Classification: (This, form is. ‘to ibe: “use for: material extracted from CIA—controlled documents. ) Robert ‘S. ‘Anson, author of “mey' ve Killed ‘the the Search. for. the. Murderers of John P. Kennedy,’ offered a critical appraisal of Lee Harvey Oswala’ s travel: "through | Western Europe prior to his appearance in Moscow “Lon, October 16, (1959. _Angon expressed particular concern 1 over ‘the issuance of a. “Soviet tourist visa in Helsinki, Finland | to Oswald prior to his entry into the Soviet. union. an Anson wrote that "fo7n Monday, October . 12, Oswald went® to the ‘Soviet Consulate and applied for a visa. rea © a : granted two days - later.” (anson, pe 159)“ Anson concluded: © ‘visa in record time. The CIA told the Commission that under ordinary circum- _ stances obtaining a visa in Finland oe ae -.. took one or two weeks; Oswald got his » an in two days. (Ibid., p. 160)* ——- oe Oswald also managed to. secure a Soviet a es f oe Anson was ; referring to the Warren Commission Report where it oo is stated: — . ; et ela te ta ‘The Department of State has advised ‘the Commission ne that it has some information that in 1959 it usually ~ - took an American tourist in Helsinki 1 to 2 weeks to. sm '. obtain a visa, and that it has other information that ~ ' the normal waiting period during the past 5 years. -has. been a week or less. According to the Department's information, the waiting period has always varied’fre- quently and widely, with one confirmed instance in.1963 of a visa routinely issued in less than 24 hours. The. Central Intelligence Agency has indicated: (continued) cya” 5 TURN | " erLce cI | RETURN co Only Bt assification: roun ' Rats L Rept oduce S . | Classified by derivation: /0(42-16339
stantial evidence “tending o.. show “that Oswald had _ specia al assistance | in. vorder. to, enter, the, Soviet "Unton *puring the course of its investigation “the Warren Commission: shared, Anson’ s. concerns: : in. a ‘letter: to the CIA. dated May 25 1964, J. ‘Lee Rankin inghirea about: the apparent speed with whitch ‘Oswald's: Soviet visa was issued. Rankin ‘noted ee eee that he had recently spoken with. Abraham Chayes of: the . she State Department who contended*at the. time Oswald received his. visa to enter Russia. from the Soviet Embassy me Helsinki, cat least one week ordinarily transpired between the time of a tourist's application for a visa and the issuance of 0.) a ‘(continued ‘from. previous page) co oe that. visas during the 1964 tourist ‘season. ‘were being granted ain about, 5 to 7 ‘days... a this “information from the Department of State and the Centr: _. Intelligence. ‘Agency thus suggests that” Oswald's wait fora : ‘visa may have been shorter than. ‘usual but not beyond the. range. ‘of possible variation. The prompt issuance of Oswald! visa may have been merely the result.of normal procédures, . 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, Ee, 2S Classifi of Oswald's entry into the Soviet ‘Union AES Classification: : ee ae ‘indicates that he was at the time an agent for the U. s.s. “Re (WOR, PB. - (258) [. Classified by ¢ derivation: Bet 8
from Cia controled documents.) Rankin contended that if Chayes' “assessment. the visa. then Oswald's obtaining . his. tourist: visa was, accurate, nificant LL O.. four days might shave been. very sig in “from two £ Rankin also stated that from CIA material suppl omission had. concluded “to: the ‘Warren Commission, the c om ‘bondon on) that oswald arrived. in “Helsinki. by plarie fro! Saturday, October, 10, 1959, and. that Oswald | haa received . his, Soviet tourist visa on Wednesday, “October 14, ass, ee -departing by train for the soviet union. ‘on n October 15-* Less sted in oe Rankin noted that the Commission was intere , Soviet learning whether Oswald did in fact obtain. his tourist Sisk, oo ® at: that time -fox—the — oo | visa more quickly than was a Toh: ag SauietEabassyin-tietsim (ne Fetbee by s—see Renin * Richa = Yn 964) nkiate-reguest-for information OA OP rere 7 consu- © “The CIA responded to" Rat Proven. “A ‘on “auly 31, 1964— “Richard Helms wrote to. Rankin that the Sovie late in. Helsinki was able to issue as transit” visa. (valid for. 24 hours) to. U. S. ‘businessmen within, five minutes put if a. “Longer stay were intended - at least one week \ was needed - to. process a visa application and arrange lodging through — d in ‘Helsinki on’ October 10, ‘under normal t he would have been able -to apply for. § 1d have been the first working day . 4 * Assuming Oswald arrive conditions the earlies a Soviet tourist visa wou ater October 12,. i.e. October 12.0) ee De seinetieeit gipeeses Classification: oo ere “Classified by derivation: 0
as season, Soviet consulates in at least ‘some Western | xa 14 September 1964), In an ‘effort to. resolve this issue, the. Committee : “has. reviewed” aac, filef maintained by the cra which | , Zs ' sheds further Light | on the circumstances surrounding | issuance oo (of “Oswald's” Soviet tourist visa. The CIA file: ‘concerns poly . “Gregory Golub, Soviet Consul in Helsinki at “the time ‘Oswald ‘Meet tabetrtee sda” 2D was Assia his tourist. visa. (CIA docs. GFHH}3939,, 2 goly. 1959, ‘Beow} 3745, 21 April 1959, Qrii}a132, 9 October 59) : Golub! s file reveals. that in addition. to his Consular acti-. vities, he was ‘pelieved™ to: be an ‘officer of. the Soviet KGB. he (ob5ii}2907, 26 gune 1959, ehini}2937, 21 September 1959). 7 — ce Two lai spatches from {fie1sinki| c concerning | Golub | are of particular: significance with regard to the time neces-— “sary for issuance of visas to americans for travel: into “the x “Soviet: Union. The first dispatch | records that. Golub disclosed aur- - oo ¢ ing a luncheon conversation that: Classification: . "Classified by: derivati ni: i
(This. form is to be used for materia ‘extracted ‘from ClA—controlled documents. “Moscow had - given him the authority: to’ gave Americans visas without. from Moscow. He (Golub). ‘stated. ‘tha “an would Make his job much easier, and’ _ as long as-he was convinced the’ American’ "was “all right" he could give him a. . Nisa: ina aebea. of minutes. ..."*- ns  phepiahaaeny, 37 July 1959) aed : _ The secona[_pispatch dated October 5, + 1958, “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 ain Helsinki. ‘In part the Dispatch discloses: “...Since that evening (September 4, 1959) yee eg “Golub has only phoned (the US consul) once 00-2 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 ve 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 j eT eee their visas...."%9]/(OFHA}4132, 9 Oct. 1959) ** ‘/. em pracy “* The Dispatch does not define the meaning given by ( Golub .to the term “all right." ke Evidently, Oswald had made arrangements ‘with ‘Intourist because upon his arrival at’ Moscow railroad station on October.16,: he 4 was met by an Intourist representative and taken. to. the: ‘Hotel Classificatio Berlin where he ealisationss a StUdeHE. Wo ° 691)" le 42 ia - a ol - | _ Classified by derivation:
the Soviet Embassy, the Committee: has. found that the. meta “~Sh 1 TOPOS wie : evidence tends to support the: conclusion that“Oswald's “tourist visa within “two to four days after his appearance | : eet : vat ‘the. Soviet - Consulate, were somewhat. suspect, does not (warrant the belief ‘that Oswald's travel 4 into ‘the Soviet * union was assisted by others, particularly ‘the Soviets. * However, the possibility of assistance, ‘cannot be dismissed an = due "to" Golub's probable connection with ‘the: KGB and the ‘ an : Nn eC eS Sar: n avaibable to definitely “lack of ether substantive ‘informat “ confizm that. Oswald's visa was. | handled inva manner similar to that OF the two american’ students whos ad entered the. “Soviet Union. with ‘Golub’ Ss assistance via Finland. - . | : Classified by derivation: __