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104-10326-1001:

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

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MHFNO: 98-0748996

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PAGE :

SECRET

'FRP:-

STAFF

ACTION: CE/WUMB (276) INFO: CE/LGL, CEDORECORD, DC/CE,

DCCE/OPS, LIMITED,

MDSX, ODPD, ORMS/CE, PCS/CAB, FILE, C/PCS, CE/W, CED/CIC (4/W)

98. 074.8996

ASR

TOR:

PAGE 001

061335Z MAR 98

IN 0748996

MNSK 17622

SECRET 061332Z MAR 98 STAFF

CITE MINSK 17622

TO: DIRECTOR.

FOR:

DC/CE, CE/LGL

LIMIT DISSEM CE/WUMB INFO CE/W, CED/CIC, PCS/CAB, DCCE/OPS,

SLUGS :

WNINTEL JYVAPOROUS

* SUBJECT:

BKGB ACCESS SUPPORT TO USG<ASSASSINATION>RECORD REVIEW

BOARD

REF: NONE.

TEXT:

1.

ACTION REQUIRED: PLEASE SEE BELOW; TRACES ON SUBJS IN PARA

; GUIDANCE ON ARRB-BKGB ACCESS REQUEST.

ON MORNING 6 MAR 98 POLECON OFFICER AND DCM MET WITH COS TO

HIM TO POSSIBLE NEED FOR STATION SUPPORT TO FACILITATE FUTURE

MEETING (S) WITH BKGB BY EMBASSY OR OTHER USG PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN

*FOLLOWUP INQUERIES ON BEHALF OF USG'S<ASSASSINATION>RECORD REVIEW

BOARD (ARRB). ARRB IS CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED AND FUNDED BODY

*LOOKING AT ALL DOCUMENTS RELATED TO<ASSASSINATION>OF PRESIDENT<JOHN>

*F. «KENNEDY.> OF INTEREST IN MINSK ARE RECORDS HELD BY THE BKGB

*RELATED TO<LEE HARVEY OSWALD>AND THE TIME HE SPENT HERE.

APPARENTLY WANTS COPIES OF ALL THESE BKGB RECORDS TO MAKE THEM

AVAILABLE FOR SCHOLARLY REVIEW AND RESEARCH PURPOSES.

PER POLECON OFFICER, THE ARRB CHAIRMAN (A RESPECTED RETIRED

FEDERAL JUDGE.)HAD, REPORTEDLY MADE INQUERIES HERE IN OCTOBER 1996, AT

HICH TIMESTATION HAD, WITH HQS CONCURRENCE, FACILITATED BKGE

MEETINGS (BUTLSTATION WAS APPARENTLY DIRECTED BY HQS TO AVOID ALL

OTHER INVOLVEMENT). BKGB TOOK REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE DOCUMENTS

UNDER REVIEW, BUT NO DOCUMENTS WERE EVER PROVIDED.

WHEN PRESSED,

BKGB SAID THEY WOULD ANSWER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, BUT THEIR "PRIVACY

LAWS" WOULD NOT LET THEM RELEASE RECORDS WHICH RELATE TO LIVING

BELARUSSIANS (PER POLECON, THIS SPEFICALLY INCLUDED OSWALD'S FORMER

WIFE, MARINA) .

ARRB PRESENTED LENGTHY LIST OF DETAILED, LEGALISTIC,

(WHAT POLECON OFFICER, HERSELF A LAWYER, DESCRIBED AS) ONEROUS

BKGB NEVER RESPONDED.

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4.

EMBASSY UNDERSTOOD THAT LEGISLATIVE MANDATE FOR ARRB HAD

EXPIRED IN FALL 1997, SO DID NOT FOLLOWUP FURTHER.

HOWEVER, MANDATE

WAS APPARENTLY EXTENDED TO FALL 1998, AND ARRB'S INTEREST IN BKGB

INFORMATION HAS BEEN REACTIVATED.

ARRB TEAM MAY WISH TO COME TO

MINSK TO TRY AGAIN TO OBTAIN THESE RECORDS FROM BKGB, OR AT LEAST GET

EMBASSY TO REVITALIZE EFFORTS TO DO SO.

FOR THE RECORD< (AND HOS TRACES)',

, AT THE TIME OF THE ARRB'S

OCT 1996 MEETINGS WITH BKGB, ARRB MET PRINCIPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING

BKGB OFFICIALS:

-- ALEKSANDR ((VERAS) ), HEAD OF SECTION (NFI)

-- LEV ( (PIMENAU) ), HEAD OF SECTION (NFI)

-- ALEKSANDR ((ABLAMEIKA)), PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPT.

AT SOME POINT DURING MEETINGS THEY WERE JOINED BY :

-- GENNADIY ( (NARKEVICH) ) (PHONETIC), A DEPUTY

CHAIRMAN, BKGB.

(THIS IS ALMOST CERTAINLY

IDEN.)

REQUEST HQS TRACES ON FOUR BKGB OFFICERS ABOVE .

COMPLICATING ALL THIS IS FACT THAT AT SOME POINT, AUTHOR

NORMAN MAILER (APPARENTLY WITH EMBASSY ACCESS ASSISTANCE) WAS GIVEN

ACCESS TO. (SOME/ALL? OF) THE BKGB'S OSWALD RECORDS, WHICH MAILER

REFERS TO EXTENSIVELY IN HIS BOOK "OSWALD'S_TALE: AN AMERICAN

MYSTERY," PUBLISHED-IN 1995.

CAFTER THE FACT,

PER_POLECON_OFFICER,

BKGB REALIZED THAT MAILER MADE SUBSTANTIAL PROFITS FROM THIS BOOK,

AND THAT THE BKGB. HAD GOTTEN NOTHING FOR PROVIDING ACCESS-TO-THEIR /

RECORDS, THUS THEY REPORTEDLY FELT

_ THEY HAD BEEN CHEATED:

BALL IS NOW IN STATE'S COURT, BUT THEY AND EMBASSY EXPECT

THAT_REQUEST WILL BE FORTHCOMING FROM ARRB IN NEAR FUTURE, AND THENCE

TO STATION, IO FACILITATE MEETINGS WITH BKGB ON THIS MATTER. TO BE

BIT AHEAD OF THE CURVE, REQUEST HOS GUIDANCE AND AUTHORIZATION AS

APPROPRIATE.

8.

FILE: 227-002-001; 201-1482358.

1:5 (C) : CL.BY: 0702653. DRV HUM 4-82.

DECL ON: X1. CL REASON:

END OF MESSAGE

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