MEMO: BLUEBIRD/ARTICHOKE SOFT FILE REVIEW - 'KELLY' - DIMITROV, D. A.
Originator: CIA
From: CINQUEGRANA, OFFICE OF GENERAL COUN
To: LAPHAM, ANTHONY A.
Document date: 10/07/1977
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

AAAAR

104-10404-10094

2022 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

UNCLASSIFIED

INTERMAL

USE ONLY

CONFIDENTIAL

ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET

SECRET

SUBJECT:: (Oplional)

FROM:

772151

Anthony A. Lapham

General Counsel

TO::Omcer.designation..room.number...and

building)

RECEIVED

DATE

FORWARDED

EXTENSION

6111/

9212

OFFICER'S

INITIALS

Coanse

NO.

DATE

10/7/77

COMMENTS (Number each comment lo show from whom.

to whom.

Drow a line ocross column after eoch comment.)

r./.

1. EXtin connection with Select

Committee on Assassinations

Investigation.

Inspector General v

BUSY

Any thoughts on whether any

action or further investigation needs

to be undertaken with respect to this

Information:

Tony Laphan

8.%

933

10.:

11.

12.

13

14...

15.":

FORM

3-62

EDITONS.

-SECRET

CONFIDENTIAL

INTERNAL

USE ONLY

- UNCLASSIFIED

---

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October 7, 1977

MEMORANDUM FOR: Anthony A. Lapham

FROM

SUBJECT

: A. R. Cinquegrana

Office of General Counsel

: BLUEBIRD/ARTICHOKE Soft File Review - "Kelly" -

Dimitrov, D.A.

1. I have been reviewing summary sheets prepared by the Office of

Security concerning several hundred soft files on individuals associated,

or considered for association, in some way with the Agency's BLUEBIRD/

ARTICHOKE activities. In the course of that review I came upon the follow-

ing case which I discussed with Dick Lansdale and which we agreed should

be brought to your attention for your information and whatever action you

may deem appropriate.

2. As is indicated in the attached copy of the soft file summary and

the 27 January 1952 memorandum upon which it is based, D. A. Dimitrov,

designated "Kelly," is a Bulgarian expatriate who appears to have been

imprisoned in Greece some time in 1950 and 1951 on false pretenses because

the Agency feared he would accept an offer from French Intelligence. After

six months in custody, he was flown to Panama where he was misrepresented

as a psychopath and confined in a U.S. Military Hospital for several months.

The official security file shows he was then removed from the hospital and

held by the Agency at Fort Clayton in Panama for three years. He was then

returned to Greece and ultimately allowed to enter the U.S. as a refugee.

It appears from the attached copy of a 7 February 1952 memorandum that

the "Artichoke approach," i.e., the use of drugs to reverse his hostility

toward the U.S. and U.S. intelligence agencies, was never consummated.

3. This man has had several contacts with the Agency since coming

to the U.S. In 1961 an Assistant to the DCI was contacted by a representative

of Parade magazine who had been informed by Dimitrov of his confinement

by the Agency. The Office of Security responded to the effect that this man

was disreputable, unreliable, and full of wild stories about CIA. As you

will note from the attached transcript of an 8 September interview on Good

Morning America, Mr. Dimitrov (now General Dimitrov and known as General

Donald A. Donaldson) apparently is alive and alleging that he knows who

ordered the assassination of President Kennedy.

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11a2

4. Based solely upon the soft file summary, and prior to reviewing

the official security file from which I extracted the additional details, it

appeared to me that the nature of the Agency's treatment of Dimitrov might

be something which should be brought to the attention of appropriate

officials both within and outside the Agency. The fact that he is still

active and is making allegations connected with the Kennedy assassination

may add yet another dimersion to this story.

Attachment

Anitatio - Interel to Cag

2

---

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d.

I. Soft File Summary

1. Title of File: Kelly

2.

Brief Biographic Data: Kelly's true name is

DIMITROV, a

29-year-old Bulgarian who was head of

a small political party based in Greece and

ostensibly working for Bulgarian independence.

3.

Nature of Relationship/Interest: It was learned

that French Intelligence Service was attempting

to bribe KELLY and make him a double agent and

Kelly appeared to be interested in the French offers.

Accordingly, a plan was made to have KELLY believe

that he was

going to be assassinated and for protec-

tion he was placed in custody of the Greek police

who then put him in prison.

KELLY was held in the

prison for six months until the Greek authorities

decided that KELLY was was a nuisance and they told

our people to take him back. He was then flown to

Panama where; through arrangement, he was placed in

a U. S. military hospital as a psychopathic patient.

According

to the 25 January 1952 memorandum, KELLY

had been in the hospital for several months

and the

hospital authorities want him out since he is causing

He is not a psychopathic personality.

Because of his confinement in a Greek prison and his

stay In a military nospital, Ktuby became very hostile

toward the United States and our intelligence opera-

tions in particular.

OPC was considering an "ARTICHOKE" approach to KELLY

to see if it would be possible to reorient KELLY

¿ February 1952 that some opposition had arisen in

the top level of OPC to the handling of the KELLY

case in the manner that had been proposed.

Since

this opposition had arisen, nothing would

be done

to the KELLY case.

4. Period of Relationship: No dates supplied

5. Indications of Drug Experimentation: None found

Co-optce Interest:

Not indicated

17087.

soariaras; linssillo) Dr.ffishert Ecko.

---

## Page 5

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II.

Office of Security File Summary - DIMITROV, Dimitre

Adamov (lyle 0. Kelly) (QKSTAIR) (SHAM/BGCONVOY)

#46165

1. Short Sunmary of Agency Interest/Use:

The file was opened in October 1950, when DIMITROV

was of operational interest to the Agency while

employed for Radio Athens in Greece.

Previously,

DIMITROV had fled from Bulgaria in

• July 1947. As

of October 1951, DIMITROV was in a hospital in

South America,

apparently under Agency

auspices.

In 1956 DIMITROV was brought to the United States,

apparently after returning to Athens from South

America,

and the Agency made no further operational

use of DIMITROV. In June 1960 DIMITROV [under case

#33259--Dimiter DIMITROFF ("Diko")] had contact

with the Contact Division outlining his background,

claiming financial difficulties, and requesting the

Agency back his plans for covert activity against

Bulgaria.

that circa i9s) he

The Agency apparently took no action in

During this contact DIMITROV claimed

that circa 1951 he was held in a hospital/cell in

Panama City.

2. Background Investigations: None:

3. Confirmation of ARTICHOKE/ BLUEBIRD/MKULTRA Interest:

4. Project Associates: None

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Office Memorandum • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

DATE: 25 JamiaTy 1952

TO

:

FROLd :

Filo

Morse Allen

SUBJECT: Kelly Case

On Friday, 25 January 1952, the writer was called to tha oifice

of Mr. Bannerman for tas purposa of a conference with one lix. Prichatt,

EE/OPC, corcerning the instant case.

Ir. Prichett explaired in substance the Kelly case as follows:

Kelly, (whose real nare is Dinitror), is a 29-year-old Bulgarlan and

was tha head of a shall political party based in Greece and ostansitaly

woriding for bulgarian indapendence. Kelly was described by Prickstt

as being young, anbitions, bright (elementary college education), a

sort of a "man-ox-a-horgs" type but a typical Balkan politician.

Ac-

cording to Prichatt, our people discovered that French Intelligence

Sarvice Wets attempting to bribe Kelly and mars him a double agent and

kelly was looking wits favor upon the french offers.

and as a "protaction", he was placed in custody of the Greek Police

who threw tally into a Greek prisca.

Kelly was held in tha Greek pri

son for sir nonths until the Gresk authorities dacided that Kelly wa

a nutsance and they tald our peopla to take him back, Since our

people were unabla to dispose of Kelly in Grace, they flex kin to

Panana whero, through arrangemast, ha was placed in a U.S. Military

Hospital as a psychopathic patient. Kelly now has been in tag U.S.

military hospital for several montes and tha hospital authorities now

want to get him out since ha is causing considerable trouble, bothering

other patients, atc.

Kelly is not a psychopathic personality.

Prichett explained that they can dispose of kelly by. tha simole

process of sending him to a friend of his in Caracas, Verezuela, and

as far as they are concerned, that type of disposal is perlectly ok.

However, because of his confirement in a Greet prison and his stay in

a military hospital, kelly has become very hostile toward the United

States and our intelligence operations in particular.

Hence, OFC is

considering an "Artichoke" approach to Kelly to see if it would be

possible to re-orient Kolly favorably toward us. This operation, scich

will necessarily involve the use of drags is being considered by OPC.

with a possibllity that Dr. Ecka and Mike Gladych will carry out the

operation presumably at the military hospital in Panamai. Also in-

volved in this would be a Bulgarian interpreter who is a consultant

to this Agency since neither Icke nor Gladych speak Bulgarian.

Mr. Bancarnan pointed ont to Prichatt that this type of operation

could only be carried out with the authorization of Security and that,

under no circunstances whatsoever, could anyone but an authorized M.D.

adninister drags to any subject of this Agancy of any type. Banzerman

pointed out that there was a strong possibility that the military

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## Page 7

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patch

authorities would not parmit their hospital to be used for/typa di work

nd also that a re-corditioning operation of this type night taka as

Jong as 30-60.

Banneman fuither poiniaz cat that um if cicia

oparation were carried on, Sacarity would haya to ba cognisant a it,

would have to be co-ordirated into the 'organisation and would possibly

taka ovar and ran tha operation themselves since this type of vors

It was agreed betsaen Prichect, Bannernas,- and the writer that a

conference would be laid on Morday alternoon when OPC reprasentativaa

and the Bulgarias interpreter retum fron Boston and their tale with

Mise Gladyco. At which time, the angles would be explored anò a d1s-

moor would be formarded to our peopla in Panana directing then to

fiod out whether the Army would parmit such an oparation ard whether

the Army would allow tha Agency to hare the use of the racessary roma,

Venesuela could in fact be laid on.

Commant:

This particular operation was mentioned in general terns to the

writer by ir. Waltar Driscoll approximately thirty days ago on an in-

formal basis but no significant details wers given at tois tine.

While the technique that Ecke and Gladych are considaring for uso

in this cass is not koown to the writer, the writer beliaves the approach

will be made through tha standard narco-hypnosis techniqua.

Re-conditioning

and re-orienting an individual in such a natter, in the opinion oi the

writer, cannot be accomplishad easily and will require a great deal of

tine and the & fact that an interpreter is necessary in the case co-

plicates it considerably more. It is also believed that with our preset i

knowledge, we sould have no absoluta guarantae that the subject in this

case would maintain a positive friendly attitude toward us even though

thare is apparently a successiul response to the treatmant. The writer

did not suggast to Prichett thai perhaps a total amnesia could ba created

by a series of electro shocks, but merely indicated that amnasias under

drug treatrents were not certain.

MORSE ALLEN

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Office Memorandum

• UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

TO

F1l3

FROM :

Morse Allen

SUBJECT:

Kelly Case

DATE: 7 February 1952

1. On Wednasday, 30 January 1952, at 9:30 AM, the writer called

Mr. Prichett relative the Kelly case.

Prichett stated that the OPC

official and intarpreter had made a trip to Boston and had seen Gladych.

Prichett stated that Gladych and the interpreter had reached complata

accord on the handling of the Kelly situation. Prichett then stased

that he was trying to arrange that the Kelly case could be linad up

that the kat

completely befora he set up conferences with I & SO relativa the trip

to Panana. Prichett pronised to call the writer at the end of the

week.

2

2. On/February 1952, at 12:15 AM, Prichett called tha writer

relative the Kelly case-

Prichett stated that in OPC at the top level,

sone opposition had arisen to the handling of the felly case in the

manner that had baen proposed. Prichatt stated that since this opposition

of the higher-ups had arisen, nothing would be done relative the Kelly

cass.

Prichett stated that he would call immediately upon any new

developments along these lines. The writer informed Prichett tbat

I & SO would be glad to consider the matter and would wait until it

was brought up again and would avait his call relative any new de-

velopments.

HORSE ALLEN.

---

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RADIO TV. REPORTS, INC.

$32.35

4,435 WISCONSIN AVENUE, N.W., IVASHINGTON, D.C. 26016 245555:

•FOR

PUBLIC AFFAIRS STAFF

PROGRAM.

Good Morning, Amarica

STATION

WULA TY

ABC Network

Washington, B. G.

DATE

September 8, 1977: 7:00 AM

cmy

SUBJECT

An Interview with Villam Altmans

SANDY HILL: Earlier this morning, -ve talked. with Villam

(?) Altmans:.:He is a Dutch journalist.

And we talked to him

about the assassination of President Kennedy.: And Mr. Altmans

has told us that earller this week, he turned over to the l. S

government the name of the source who he claims can tell tha full,

the true story of a conspiracy in the assassination:

dell, this

поглівд,

Mr.

Altmans Is going to tell us the nans that he

fold

the goverment:

*

HILL: " VIllam Altmans 15 a Dutch journalist who has

spent "more than ten years looking Into the assassination of

President Kennedy-

He has been on this program twice before,

first:to tell us

about..hls source George deitorenschlld (?),

who elther committed

suicide or was killed just before testifying

on the.assassination... Mr. Altmans

says he now has a new potential

witness,

and he feels this witness

can expose

the existence and

the detalls of the conspiracy to kill President Kennedy-

•A letter. to Mr. Altmans

-~ it was

dated July 8th of this

year and signed by the deputy chlef counsal of the House Committee

of Assassinations, Robert Tenenbaum - says, In part, "li you

" are Interested in seeking the truth, and ! belleve you are, then

• It seems

to me that you have no option but to supply the committee

with the identity of your new witness."

Well, this week Mr. Altmans did give the name to the

committee and

50 the Justice departmant.

This morning he is here

with

me and

with ABC correspondent Bob

Clark, who covered the

Harren Commission Investigation.

---

## Page 10

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-2-

Mr. Altmans, what name did you turn over to the committea?

Who Is your source?

VILLAM ALTMANS: My new source is General Donald a. Donaldso

whose name l handed to the Justice Department, as weii

as TO The

Seleci Committee on Assassinations two days ago. He is originally

a Bulgarlan, called Deko Demetroit (?), who came lo this country

at the end of the Second world War and was named by President

Roosevelt, by presidential decree, a general of the United Stares

of America.

was given

an American name and he was mado a citi

zen of

the Unlted

States of America at that tima.

Shortly afterwards, President Roosevelt used Genaral

Demetroff for:secret missions into the Balkan area. And President

Truman also made use of General Demetroff's sarvice:

HILL:.: What. doas ho know?

• ALTMANS:

General

Dematroff. clalms,

among other. things

in a letter that he sent in September of

175 to the committee

oi senator frank. Church,

that he knows the name of the man who

ordared the. assassination of John r. Kennedy.

HILL:

How does he know this?

ALTMANS:

That Is what i think the authorities in

Washington.should. find out. For that purpose, l have givan,

as

full as possible,

all information to both the justice Depariment,

the representative of Mr. Griffin Bell, Robert Keach, and to the

Select Committea: on Assassinatlons of Congress.

•I have given

alt

the information I could gather. over the past years. And i tink

the proper way

nOW

¡Isito: leave It to the authoritles to determine

furthar details.

1t's -not my job.

BOB CLARK:: And you have talked at length with General

Donaldson:

ALTMANS:. Oh, yes:

• CLARK: Has he revealed the name of the man he regards

as the assassin,

the man who directed the assassination, to you?

ALTMANS: I understand your question, Bob.

I would like

not to answer that, because l don't want to endanger myself any

further than

I am already.

As a matter of fact, i called the

press conference. a press conference

a week

ago,

and

an golng

through this procedure in order to pull myself out of this naiter

and leave It to the American authoritles.

I did the same thing with the former witness, George

Delorenschlld.

I pulled out at

a certain moment when I was satis-

fled

with

the Information.

I handed It to the select Conniftee and

---

## Page 11

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-3-

withdrew.

Now he was killed.

I do my best to see thai this man

doesn't get killed or. kills himself before he can corroborate my

statement

CLARK:

'Are you concerned that by revealing his name to

day you may be endangering his life?

ALTMANS:.

i could

Imagine that that is the case.. But

here you have to make.

•a cholce.

Where. Is the obligation of a

journalist?: Where

Is the obligation of a journalist, if he Is

satisfied

that. this Information

serious

enough to

be rovealed

to. the

proper authoritles

in the middle of an Investigation of

who killed John: F. Kennedy?

•I have to make a cholce. :!

put the

choice up to the General last

Saturday, even this past Saturday

in the Heathrow AIrport, London, Holiday Inn. .1 put the choice

still before this

General Donaldson and sald plaase come forth

on Dutch television and tell the story yoursalf; I don't want to

tell It; you have to tell it.

And he refused.

He threatened

to shoot me lf.! went any further In my revelations..

passed

all this Information

on tape to the justice Department.

CLARK: "One thing that I find confusing.

The General

talks. inhis letter: to the Church Committea

about knowing who

gave the direction to assassinate President Kennedy.

ALTMANSE Who gave the order, he

says.

CLẠRK: Gave tha order:

Is he talking. about the period

of 1962 when he. mat with Kennedy?

ALTMANS:: Exactly: Exactly.

CLARK:

So heis not saying that he knows the man sha

gave the order in 1963 to commit the assassination.

ALTMANS:: That, according to the General, Is the same

__ the

same

w..Darcon...111 the sama aroup There

.¿s no differenco

between 162 and

!63: As a matter of fact, he maintains that pre-

sident Kennedy was.

first warned of an assassination plot against

him by Soviet intelligence,

he claims that he was called In by

John. F.

Kennedy to the White House because they knew each other,

like he also had known President Truman and President Roosevelt,

ex-President Roosevelt. He was

called in by John F. Kennedy to

the White House and he was told by President Kennedy that he knew :

that an assassination plot

was discovered against the life of Pre-

sident Kennedy. And President Kennedy asked General Demetroff

to assist- In the investigation to unravel this, to take counter-

measures against this plot. And of course they falled.

HILL: Mr. Altmans,

we would obviously like to continue

this discussion with you further....

ALTMANS: Yes, ma'am.

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## Page 12

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-4-

.HILL.:

But right now we're going to stop for a couple

of commercial messages.

JOHN LINDSAY: Well, there'll be more of sandy and Bab

Clark's talk with Mr. Altmans in our next half-hour. Befora

we went on

the air, ABC News contacted Senator Frank Church.

And he said

that he did not recall

receiving General Donaldsonis

letter and he

does not, In fact, even know General

Donaldson.

And we'll be back right after these messages. and sama news-

HILL:

Altmans

In our last half hour, we were talking with villa

= he'ls

a Dutch journalist -- about the Kennedy assassina-

+Ion.

And he says that he now has a new witness who patentially

can answer a lot.of questions about the Kennedy assassinatione

give spectfic detalls about. it.

•You say, Mr. Altmans, that this man is a General Donaldsan,

that. he sent a

letter to Senator Frank Church In September of

1975.

•NOS

what happenad with that letter? And what all did it

entall?:

ALTMANS:

Well,

as you

know,

he offered to testify for

the Church .Committea.on

his knowledga of who ordered the assassina-

tion of John F.. Kennedy.

And of course, It is quite surprising

that

according

to. General Donaldson, he

was received by President

Ford: In the White House In February, 1976 and discussed

at length

the assassination with

former President Ford.

And this is

important.

He Is so emphatic about. it that I think it is important enough infor

mation

to be Investigated by the Select Committee on Assassinations-

HILL:

But what happened at that time when he sent the

letter?

..

ALTMANS: He sald - he says that President Ford, Senator

Church and

he cama to an agreement

not to bring up this information

that he had. at that time.I guess that he - and he put so many

conditions to the release of this Information that President Ford

and Mr. Church

found It

unacceptable.

HILL:

Mr. Altmans, this morning, Bob. and I had an

opportunity to see this

letter as well.

ALTMANS: The letter was on the screen, yes.

HILL: But we read through it.

seemed rambllng-..e

ALTMANS: It's absolutely true. Absolutely.

i find the

same thing as you do.

HILL: Don't vou belleve that that was substantive reason

---

## Page 13

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-5-

then perhaps for them to question and to put li back on the back

burner, to doubt his crediblllty and tiho he was and ina? ha

belleved?:

ALTMANS:

completely agree with you

But shen fi

Is true that the

letter. was - the letter was written in Septem-

ber; the meeting.

with Ford was in February. That is maybe the

perlod they used. to check this man's credibility and identity,

etcetera, etcetera. But when it is true that he did meat with

former President Ford and the fact that l'm revealing that now

upsat him last Saturday so tremendously in the Hollday inn in

London Heathrow. Airport that ne

went as far as to say if

would violate the breach of confidence between him personally

and President

on

this:information to the Justice Department two days ago and

stormer on chout sho

Ford, he would shoot me [sic]. So I have passed

sald the

man Is threatening me now because l'm revealing the

information he had.

CLARK:

• One point I think we need to make strongly -

the General

is talking about things that he and President Kennedy

discussed

• In 1962-

ALTMANS: Presumably...

CLARK: After the assassination, Bobby Kennedy continued

as: Attorney General for a year.

Presumably he would have had all

of this.information...Ha would have had the name too. If this is

true?

why, In your view, did Bobby Xennady never pursue It?

ALTMANS: Well, that is the great question mark= why

the Kennedy family doesn't

say a

word.

According to General.

Donaldson, the Kennedy family is

In the possession of the top

secret report, on the Kennedy assassination.

According to General

Donaldson, both

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Theodare Sorensen

are

in

the possession

of

this document.

: CLARK:

'64. "Presumably....

ALTMANS: Exactly.

•But l belleve that document goas back to 1963 or

CLARK: ... Bobby Kennedy was

aware of that dacument too.

ALTMANS:

Maybe. And that's why I think If a man with

this posture, with his career, with this having been sent on

secret missions by President Roosevelt

and by President Trunan,

• etcetera,

Is recelved by Kennedy, had this information, l think

.

at this. day and

age, in this moment.of

history, this Select Com-

mittee on Assassinations should investigate this informalon, should

call this man to

testify In Washington also, although l'm extremely

scared that when I told the committee to investigate delorenschild,

he was dead the

same day that they invited him.

And

I'm nait ax-

---

## Page 14

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-6-

tremely worrled once more that anything might happen to General

Donaldson.

HILL:

Mr. Altmans, you had told us specifically abcui

some forces that the General talked to you aboui.

ALTMANS: -

Yes.

HILL:

And that is, forces who not only killed Kennedy,

but who Intimidated Presidents Ford and Carter, apparently Vice.

President Rockefeller as

well; that they, in fact, were involved

In what you feel Is the killing of George delorenschild, and also

the son of Aristotle Onassis.

...

Now who are these forces?

ALTMANS: Madame Sandra, I am just as alarmed and

Incredulous about all this as you.

All l'm doing is reporting

the information. I got to the Justice Department and to the select.

Committee... And'& hope the authorities In the United States are

quallfled

to estimate [sic] this Information, will take over.

That's

all l'm doing.

HILL::

Is there any reason for you to bellere that

the ClA is in any way related with these forces?

ALTMANS:

That is what General Donaldson Implied and

said stralght.::Very, very much 50.

It is a group within the

ClA. It's in the letter to Senator Church, too; that he writes

thIs group within the ClA should be -- should be exposed..

He

belleves 5o.

so,. therefore, let the authorities take over this man

before he gets killed or kills himself in an obscure way.

HILL:

Mr. Altmans; thank you very much.

---