) <neee oe ror me | Classified by derivation: . “SRPV TURE, Se hatiiala ad a etal ae)
that Oswald arrived. in Helsinki by plane from London on Classification: a (this form is to. be used for material: extracted from ClA—controlled documents.) the visa. Rankin contended that if Chayes' assessment was accurate, then Oswald's obtaining his tourist visa . “ ice +o cik in from two to four days might have been very significant £5.te< Conlin Rankin also stated that from CIA material supplied Bi iboae § AGIG ‘to the Warren Commission, the Commission had concluded Saturday, October 10, 1959, and that Oswald had received his Soviet tourist visa on Wednesday, October 14, 1959, departing by train for the Soviet Union on october 15.* Cteiad ¥ Rankin noted that. the Commission was interested in . cea awit STE, learning whether Oswald did in fact obtain his tourist tA SES uh, visa more quickly than was peermel at that time .fex—tke Saviet-Embassy—in—Hersinki . (We-Letter_by-d+—hee-Rankin to i 5 Richard-Heims,—DnP4=2616, 25 Max 1964) The CIA resvonaad fo pankims resort fox. Snore eget ProviaAt Souin sh on July 31, 19644 | Pence docse (Gicnad tone wrote to Rankin that the Soviet Consu- Late in Helsinki was able to issue a transit visa (valid for 19, cee mesoy servos 24 hours) to U.S. businessmen within. five minutes but if 2 longer stay were intended at least one week was needed» to process 4 visa application and arrange lodging through * Assuming Oswald arrived in Helsinki on October 10, under normal conditions the earliest he would have been “Sble to apply for a Soviet tourist visa would have been. the first working day ater October 12, j.e. October 12... Classification: _____ Classified by derivation:
Nie ban ns nari. “el meen ie Seas ate at, ee a et : / pet te “@regorly Golub, Soviet Consul in Helsinki at the time Oswald Classification: _ ~~ 4- . (This form is to be used for material extracted from ClA—controlled documents.) INTOURIST./ (Richard Helms to J. Lee Rankin, DDP4-3916, 31 July 1964) A second communication from Helms to Rankin - dated September 14, 1964 added that during the 1964 tourist season, Soviet Consulates in at least some Western European cities issued Soviet tourist visas in from five to seven days. (Letterd- of Richard Helmd “to J. Lee Rankin, DDP4-4775, 14 September 1964) | | In an effort to. resolve this issue, the Conmittee has reviewed” cdaememmntiy files maintained by the CIA which sheds further light on the circumstances surrounding issuance of Oswald's Soviet tourist visa. Thg@CIA file concerns Suse) ) 5 % nN was es his tourist visa. (CIA Boos. Grif-3929, 2 July x 5 5 1959, (Scdab-3745, 21 April 1959 (ees 0132; 9 October 59) - Golub! s File reveals that in addition to his Consular acti- (ER | © fecdi}f2907, 26 June 959,[___ 2937.2 cutee ec de ee vities, he was ‘believed. to-be- an officer of the Soviet KGB.. eptember 1959) Two CIA dispatches are of particular significance with regard to the time neces- sary for issuance of visas to Americans for travel into the is Q uy i ad =) re} @ ce) ua G- “SW. ‘ER “Sha. Soviet Union. hs, The first dispatch records that Golub disclosed dur- . oy ing a luncheon conversation that: a —A pope spe. 9f Be 2004029 Classification: 8 j | Classified by derivation: MW
(This form. is tobe used for material extracted from ClA—controlled documents.) "Moscow had given him the authority to . give Americans visas without prior appro- - Val from Moscow. He (Golub) stated that this would make his job much easier, and as long as he was convinced the American was "all right" he could give him a visa Dei a. matter of minutes...."* , f OF: “ ene 962),,47 July 1959) The kona CIA Dispatch dated October 9, 1955, one day prior to Oswald's arrival in Helsinki, illustrates that Golub did have the authority to issue visas without delay. The Dispatch discusses telephone contact between Golub and his Consular counterpart at the American Embassy in Helsinki. In part the Dispatch discloses: | "Since that evening (September 4, 1959) tam te * The Dispatch does not define the meaning given by Golub Golub has only phoned (the US consul) once and this was on a business matter. Two Americans were in the Soviet Consulate at the time and were applying for Soviet visas thru (sic.) Golub. They had previously . been in the American consulate inquiring about the possibility of obtaining a Soviet visa in one or two days. (The U.S. Consul) advised them to go directly to Golub and make their request, which they did. Golub phoned (the U.S. Consul) to state that he would give them their visas as soon as they made advance Intourist reservations. When they did this, Golub i Lat their visas.... 4132, 9 Oct. 1959)** -/ SAE OT REND OFH At iT C ake of 22 to the term "all right." ** Evidently, upon his arrival at Moscow railroad station on October 16, f / Oswald had made arrangements with Intourist because he was.met by an Intourist representative and taken to the Hotel 5 a student. (Wp. 691) EPO ey. | | Classified by derivation: , Berlin where he registered as Classification: OR Xo. WE SE, SR WE WE owe. en NERF. SOR,
: : Raut 8 Tl Be BE Ra Raed BB enn nt enteeeententntnsnarenent : (This form is to be used for material extracted - from ClA—controlled documerits.) Thus, based upon these additional two factors: t) Golub's authority to issue visas te Americans without prior TAs approval from Moscow, and 2) a demonstration of the authority, as “approximately one month prior to Oswald's appearance at the Soviet Embassy, the Committee has found that the available “pS eet eo evidence. tends to support the conclusion that“Oswald's 4 tourist visa within two to four days after his appearance . at the Soviet Consulate, were somewhat suspect, does not warrant the belief that Oswald's travel into’ the Soviet Union was assisted by others, particularly the Soviets. However, the possibility of assistance cannot be dismissed Aj _ due to Golub's probable connection with the KGB and the Meee s Sarg lack of ether substantive information awaited to definitely confirm that Oswald’ S visa was handled in a manner similar. to that of the two American students wher ad entered the Soviet Union. with Golub s assistance via Finland. 4 r  uaaedeteay Fea 2 A Classification: | Classified by derivation: