SUBJECT: WIROGUE/1
Agency: CIA
Originator: CIA
From: DC/OPS
To: DC/AF
Document date: 03/14/1975
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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104-10182-10059

Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination

Records Collection Act of 1,992

(44 USC 2107 Note)

INTEL

NW 53295 6/15/17

USE OMLY

CONFIDEI AL

ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET

UNCLASSIFIED

SUBJECT. (Ophonoli

FROM:

John H.

DC/AF

3C2019

Stein

TO: (Officer designalian, room number, and

SECRET

pATE

9141

INITIALS

RICIMO

Dare

14 March 1975

OMMENTS (Number soch commens to show tam whe

to whom

an a lino acrosa colum aftor each commen

DC/OPS

3.

man 119.

RoGues pitch in

to clesé

tr

be

rats dit

as "axcer liage instruelson!"

7.

8.

Retum to WIROfUE

fil. -

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

610 SEOUS LI SECRET

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-__1. -__

CONFIDENTIAL

USTE ONLY

D UNCLASSIFIED

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104-10182-10059

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1675-946,5

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

SUBJECT: WIROGUE/l Mission to Kinshasa, December 1960

On 13 March 1975 a search of available documents was

made to determine the reason for the comment in paragraph 2

of a 17. December 1960 cable from Leopoldville indicating

hat WIROGUE/l had attempted to recruit a European to be :

member of "an execution sauad.'

The research did not clarify

this matter to any great extent, although some assumptions

can be made on the basis of circumstantial evidence.

WIROGUE/1 was an ethnic Georgian recruited

and trained

for the old REDSOSe program.

Although born in the

Union, he moved to lestern Europe when two years old.

fought in the French Foreign Legion, and as of 1960 was

essentially stateless.

Involved peripherally with the French

Resistance, he was

sentenced to death by the Germans but

liberated by the U.S. Army in 1945 and returned

to Paris.

By 1950 he had managed to rob a Paris bank of a sizcable

sum of money for good behavior.

receive a prison sentence and be released five

He was brought to the United

one of two agents for Project

He spoke native French

and fluent Georgian,

German and English.

By 1960 the Agency was

involved in a reasonably major

effort to resettle WIROGUE/1, possibly in Mexico,

mission for which he had been brought to the United States

had been canceled.

WIROGUE/l's file indicates that as of

30 August steps were being taken to rescttle him in Mexico.

on 19 September 1960 two members of Africa Division

him to discuss "an operational assignment in Africa

Division."

ained in demolitions sm as arms and medical

WIROGUE/1

Plans to resettle him in Mexico were can-

sales. He bes her idea can to deopold ne stated that

E2 IMPDET

CL BY 018307

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104-10182-10059

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WIROGUE/1 was being prepared for deep cover assignment to

arrive Leopoldville late November.

Headquarters noted fle

intent to use him as utility agent in order to"(a) organize

and conduct a surveillance team; (b) intercept packages;

(c) blow up bridges; and (d) execute other assignments

call her dear inton at un Felt poes to.

Allis utilization is not to be

Indeed, he may be subject to

him to be resident in Leopoldville."

In this cable WIROGUE/1

was described correctly as an inventor, photographer, archi-

tect, forger and former bank robber.

He was judged to be

i.. Singenuous, observant, shrewd, glib and one who relished

intrigue and daring.

assessed as able to

ganset. "ad che vast the united states ouare the pl

Is he was in the United States black, the plan

was for him to depart black,

documented as an Austrian,

to surface in West Germany

and from there to proceed on

Leopoldville.

In November 1960 "to prevent his

identification with the U.S. Government or BKHERALD and to

preclude any unexpected recovery

associate him with his pre-BHERALD lifepast which would

WIROGUE/1 under-

went plastic surgery to change the shape of his nose.

was provided a toupee for constant wear and documented as

an Austrian who had never been to the United States.

for his presence in Leopoldville was to be as shopkeeper,

possibly that of a photographer.

A rather lengthy assess-

ment of his character can be summed up by saying he was

able to rationalize

any action

if he had

strong case offi-

Training records for WIROGUE/1, subsequent

to his engagement by the Africa Division, indicate training

only in SW.

WIROGUE/1 arrived in Leopoldville on 2 December 1960.

His case öfficer gave him the following instructions:

to build cover possibly by opening a photographic shop; and

(b) to try to spot persons for a surveillance team, intel

assets, particularly in Oriental province, and para-military

Almost immediately upon arrival he ran into JWINE

station that WIROGUE/1 looked like an intel-

ligence agent.

In attempting to recruit QJWING for his

"execution squad", WIROGUE/1 exceeded his instructions to

avoid making approaches without

checking with Leopoldville

2

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In January 1961 Leopoldville asked for authority to

perait KIROGUE/1 to take flying

lessons so that the station

plane could be used for clandestine missions (the plane was

registered in YQCLAM/1's name).

Station acknowledged dis-

aurantage of crossing WIROGUE/1 and YOCLAM/1 operations

(YOCL1M/1 was never involved in any assassination schemes.

Headquarters approved flying lessons.

By March 1961 WIROGUE/1

hau obtained the position

of adviser to the Congolese Air

Force with the rank of Major and was almost immediately used

for the purpose of gathering intelligence on the Congolese

Air Force.

By April 1961 the Congolese were attempting use

himobtain arms and instructors in Western Europe.

April 1961 WIROGUE/1 was teaching the Congolese to fly

aircraft, although he himself had learned only several

months earlier and was reading navigation manuals at night

to stay ahead of his class.

In July 1961 WIROGUE/1 departed

Leopoldville because he had run into difficulty obtaining

a residence permit.

He was terminated in September 1961.

of his activity in August 1961,

Leopoldville

Station said WIROGUE/1 knew very little about station activ-

It is the writer's opinion that WIROGUE/1 was recruited

for his Congo assignment because of his third country national

background in order to establish a support mechanism in

Leopoldville.

At the time the Congo was in chaos, BKHERALD

had few assets and there was some likelihood that

the polit-

ical situation would degenerate quickly.

The Station possibly

also hanted to have a latent para-military capability and

NIROGUE/l's background and previous training for the REDSOM

program made him a suitable candidate. This is, of course,

Perhaps pertinent is an October 1964

WIROGUE/1 who had been turned over to HARVARD for resettling

Resettling him had turned out to be an

The October 1964 cable notes that WIROGUE/1 had

an intense desire for intelligence service and enjoyed the

role of lower echelon action agent.

Although he threatened

to go to work for the French les, it was not believed that he thoust le

hineset would be accepted.

The assessment indicated there

was little flap potential with WIROGUE/l since he knew little

3

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most of his time

Irvins is develer contacts and was not

directly involved in any articular operacion.

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