SUBJECT: LIONION PHOTOGRAPHIC OPERATION; TARGETED AGAINST CUBAN CONSULATE.
Agency: CIA
Originator: CIA
From: MFR
To: RODGER S. GABRIELSON
Document date: 07/25/1978
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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Date: 02/21/05

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : CIA

RECORD NUMBER: 104-10414-10347

RECORD

SERIES

: JFK

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

RUSS HOLMES WORK FILE

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

Released under the John

F. Kennedy

Assassination Records

Collection Act of 1992

144 USC 2107 Notel.

Case#:NU 53320 Date:

06-26-2017

AGENCY ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM : RODGER S. GABRIELSON

TO : MFR

TITLE :

SUBJECT: LIONION PHOTOGRAPHIC OPERATION; TARGETED

AGAINST CUBAN CONSULATE.

DATE

:

07/25/1978

PAGES :

SUBJECTS : PHOTO OPS

DOCUMENT TYPE

PAPER

CLASSIFICATION :

SECRET

RESTRICTIONS

1B

CURRENT STATUS : RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS

DATE OF LAST REVIEW

11/18/98

COMMENTS

JFK-RH07 : F134

: 1998.11.18.16:41:44:950107

....=----.

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

104-10414-10347

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SECRET

25 July 1978

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

Subject:

LIONION Photographic Operation;

Targeted Against Cuban Consulate

trigger

SUMMARY

Available records show that the VLS-2,

an automatic

camera device, was in

process of being installed

LIONION basehouse on 27 September 1963.

to be used with the K-100 16 mm. movie camera or the

Robot Star 35 mm. still camera.

These systems were aimed

at the gate of the Cuban Consulate.

The first test pictures

were sent to Headquarters as attachments to HMMA-22433 on

7 November 1963.

One of the attachments, (A), shows the

VLS-2 coverage of the Consulate gate.

Obvious in this

photograph is a sign indicating the hours of the Consulate

(for visas).

The hours are 10:00 to 2:00, Monday through

Friday.

The date this test photograph was taken is un-

known.

A later monthly report for 1 - 31 December 1963,

discusses the installation of a SEQUENCE

(HMMA- 22726) December 1963 with hours of operation against

the Consulate 0900 to 1400, office hours of

Subsequent monthly reports

the SEQUENCE camera

was indeed the Pulse Camera. The record, then, shows:

A. The Pulse Camera was installed, for the

first time, on 17 December 1963.

B. No coverage of the Consulate existed prior

to 27 September 1963 when the VLS-2 and

K-100 or Robot Star systems were being in-

stalled during the morning.

DISCUSSION

HSCA Researchers,

Dan Hardway and Ed Lopez, reviewed

Agency files on the following dates:

26

May 1978

22. June 1978

5 July 1978

20 July 1978

21 July 1978

SECRET

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These files contain

materials cited in the SUMMARY, includ-

ing

sample photographs of the Consulate

using

K-100 and Robot Starr systems triggered by the VLS-2.

These systems are readily

identifiable by nature of the

resultant prints.

The K-100 is 16 mm. format and is so

marked on the reverse side of the print (although misidenti-

fied

as Attachment A to HMMA-22433 when it should have been

Attachment B).

The Robot Star is 35 mm. format.

None of

these prints, which were sent to Headquarters as test

results on 7

November 1963, has the distinctive mark of

the Pulse Camera in the lower left corner.

The Pulse

Camera recorded a time-date image in the lower left corner

from

an internal Accutron movement.

This can be seen in a

sample picture sent to Headquarters.on 22 June 1965 (HMMA-

26414), entitled Details of LIONION Pulse Camera Operation.

This report confirms,

begin operation until "mid-December 1963."

that the Pulse Camera

did not

INFERENCES

The Warren Commission record concludes,

from Duran

testimony, that Oswald visited the Cuban Consulate some -

time after

arriving in Mexico City on the morning of

27 September 1963.

That same morning,

across the street

at LIERODE basehouse,

the new

trigger

device

and K-100/

Robot Star systems were in process

of

being installed.

If

the installations were to have gone smoothly, the systems

may have been tested against the target at

moment when Oswald is supposed to have

appeared.

However,

the

record of that morning's? efforts shows that

the K-100

had a malfunctioning part which had to be remachined.

is possible

that this installation, begun

in the morning,

may have taken well into the

afternoon

to complete because

(1) this was a new installation

a new room of the base-

house and (2) the technicians experienced problems with

the equipment.

The ultimate setup would have been tested

on the target when it was complete.

But the Consulate

after which there would

officially closed at 1400 hour fat the gate) for test

have been few, if any, targets.

purposes.

It may have been likely, then, that the instal-

morning, 30 September.

Oswald is not known to have visited

the Consulate after Saturday, 28 September.

photographic site did not operate on Saturdays.

I conclude that the probability of having taken a

photograph of Oswald during his visits) to the Cubar

Consulate on 27 September 1963 is remote.

SECREL

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- SECRET

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

The files reveal the following supplemental in-

formation:

A. LITAMIL ?, LITAMIL 9, penetrations of the

Cuban Embassy, were

aware of and assisted

in the production of LIONION.

HSCA re-

searchers have reviewed this item.

B. LIONION 1 and 2 were terminated 1 November 1972.

The termination report assumed that they

either doubled, or their operation

was being

monitored.

C. LIONION 1 and 2 intended to resettle in Madrid

on 1 September 1972.

HSCA researchers have

had access to this item.

D. Seventy volumes (5 packages) of LIONION pro-

duction from late 1961 through December 1968

were sent to Record Center, 12 August 1969 to

Headquarters with

a recommendation

that they

be forwarded

to Records Center for retention

of 10 years from date of information.

the earlier production may have been

This item is HMMA-37684.

destroyed!)

Unknown if HSCA has

E. Photographs of Pulse Camera in

operating posi-

sent to Headquarters as Enclosure 3,

HMMA-22881, 13 February 1964.

Enclosure or HMMA-22881 unknown to undersigned.

Unknown if HSCA has seen.

F. Photographs taken using Pulse Camera were sent

to Headquarters as HMMA-22836, 31 January 1964.

Location of photographs unknown to undersigned.

Unknown if HSCA has seen.

G. Pulse Camera removed for reconditioning during

May 1964.

H. All

equipment removed from LIONION basehouse on

26-27

September 1964

for 6-8 weeks

as precaution

after release of Warren Commission

Report.

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SECRET

I. LIONION basehouse partially reactivated,

25 November 1964 with only coverage of the

Embassy

gate....Pulse Camera to be installed

in near

future.

Rodger S. Gabtielson

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