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2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

22 November 1968

MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Security

SUBJECT

: Herbert Itkin/ Mario Brod et. al.

1. Reference is made to your instructions concerning this

case and my attached memorandum concerning research on whether

or not Itkin was ever, in fact, utilized by this Agency prior to his

contacts with Brod.

2. All available sources in the Agency reflect no record of

Itkin or of Philip Harbin, who was allegedly his case officer. Harbin

has been checked both as a true name and as an alias. Although the

name is not registered in the Agency, this of course does not mean

that some Agency representative did not make this up and use it

without telling anyone.

3. My visceral reaction is that Itkin is lying about his

contacts with Mr. Dulles and Philip Harbin. However, since there

appears to be a possibility of an extreme "flap" if Itkin gives the same

story to the newspapers that he gave to Mr. Houston, I would.

recommend

that, with the concurrence of Mr. Helms, Mr. Dulles be interviewed and

asked if he remembers anything about this case.

4. I also spoke with Harry Mason, x5231, in Finance who

handles OS budgetary matters and is a personal acquaintance. Without

giving him any names I asked him if it would be possible to track down

the receipt that Itkin claims he gave Harbin for the $5000.00. Harry

says if the case was handled properly and the account is still outstanding

it will be fairly easy to find the receipt. I have done nothing further on

this, pending your instructions.

Wards Scare

Ward K. Geene

SA/EPD

Attachment

RETURN TO CIA

"Background Une

" Do Not Fopra:

EYIS ONLY

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• 22 November 1968

ITKIN, Herbert.

Subject States:

When he was first admitted to the bar in 1953

he was employed by the firm of Delson, Levin & Gordon

in New York City. (Now Delson and Gordon.) Itkin

alleges that one partner, Levin, had close ties with

Alger Hiss, Cyrus Eaton and other of similar persuasion.

Because of the viewpoint of the law firm, Subject states

that he began passing information to Senator Joseph

McCarthy. However, in the Spring of 1954, Senator

McCarthy told Itkin that he was getting into trouble and

allegedly reported that he had passed Itkin's reports to

CIA. Itkin then states that a meeting was set up for

him either in June/July/or August of 1954 with Mr. Allen

Dulles. This meeting was at the Bellevue Stratford in

Philadelphia. His contact was reportedly a man known

as Philip Harbin.

At this time, Itkin says he was able to report on

matters affecting U Nu, then the Premier of Burma, the

Indonesian Foreign Minister; and the owner or editor

of the New Delhi Times. Itkin also claims to have had

personal contacts with Luis Gutierrez, Consul General

of El Salvador, and with a number of other people who

had Guatemalan contacts. Itkin says the only money he

received from Harbin was $5, 000. 00, which was supposed

to be repayable and for which he gave a receipt, he believes

sometime in 1957. He said the money was not repaid.

Itkin states that he met Mario Brod in 1961 and

that Brod was represented to him as a former Colonel

in the OSS who had intelligence connections. From then

on his contact was Brod and apparently Harbin dropped

out of the picture.

SEE 2T

--us

EYES ONLY

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Agency Flles reflect:

No record of Herbert Itkin in Office of Security

records, other than newspaper clippings.

No record of Herbert Itkin in RI files.

No record of Philip Harbin in Office of Security.

No record of Philip Harbin as a DCS alias.

No record of Philip Harbin in OS pseudo files.

No record of Philip Harbin as either a pseudo or

& registered alias in RI/CRYPTO.

No record of Philip Harbin in RI files.

The file of Mario Brod reflects no information concerning his

contacts with Herbort Itkin and reflects no information concerning a

Philip Harbia.

During IlkiD's meeting with Mr. Houston he mentioned that the

Jaw dom bad a sogro lawyer named Thomas L. Roberts, #193026, who

had very useful contacts with the United Nations. Itkin stated that

Roberts was a very presentable and intelligent negro who left the firm

and now had a law practice in Dakar.

The Ollice of Security file concerning Roberts reflects that:

Mr. Robertalis a current employee of this Agency

undes doap cover in Dakar] In January of 1968 Roberts

furnishod this Office with an extensive summary of his

pad: ardociation with Herbert Itkin. He also mentioned

that no and ilken had associated with Mario Brod at a dinner

party in 1965 and had had lunch with Brod in 1967. There is

no indication, however, that Roberts is aware of any use of

Ilkon an a CLA informant during the 1950's.

EYES ONLY

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