REVIEW OF AGENCY HOLDINGS REGARDING PHOTOGRAPH OF UNIDENTIFIED INDIVIDUAL IN MEXICO CITY PUBLISHED BY THE WARREN COMMISSION.
Agency: CIA
Originator: CIA
From: ROCCA, RAYMOND G./CIA
To: DC/OPERATIONS STAFF/CIA
Document date: 5/2/75
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

1104-10087-10165]

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2 May 1975

MEMORAND

SUBJE

REFERENCE

бериня

Chief, Operations Staff

Review of Agency Holdings regarding

Photograph of Unidentified Individual

in

Mexico City published by the

Warren Commission

Letter dated 15 April 1975 by

Mr. David w.

Belin, Executive Director

of the Commission on CIA Activities

within the United States, to

Mr. E. Henry Knoche (copy

attached to

accompanying report

This is further to,

and in completion of, my

interim memorandum of

few weeks ago.

2.

The attac

chronological

ary - of our

have a beari

Mexico Citr

Unidenti

station

Indi

tion

analytio

is a detailed review in narr

together with appropriate

ve

holdings on the OSWALD

atter of photographs

• 4) and (5 October

As a consequenc

rror, misjudgement

ive,

ot-

lat

stres

lan

men

the

lop-

tigation of the asa

croppe

ve

of

one of

Unidentifi

the photog

Individual was

introduced

evidence in

the OSWALD case on 23 November

Che

chain of

1963 by an

FBI representative in Dallas.

The successive vicissi-

tudes which have now made this event a cause celebre

right down to the present moment are detailed in the

narrative.

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3.

ed report is not intended to be an

answer to the

asterwald/O'Toole article which Mr. Belin

attaches to

Themorandum.

(I have prepared a paragraph-

by-paragre

which

Rites

refutation and comment on that article,

ore appropriately handled by a

rate

Mr. Belin, and I will prepare this

a

that is desired.)

int of the referenced memorandum is

should be given now to "whether or

entire matter can be fully

submission

disclosed at this ti

Sche

Th 1

is designed to make it possible

IG and others whom you may desire to consul

decision.

The narrative-interpretive sur

put together in such a way that it disclo

nyms.

pseudonyms or other CIA jargon.

However.

nts do

well beyond what has been released to the publig

thus far

in the Warren Commission documentation.

This point must

be borne in mind in making a decision on Mr.

Belin's

question.

To remove any question in anybody's mind about

our good

faith in this matter, the narrative is backed up

by copies of actual documentation from our files.

It

seems to me necessary,

in reply to Mr. Belin, that he or

his representative review the documentation that backs up

the narrative.

The documentation has not been keyed into

the narrative presentation, but it follows the chronologi-

cal order of presentation from 9 October into the latest

developments in the

matter,

and there is an overall index

to facilitate refe

ence to individual items.

• INB:

There

is only one

cop

this collection; this is it.]

one of the photographs taken

Mexico City

ogtaber 1963 was introduced

public record.

However, it was

duced into

cord in two cropped versions.

and its staff were made fully aw

eir inquiry at Headquarters an

the origins of the photograph

ha@additional photographs of the

at different times in Mexico City an

of full knowledge of these facts reached&

clusions regarding the irrelevance of the

OSWALD and the assassination.

In fact,

we actually hold twelve different photo-

graphs of the Unidentified Individual.

Each of these are?

reproduced in the collected documentation backing up the

narrative report (see Items 25 - 27). Chief, LA Division,

2

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Not doni:

6110/15

disinged thing

paste

51,0175

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had indicated

objection for

these photo

Mr. Fenste

twelve

in

h

dur

togra

Darre

s pub

Mr

writing to Chief, CIOPS, that he has no

Belin to do whatever is desired

with

at this time.

It should be noted that

1971 - 1972 was actually shown, by

visit to the Agency, two of the

other than the one already puklished

omission report.

(It is these

that

in The New York Review of Boo

ticle

sen attaches to his memorandum.

seems to me that whoever maker

on

whether the entire matter can be fully

at

this

time should bear in mind that a subid

gon

must

also be made, i.e., whether to cres

fuzz up

the background of

the photographs

publish the entire run of the photograp

tively, to

for the first

time without taking out the background.

Obviously, none

of these questions apply to the passage of this material

to Mr. Belin and the Rockefeller Commission itself.

I

think they should see the entire documentation as it

stands.

Perhaps after that, the question of what could

be discussed and the question of "how?"

and "how much?"

could be taken up with Mr. Belin himself.

My personal

recommendation is that the more

we can

say about this

matter in a ful

open

and final manner, the better

we will be

as

agency.

But

it is my understanding

that there

111

sensitive aspects deriving fro

fact that

tion which produced the photog&aphs

was jointly

4) Mexican liaison and as

publicatton

at

time would create additional

prob

at that

the

evel

Mexico.

Also, it should be

noted

Ambassador

J.CA

according to Win Scott's

andu

L Rg

2 November 1963 (see Item

he

degumenta

allegedly played a direl

ded

Sio

put the photographs into the

the

FBI

in Dalla

laterally from the Field.

As far

know,

there has not been anything published about this aspect

at any time in the past nor have we had any discussions

with the State Department about that aspect of the matter.

Raymond G. Rocca

Attachments:

as stated

3

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2 May 1975

SUBJECT

The Photo of

Commissi

REFERENCE: Memor

identified Individual

in the Warren

A Factual Chronological Survey

W. Belin to Mr. E. Harry Knoche,

Coachment A)

norandum suggests it would be app

reconsider ful

disclosure at this time of the

ci

aymarances

data

relative to the Subject. The purpose

realistic evaluation of the suggestion.

PROHIB

actual

to permit a

Background

2. This examination and summary of the record concerns a cropped

photograph considered by the President's Commission on the Assassination

of President Kennedy (hereinafter cited as the Warren Commissi,

introduced into evidence as Odum Exhibit No. 1.

1

(together with others of the same individual) originate

The enora.

1

of President Kennedy (hereinafter cited as Hearings)

Assassination

XX, p.

691.

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sensitive

inte

CIA and Me

Embass

operation being conducted in October 1963 by the

authorities against the Soviet and Cuban

the

extraordinary press of effort to

mation

on

the

assin and the assassination, copies of

made available by CIA's Mexico Station. Chief

22 November to the local FBI representative

day,

assertedly on the decision of the Ambassador, copi

were conveyed by

an FBI representative by a special flight carried out by the U.S. Naval

Attache to the Dallas office of the FBI for possible use in the ongoing

investigation. One photograph, cropped by the FBI, was shown

to

Mrs. Marguerite OSWALD

3 Parvey OSWALD's mother) in Dallas

on the

evening of 23 Novembe

1963

FBI Agent Bardwell D. ODUM.

4.

The

• Wi

at pp. 364-

report describes the sequence of events

tachment B) which ultimately resulted in

Mrs. Marg

allegation that she had been shown a cropped

photo of Jack RUBY the day before he murdered her son.

(A fur

ser

complication compounding this erroneous conclusion

was

hat

when she had been shown a copy of the same photograpt

before the Commission, it had been cropped by th

rance

Non

in

a slightly different manner.)

We

5. No detail in the Warren Commission report

ustrates more

vividly than this one the difficulties that beset simple truth in the

2

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politicized, ri

nurtured

by

tion.

preo

hype

double in

terministic interpretive climate that has been

ver the past decade about the Kennedy Assassina-

acknowledged now. not to be RUBY, has contiqued to

ts"

and has

become the centerpiece

of another

lolds OSWALD to have been "framed" by

th

activity in Mexico City.?

Lee Harvey OSWALD - Reporting on Mexico City Stay

6. Although in no way related to Lee Harvey OSWALD or his stay in

Mexico City from the morning of 27 September 1963 to the morning of

2 October 1963, at least one set of photographs of the unidentified man

originated during

OSWALD's stay there. It is important, therefore, to

an understanding

the

acquisition and handling of the photographs by

the Mexico Stat

to

¡ew what the Station ascertained and did with

the informa

oped

about OSWALD in Mexico City, together

with

Headquart

that information.

credible evidence known to this time (no

Lacid

21

added

since

exhaustively unique work of the Warre

Lee Harvey OSWALD spent four (4) full days and t

about 116 hours in all--in Mexico City from about

00:00

September

У,

2 This is the thrust of the article "The CIA and the Man Who Was Not

Oswald" by Bernard Fensterwald and George O'Toole in the New York Review

of Books, a copy of which is

attached to reference (Attachment A).

3

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1963 to about

8:30

a.m.

2 October 1963. His place of residence

small commercial tr

hotel, not frequented by "gringos"

Hotel Commerci

he

was registered under alias.

detailed i

nterrogation by the Mexica

the FB

all

ssination, established th

he left early and returned

late

ection

of

of his stay.

8.

Assuming, and allowing for the fact of late arrival and early.

departure, that he slept one-third of the time of his stay (38 or 39

hours), there remain some 78 hours of activity to be accounted for.

Overall, CIA's information can account solely for very brief periods

during 27, 28 September and 1. October. All coverage by CIA during the

entire period was technical. The Station had no live source (living

agent) coverage either unilateral or from Mexican liaison.

9. It should be

gation." None of

that OSWALD was in no sense: "under investi-

of his defection and stay in the

US

return to the

2, were known to Mexico Stati

before 10

the bare bones of his biog

forwarde

8 Octol

a contact by

in response to a Station

Forwarded, on a routine bask

what

an American for a visa to Cuba in transi&@althe USSR.

to be

This

was indicated

and deduced from

technically acquired information

on

1 October, which was the first and only occasion in which OSWALD

identified himself (partially) by true name.

4

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10. At no

a photo of

guring his stay in Mexico City did the CIA acquire

areful. review of all coverage, voice

Cgept,

as well

of both the Soviet and Cuban Emt

as

cord

ion on 22 and 23 November

1963

na-

that ther

to materials from August 1963.

no CIA photo coverage of OSWALD

Mexico trip or stay in Mexico City. Moreover,

, firm

guring his

had made a

cabled request on 15 October, the Mexico Station had

no photo of OSWALD

in its records, nor did it receive one from Headquarters--which did not

have one either--before 22 November 1963.

11. Buriag this intensive review of voice intercept transcripts

by the monitor and other personnel on the basis of the l October inter-

cept--which had been

ported to Headquarters and disseminated to the

interested membe

he

intelligence community (as an ex-Marine OSWALD

was a Navy anc

of interes

the Delimitations Agreement, and

tment of State) --turned up matches

potentially

content

intercepted on 27 and 28 Septembe

matches

deported to Headquarters on 23 November

based on voice

comparison (except for what could

monitor--and this was not an insignificant elonge

memorably poor Russian spoke by OSWALD) could not be

the

the

because the

tapes, in accordance with the normal practice, had been erased and re-used.

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12 It must

coverage was

gsed that the voice intercept and photographic

is not) processed

in "real

time." The

means

of

but

ordinary

the volume of the information precludes anything

of items judged

by the monitor to be of more

interest and, therefore, noted in summary logs. Full

of

selected items require consultation of the tape and either

scription or full translation or both. Photo coverage

available in quantity lots which requires scanning

rapid

and accelerated basis in four or five day "peaks.

the

"triggers" that normally operates to focus and"

accelerate more speedy

review and reporting of this kind of raw intelligence is the mention of

a name. This was precisely what occurred in the second of two conversa-

tions on 1 October with the Soviet Embassy, during which the speaker said

he was "Lee OSWALD." It was this information reported by the Station to.

Headquarters in its first indication on OSWALD on 8 October 1963.

13. The Mex

ation did one more thing in its 8 October report

on Lee OSWALD

October voice intercepts:

it cou

data with

normation it had acquired from a se

collater

sour

Americ

a photograph of a male individual,

observed entering the Soviet Embas

The Station reported this detail on the 8th as

scident

fact. The Station did not assert or suggest that

the

seduced from

the photo was in

fact OSWALD, or indeed, was in any way related to OSWALD.

6

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Lee Harvey OSWALD - CIA Coverage of His Mexico City Stay

14. One addit

mal element of

background must be stipula

ow. as

the final preco

to understanding the relevance (or

levance)

of the phot

on individual placed in the

on

23

by FBI Agent Bardwell

tot

co's coverage of OSWALD'S Be

Mty

Off the after-

when all available coverage had been

checked?

15.

The totality of Mexico Station coverage on, or reasonably

inferable to be OSWALD, consisted of five (5) voice intercepts as follows:

a. 27 September 1963 Friday, 1605 hours Mexico City time.

Silvia DURAN, a Mexican national, a local employee of the Cuban

Embassy, Consular section, a receptionist, speaks with an unknown

male at the Soviet Embassy. Silvia DURAN tells the man that the

American citizen was there, the one who wants a visa for Cuba on

his way to the

So

talking there

Union, and he wants to know with whom he

ause she (Silvia DURAN) had

sent him to

ret

Embassy s

the

Cu

that

they accepted him and gave

him

Embassi would also give him a visa

with

advising Immigration in Cuba.

mur

pap

Ameri

says

wan

to know with whom he had talked

Vecaus

he was

told

there would be no problem. The man in the Soviet

Embassy says

to wait a moment. A different Soviet speaks, and

ne

says

7

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Silvia

DURAN e:

he same thing to him.. This man says to

leave

a nam

Silvi

one number and says he will call back.

lephone 11-28-47 (Cuban Consulate)

ntage of

the conversation and states

to

advise the Soviet Embassy

of

he

address

that she can receive the Soviet Emb

S Bu

The man says to call KOUKHARENKO to give h

asks the name of the Consul or Cultural Attache.

hen he

DURAN says

the name is Teresa

PROENZA and the telephone number is 14-13-26.

The man says thanks.

b. 27 September 1963 (Friday), 1626 hours Mexico City time

An unidentified male, a Soviet, calls the Cuban Consulate, asks

Silvia DURAN if the

Scan had been there. Silvia DURAN says he

is there now.

Consulate in

says the American showed papers from the

the wants to go to the Soviet Union

and be the

ime with his wife, who is Russian, but

the an

some from Washington in respect to this problem,

and

acco

this procedure it takes four or five months, but

without having permission from the Soviet Union they shoul

or

better said, they cannot issue a visa there without asking

Washing-

ton. However, according

to this man, he showed

Vere

indicating

he was a member of an organization in favor of fuee

and Ebay the

Cubans

said that they cannot issue a viss abut daring a visa

8

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Soviet. She says that in the Cuban Embassy there is

a No

American who was

at the Soviet Embassy. The Soviet

sa

a

minute. Silvi

speaks English with someone-

in

Spanish th

APARICIO telephone 14-1

the

number

to

Amer

AN then says the Am

going

j.e., the Soviet.

The

et speaks

the soviet speaks English. They contonue in English.

cap talks broken Russian and says I was in your Embassy

and

spoke to your Consul. Just a minute. A Soviet takes the phone and

asks

the American in English what does he want? The American says

please speak Russian. The Soviet says what else do you want?. The

American says I was just now at your Embassy and they took my

address. The Soviet says I know that. The American, in hardly

recognizable Russian,

says I did not know it then. I went to the

Cuban Embassy

them for my address, because they have

The Soviet

E you come again and

leave you

with us

com the Cuban Embassy.

I' 11

away.

ber 1963 (Tuesday), 1031 hour

time.

An unknown male (American) calls the Soviet Embassyy

the Military

Attaché's number, 15-69-87, and says to an unidentified Soviet

respondent:. I was at your place last Saturday and talked to your

Consul. They said that they would send a telegram to Washington,

10

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and I wanted to ask you if there is anything

new? The Soviet says

I would like to ask son.

to call another phone number? Please write

it down: 15-60

ask for a consul. Thank you.

Quesday), 1045 hours Mexico City

The

phoned a day or so ago and spoke

Rus

OBYEDKOV (a Soviet Embassy guard

This is

Lee

SWALD speaking. I was at your

spoke to a consul, and they said that they

Washington, so I wanted to find out if you have

ching

and

• legram. to

new? But

I don't remember the name of that consul. OBYEDKOV says:

KOSTIKOV.

He is dark (hair or skin - ?). OSWALD says yes. My name is OSWALD.

OBYEDKOY says, just a minute, I'll find out. They say that they

have not receive

/thing yet. OSWALD says: Have they done

anything?

says:

Yes, they say that à request has been

sent out.

what

bas been received as yet. OSWALD says, and

hangs up.

rese items, including the texts of the

raw

epts,

were read

by;

scussed with, and examined by Warren Commis

in Headquarters and

at the Mexico Station during

a stay

from

1964.3

All rese more available promptly co the FR

PROHIBIT

3

The Warren Cormission group that visited the Mexico Station consisted

of Mr. Coleman, Mr. Slawson, and Mr. Willens. They examined not only the

11

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and I wanted to ask you if there is anything new? The Soviet says

I would like to ask rou

it down: 15-60-55

g and

to call another phone number? Please write

ask for a consul. Thank you.

Tuesday), 1045 hours Mexico City

The

loned a day or so ago and spoke

Forgken

Rus

OBYEDKOV (a Soviet Embassy guar

This is Lee OSWALD speaking. I was

at your

Tast

nday

and

spoke to a consul, and they

said that they

telegram

to

washington, so I wanted to find out if you have anything

new? But

I don't remember the name of that consul. OBYEDKOV says: KOSTIKOV.

He is dark (hair or skin - ?). OSWALD says yes.. My name is OSWALD.

OBYEDKOV says, just a minute, I'll find out. They say that they

have not received anything yet. OSWALD says: Have they done

anything?

says: Yes, they say that à request has been

sent

out,

what

as been received as yet. OSWALD says, and

hangs up.

ese items, including the texts of the raw

epts,

were read

scussed with, and examined by warren Commission

staf

in Headquarters and at the Mexico Station during a stay from

8

1964.3

All were made available promptly to the FBI

3 The Warren Commission group that visited the Mexico Station consisted

of Mr. Coleman, Mr: Slawson, and Mr. Willens. They examined

not only the

11

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17. Summing

up

we

can

state, or by free interpretation reasonably

infer from the fittersept evidence, that OSWALD made or could have made

the following.

Sontacte

h the Cuban and Soviet official establishments

in Mexreg

City.

september 1963 (Friday). After arriv

his

hotel,

OSWALD went first to the Cuban Emba

with Mrs. Silvia DURAN. The time of his

-in to

visit

is unknown. The time of his second Cubal

was about

1600 hours (i.e., just before closing). Sometime between the two

Cuban Embassy visits, at Mrs. DURAN's indication, he must have

visited the Soviet Embassy. We have no indication who he talked

with at the Soviet Embassy.

intercepts a - e above,

but others for the 27th and one for

that seemed to have relevance.

These have not been includ

summary because they appear, on review, to be excludable.

matter

on logical e& substantive grounds, or both, bear

the Soviet Embassypreceived many calls pertaining to

er

) the

On the

an unknown

Odessa.

OSWALD

#516 at

him

to

believe

the

103

the Soviet Embass

peaking Spanish who said

from

canted V

to go to

Consul was not in and

1130.

lown

arrived at the Flecha Roja bus @erminal

on

bus

on the 27th.

It was, thereforey possible for

call.

But granting

this, it is unreasonable to

were OSWALD's for the following reasons:

a.

The caller wanted visas, and specifically for Odessa.

OSWALD was seeking a visa and never in any context did he specify

the Black Sea port of Odessa as a destination.

12

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There

photographic coverage of OSWALD's entries

into

either.

the

Sarban

or Soviet Embassies on the 27th. The lack of

coverage

baser

ale cuban

installation is explainable:

Sche

• camera,

the

rada rection of officers still in ser

in Head-

sidown on

the 27th because of mechanica)

which was

course of correction.

Why OSWALD W

probable entry to the Soviet instat

ation

unction,

missed in his

th is not yet

explained, but no technical operation of

kind is infallible.

b. 28 September 1963 (Saturday). [Note: Both the Cuban and

Soviet Embassies were closed to the public on Saturdays. Photo-

graphic coverage was normally suspended Saturdays and Sundays. J

b.

The call.™

to the correct Soviet consular

number:

15-60-5.

1 October;

OSWALD first called the wrong

number, 15-69487

(the MA's number), and had to redirect his call to

the correct

ber,

=60-55.

what woule

¿be

It seems unlikely he would have made

ig initial call, on Friday the 27th, to the

correct

cabled the incorrect number on 1 October.

cepts

varray

Embassys

very reason to believe from the context of the

a-e above, that OSWALD's first destination

and check-in to his hotel, was a visit to the Cuban

The use of the Spanish language would exclude OSWALD

unless

he made use of an intermediary, which seems unlikely from what

known of his modus operandi.

On 3 October at 1539 hours an individual speaking broken Spanish,

then English, called the Soviet

Embassy and asked for

a visa.

The Soviet

respondent says: Call on the other phone. The requestor says:

I'm

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OSWALD, notwi tastand

the holiday schedule, went on Saturday

morning

bassy (his second visit) where he spoke to

a C

ently could not recall his new Texas address.

ca

nours he went to the Cuban Embassy--his third

entry--

where

registered it in his visa application

the day

previously. He secured the address from Mrs. DURAN

ằng she

called

the Soviet Consulate presumably to permit him

ive

the

address over the phone.

Instead, the Sovi

over Mrs. DURAN's telephone invited OS

OSWALD spoke

in person,

and he said he would immediately.

back to the Soviet installation (his third

enery).

eupon OSWALD went

100king

for a visa

telephone

of the

please,

I'll haye

the visa

there

know about

Soviet giv

Soviet

go to Russia.. The Soviet says:

15-60-55.

Please call on the

The requestor says:

One moment

a pencil to write the number down.

They issu

Soviet:

That depends on your conversation.

The requestor asks for the number agai

r and tells him to ask for the Consul

Me

the

this intercept to OSWALD is exclu

thing

Russiah or English.

The use of broken Spanish.

OSWALD throughout

abroken

He had no competance in Spanish to handle a

conversation of this kind.

b. The substance of the request indicates a visa request in

the first stages of initiation. OSWALQ had developed his matter

with the Cubans and the Soviets the previous

Saturday to a point

well beyond the stage indicated by the substance of this call.

• 14

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c. 29 September 1963 (Sunday). No activity registered.

d.

30

1969 pander. Mo outrity registers l

(It is

that

reserved space this date on

Lor

2 october 1963 at 0so is pete. e

sober 1963 (Tuesday). OSWALD made

'at

SHOBITED

Respuro calls,

103

1045 hours, to the Soviet Embassy. He identified himself

twice during the second

call when he talked with OBYEDKOV--a guard--

and referred to his talk on Saturday, probably with KOSTIKOV. There

was no photographic coverage of OSWALD on 1 October; if the follow-

ing

reasoning

is correct, that was as it should be. From the context

of

the two calls, there would have been no reason for him to go to.

the Embassy. His case had clearly been placed

at the sufferance of

the USSR Embass)

lashington. His two calls on 1 October

concerned

any reply had been received from

ton.

Under

s, it is unreasonable to be

wou

the Soviet Embassy on that

era at about mid-day registere

the

Soviet Embassy

of

a white-shirted individual who, in theopinion of the

c. OSWALD had left Mexico City, based on all the credible

evidence, the early morning

of the previous day, 2 October, and

could

not have made this local call.

15

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Station, am

only

on.

persons photographed that day, appeared to be the

and possibly an American--who entered the Soviet

the chance there could be an association between

the

Idata derived from the voice intercept and the des

data

deraved

from the photograph, the Station reported the

as separate facts in its cable to Headquarters on 8 Oct

19. The Station's action was not unusual

ly

to

an

analytic "quantum leap," justified by the primitive and

AYatory status

of the OSWALD identification. Many examples of

a similar kind of thing

can be found in the day-to-day record of Station-Headquarters correspon-

dence and reporting.

Developments from

22 November 1963

20.

Mex

Headquart

ted to Headquarters on 8 October (received in

e

following initial information on OSWALD. 4

October 1963, an American male who spoke

broken

Russian and said his name Lee OSWALD (phoneti

stated he was at SovEmb on. 28 September when he

Cablese has been rendered here, and throughout,

REPRODUC

SHIBITE

into readable

English,

without substantive changes or omissions.

Cryptonyms and\oseudonyms

have been omitted or put into clear text.

16

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with

consu

he

believed to be Valeriy

Vladimi

KOST

Subject asked the Soviet

, Who answered, if there was

parton

OBYEDKEN

ing slyneyarding a telegram to Washington.

Lipon

checking

said nothing had been

received yet, but the request had been sent.

ODUCTION

(2) Mexico Station said it had photos

of

who appeared

to be an American entering

Sovi

et

Embassy at 1216 hours, leaving 1222 on 1 Octobe

Apparent age 35, athletic build, circa 6 feet,

receding hairline, balding top. Wore khakis and

sport shirt.

(3)

No local

dissemination was being made by the

Station.

On

10

21.

for

action

and

the

collateral deta

3012Z time the WH Division responsible

eport to the Department. of State, the FBI,

routine

electrical transmission, adding

som.

"awn

from a preliminary file review:

(1) On 1 October 1963 a reliable and sensitive

source in Mexico reported

that an American

who identified himself as Lee OSWALD, con

PRODUCTIO

the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City inquiring

PROMBITED

17

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whether

Issy

had received any news con-

cern

which had been sent to

bui

hairline.

American was described as

35 years old, with an

athletic

gout 6 feet tall, with a "receding"

DUCTION

(2) It is believed that OSWALD may

ident

to Lee Henry [sic] OSWALD, born on

in New

Orleans, Louisiana, a former U.S. Marine

who defected to the Soviet Union in October 1959

and later made arrangements through the United

States Embassy in Moscow to return to the United

States with

Nikolaev

Russian-born wife, Marina

OVA [sic] and their child.

(3)

in paragraph (1) is being

your representatives in Mexico City.

nformation received on this subject

urnished you. This information is beim

made

available to the Immigration and Naturant

¡zafron

U

Service.

22. Although the reaction of the Headdy

das

"by

the

book" and in good time, there were a number

m this

advisory

to the departments which, on the record, were concerned

with the OSWALD

case:

18

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a.

OSWALD's

@ hame was misgiven: "Henry" for Harvey.

The reason fo

mistake is simplicity itself. The sheet opening

the file

December 1960 had

been erroneously inscribed

"OSWALS Lee

That sheet--unchanged

except for the notation of

the

the first sheet in the OSWALD file.

b.

His wife's maiden name was misspelled: "PUSAKO

PRUSAKOVA

Neither of these errors are significant (though they

Headquarters communications throughout the month.

was:

c. Paragraph (2) of the Mexico Statid

lich dealt with

a concurrent, but separate, phenomenon, the

description

of an individual

observed going into and out of the Soviet Embassy, had been locked on to

Lee OSWALD as an alleged descriptive fact. The Station's qualification,

"appeared to be an American," was transformed in the flat designation of

the unidentified

sidual as "The American.":

There can be no

was an

analys

this misreading of the Mexico Station report

escaped detection in the coordination before

release:

•ip trye

details attributed to OSWALD were so far off the

mark as

rately recognizable as such by the recipien

quarters, among whom both the Navy and FBI had photos of

explanation, if not exculpation, be it recalled that

had no photograph of OSWALD in Headquarters or in

Head-

(In partial

CIA

efer to.)

23. Confirmation of this judgment is prov

ontents of

the cable composed by the same analyst and sent as of

2309Z time (two

hours later) to Mexico Station, referencing its 8 October cable:

19

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(1) Lee OSWALD who called SovEmb 1 October

probably identical Lee Henry Lsic OSWALD

MACTION

18 October 1939, New Orleans, Louisiara

rmen

radar operator

n United States

pres

wh

defected

n October 1959.

five

fe

OSWALD

PROHIBITED

one hundred sixty

five

pou

owd wavy hair, blue eyes.

gtober. 1959 he attempted to renounce

States citizenship to the United States

Embassy

in Moscow, indicating he had

applied for

Soviet

citizenship. On 13 February the US Embassy

Moscow received

an undated letter from OSWALD

postmarked Minsk on 5 February 1961 in which sub-

ject indicated he desired return of his US passport

as he wished to return to USA if "we could come

to some

agreement concerning the dropping of any

legal proceedings against me." On 8 July on his

own initiative

he

gred at the Embassy with

his wife

to

his return to States.

Subject

for Sol

tually had never app

and that his applica

at

een

to remain in USSR

temp

ars

serision of his tourist visa pending

PROHIBI

outcome of

his request. This application, according

to OSWALD, contained no reference to Soviet

20

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citizenship

stated that he had

been

employ

inge 13

tv

y 1960 in Belorussian

n

Minsk where he worked

met

anker

in research shop. OSWALD was

marrie

30 April 1961 to Marina Nikolaevna

PUSAKOVA [sic], a dental technician born 17

1941, USSR. No Headquarters traces.

He

attempted to arrange for his wife to

Moscow so she could appear at Emba

For

interview. His American passport was

retu

to him. Us Embassy Moscow stated twenty months

of realities of life in Soviet Union had clearly

had a maturing effect on OSWALD.

(3) Latest Headquarters information was an FBI

report dated May 1962 saying the FBI had deter-

mined OSWALD is still

a US citizen and both he

and his Soviet wi

have exit permits and

Department

of.

had given approval for

their

cavel withi

their infant child to USA.

sation should pass. the internatel

reference lits 8 October cable ande

above to the. Embassy, the

locally. The information given

velas

21

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paragraphs

(5)

issen

and

(3) originated with

the

and possible identificat

EPRODUCTION

to Headquarters of

Please keep Headquarters

PROHIBITED

any

further contacts or positive

nti

fication of OSWALD.

24. Headquarters feedback to Mexico City of OSWALD's correct

description should have been sufficient, in view of the incongruities

with the details deduced from the photo of the unidentified male, to

keep these two matters apart as investigative facts. But things did not

work out that way.

25. Mexico Station on 15 October 1963 asked Headquarters to

"please pouch a photo of OSWALD." Headquarters electrically delivered

to the Department of th

>the following message on 24 October 1963;

"Lee Hen

that you forward to this office

1so0n

photogra

sible two copies of the most recent

PROHIBI

you have of

subject. We will forward

them to our representative in Mexico, who will

attempt to determine if the Lee OSWALD in Mexico

City and subject are

the same individual."

22

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No photo

had been

very

ed

by CIA by 22 November 1963.

26.

Wi

done all

pions and capabilities, Mexico Station had

somply with Headquarters instructions:

Wearquarters had been alerted, and in turn those a

with an investigative or policy interest in OSWALD

as

in the United States

had been

alerted, both in

Washi

09x

American

the field.

b. Mexico Station had

no further contacts by OSWALD to report

because--as it was ultimately ascertained--he had left Mexico City

on 2 October.

C. OSWALD was not an Agency investigative responsibility, in

any case. Even with a photograph, it would have taken very special

efforts, triggered by the other interested U.S. agencies, to have

made a positive identification in view of OSWALD's hotel registra-

tion under alia

There the matter

rested until mid-day 22 November 1963.

The

Ins

of

Photo of the Unidentified Individual.

Phe

Chai

27.

On

22 November 1963 the Mexico Station

2229Z time after learning of the arrest of Lee H. OSWALD

PERICAN BIT EN

24,

23

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00.2171

27

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possibly in

conned

with the assassination, and referenced its

earlier

mes

10 octe

and 15 October and Headquarters' reply of

ion requested by:

ity pouch a

photo of OSWALD so that Station

can

check all recent coverage for OSWALD.

ing soonest copies

of only visitor. to

SO

on 1 October who could be identical y

aS

OSWA

28. It is clear that Mexico Station had forgotten

that

according

to its own communication the unidentified male in the photo was of

"apparent age 35" and that the accurate description of OSWALD forwarded

by Headquarters on 10 October precluded the identity with OSWALD of the

person whom they regaded

as the "only visitor to the Soviet Embassy.on

1 October who coul

identical."

29.

while had begun an exhaustive and

accelerated

review

was pr

22 Noi

cal and photographic intelligence. A dispatch

dance with the indication given in the

of

in. paragräph 25 above. The dispatch

photo coverage of

the unidentified individual had

on

15 October at the Soviet and Cuban Embassies, r

coively

of the 22 November 1963 pouched dispatch re

"1. Attached are copies of the only photographs

obtained

... on 1. October 1963 which appeared

24

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to he an duerite otis same niem visited the soviet

Embassy

Digese photographs were shown to the

sador on 22 November 1963 and a copy of

each

the two photographs was given

to

Mexico, on that date .

Chi

RODUCTION

"p.S. Photographs dated 15 October 1908

we

inserted after typing of dispatch. These were

taken as [thel person entered the Cuban Embassy."

Attached were eight photographs: four (of which two were marked

1 October on reverse) showing the individual in a white shirt, and four

(unmarked on reverse) showing the individual in a black shirt. It

would seem to be

rogical that the word "sets" was probably omitted from

paragraph twor

patch between the words "two"

and "photographs."

30

on

was working under forced draft is

appa

as

text of

the dispatch, which tacked on

That fact was reported simultaneou

fact

Headquarters at 0053Z time, 23 November:

11.

Mexico Station has photos same ur

identor

American type who is possibly OSWALD entering

Cuban Embassy on 15 October. Searching for

25

SECRET

0062173

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possibility photo-documented entry Cuban Embassy

other

establish OSWALD entry and

ing meteo

ters, at 0136Z time, 23 November. 1963

Ca

sked Mexico

Station to send a staff member with all photograph

arters on

the next available flight.

32. Concurrently with or before

es to Headquarters,

the Chief of Station, Mexico City, had spoken

y by double-talk

telephone with the Western Hemisphere Chief of

Division, Mr. J. C. KING,

and secured permission to give copies of the photographs of the uniden-

tified individual to the Legal Attaché and to make them known to the

Ambassador.

33. What happened next is best reflected in a persona

Chief of Station

to the WH Division Chief, mailed to

Dallas, together with copies of the photographs,

representative who delivered them to the FBI

note by the

er. from

aches

"Dear J.C. [KING]:

"Reference is made to our conversation of 22 November

26

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in which

I reque

Attache

who

REPRODUCT

permission to give the Legal

photographs of a certain person

to

tac

CHABITED

opies of each of the photographs

with the dates of

the visits

stamped on

the back.

"At 6 p.m. Mexico time on 22 November, The Ambas-

sador decided that this was important enough to

have a member of the Legal. Attache's office take

copies of these pictures to Dallas, Texas.. The

Naval Attache is making a special flight from

Mexico City for this purpose. The Legal Attache's

officer who is going to Dallas has promised to

mail this material to you for me.

"Copies of

these photographs are

also

be

by pouch which will leave Mexico

Cite on the

sent

night of 22 November 1963.

"Best wishes.

REPR

According to a sidelined comment on this letter, the Legal Attaché's

officer was Eldon RUDD.

27

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34. The decision to remit the photographs to the FBI

in Dallas

had been made by the

simultaneous ly wi

by cable (02447

Ambassador, according to the Chief

tion, who

et ogere's departure tear are,

Headsuarters

ovember ):

ea

It here 2000 loca are wi

th

photos of a person suspected

on a special flight for Dallas.

goopies

be

He is

carrying envelope with one copy each

photo for

airmail special

from Dallas to J. C. KING at

home

as

per telephone conversation with SCOTT.

One copy of each of these photos plus a copy of

each of the photos

showing the same person exiting

the Cuban Embassy forwarded by memorandum leaving

by regular pouch tonight. In view of above does

Has still want a staffer with additional

photo(s)?".

35. Headquarters responded

two hours later, 0422Z time,

23 November 1963, cancelli

request:

"1.

No

asked

with photos. We have

gain, but Mexico can see

OSK

soonest on the press wire.

"2.

Have

just re-emphasized to FBI Headquarters

the sensitivity of photos you are sending and also

28

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relaying names of travelers with similar names.

Note radi

0.

REPROPLE

he

OSWALD lived under

alias of

time, Headquarters advised Mexico City:

Bl says that the photos of the man

Jentering the Soviet Embassy which Mexico

Station sent to Dallas were not of de

Presume Mexico Station has doubRe

OSWALD.

checked

dates of these photos and

15d

all

pertinent photos for

sh

OSWALD."

37. And at this point

November, Mexico

Station

finally agreed:

"Saw photos of Lee OSWALD on television night of

22 November and it obvious photos sent to Dallas

were not identical with Lee OSWALD held

in Dallas.

Dates are as given on photos.

"Mexico Station is reviewing all availab]

of persons entering Soviet and

Cubarst

les,

38. Two hours later (2254Z time, 23

Novembey

the Station had

reported the results of its

effort to review all

arailable coverage:

29

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Do Not

"Complete recheck of photos of all visitors to

Cuban Embassy

Novembe

ag angst

OSHAME

on August through first half of

good press photos shows

no

evi

sit. Similar blank against

Bassy photos from 1 September.

visit we know he made to Cuban Embas

28

aptember, Saturday, on which Embassy

gred

and we had not had coverage .

39. With this communication the matter®

10

individual" reaches the end of

Phase I,

dentified

of which is the

conviction, at first latent, then expressed, that

the

photographed

individual might be identical with OSWALD. This applies especially to

the Station, though

at a certain point even Headquarters moved no

rebuttal despite

fact that the description of OSWALD and the

unidentified

re

quite disparate.

40.

attempted to deal even-handedly with all items

in the

t have a bearing on what happened

perational

zeal

gess, and

the high committment

of

all

especially in Mexico City, speaks for itself.

E

appare

because of the 20/20 advantage of hindsight>

non-performance. It was a critical failure

for

of OSWALD was made

available--though it was express

that no

photo

requested both at

Headquarters and by the field--or that it was not more aggressively

30

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sought by CIA, before 22 November. A photograph of OSWALD would have

obviated--in a way the mere possession of a correct physical de

evidently could not-

whole successive deterioration of

iption

egan in

Mexico City as an

sionistic selection of

the phoracy

1 October 196

celebre today.

40

ther

clear from this factuaD

ey

elebre with less intrinsic merit

hay bever had

is equally

clear

rom

acts themselves that there was

nothing contrived or

conspired in what happened, unless we have now descended to that point

in human values achieved under. STALIN in the USSR and under HITLER in.

Germany, where just a plain mistake is per se evidence of conspiracy:

The Genesis and Development of Odum Exhibit No. 1 and

Commission Exhibit 237

41. Special Agent

the FBI, Bardwell D. ODUM, on

23

1963 showed one of

day to OSWALD'

photos flown up from Mexico

querite OSWALD. ODUM himse

the backg

zuts. Mrs. OSWALD had

ODUM's own detailed account

may be

Found in

the

image

Hearir

XX, р. 268.

42.. The photograph shows the unidentified individual in a black

shirt. It was one of the five photos taken of him in front of the soviet

31

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Embassy

in Mexico City on 4 October 1963, two days after OSWALD had

left the city.

43.

At this pointa

fos the record, the total

availab

coverage

of

the unide

ied individual numbers twelves p

PUCTION

a

So

aken on 1 October 1963, entering

sting the

garbed

in a white shirt and light-colored

b. Five (5) taken on 4 October 1963 in front of the Soviet

Embassy. He is garbed in a dark, open, button-down shirt with a

high-neckline undershirt showing and dark trousers.

c. Two (2) taken on 15 October 1963 in front of the Cuban

Embassy. He is wearing a dark, collarless T-shirt or light sweater.

The negatives of all of these are extent and are now held in Headquar

as integral parts of

WALD and related file holdings.

44. The

re

display of the photograph

cropped versi

ose

noted under paragraph

Mrs. Margy

allegation that she had been

on a

e of

her son

RUBY, a day before he perpetuated

th

dee

Again

the Warren Commission Report (pp. 364-365, 367) exhaustively disposes

of this erroneous charge and requires no repetition here.. A complica-

ting fact developed

along the way was Mrs. OSWALD's (correct) observation,

32

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when she finally

was not RUBY

one

she

ided before the Commission that the ODUM photograph

at the photo had been cropped differently from the

Dallas. Inspector MALLEY's cropped version of

ecame Commission Exhibit 237 (see Hearings,

$88

45.

The net effect of the developments in the heak

Commission was

to require the admission of the cro

into

evidence in a chain of depositions beginning wit

5ng

the

FBI Inspector, James R. MALLEY. (who had trimmed

the photagraph used by

the Commission in Washington), and

Richard HELMS, who deposed

for the

originator. These documents speak for themselves and will be found in

the Hearings, Vol. XI, pp. 468-470.

46. Mexico Stati

advised

against the

other senior Agency officers strongly

of the photograph in any form on the

grounds that the

be immediately alerted to the existence

of a useful

tion wou

ain.

S. intelligence operation, and the opera

There were repeated cables exchar

this point

leadquarters and Mexico Station during

of 1964, in particular from 23 September to 15 Octobe

LATINE

Pote when.

Station had plans underway to abandon the operat

47. In acceding

to the Commission's request for

DOOHIBTEED

deposition;

Mr. HELMS, then the Deputy Director for Plans, replied affirmatively to

33

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Mr. RANKIN by memorandum of 23 June 1964 which

included

additional observation:

th

cellowing

"The Central Intelligence Agency recommer

that

th1

afograph not be reproduced in the comm

because it would jeopa

nice

SHIBITED

and productive operation.

it could be embarrassing to the indivi-

nvolved who as far as the Agency is aware

no connection with Lee Harvey OSWALD or the

assassination of President KENNEDY."

48. In this instance

the needs of the Commission prevailed over

the DCI's statutory obligation to protect sources and methods. The

"Unidentified Individual" remains to this day unidentified and there is

no credible evidence up to this time to rebut the assertion mad

Mr. HELMS in the concluding sentence of his memorandum

to

on

23 June 1964.

And Ete operation did, as predicted, go

Within a week

public appearance of the Odum

Commission

members of the Soviet En

tematic

efforts

surrounding buildings, ostensib

rental

space

eir inquiries were directed

to spotting possible

cam

operation was continued in any case..

Within a year

it had becom

almost totally unproductive in coverage on Americans in

contact with the Embassy--a clear sign that this

category of visitor

was being warned away by the Soviets themselves.

34

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Phase III: The "Un

tified Man" Photographs, 1964 - 1975

49.

As

critics

and

Co

CONS

Foreseen, there has been persistent pressure by

onrission Report to exploit Odum Exhibit No. 1

No. 237 for partisan interpretive

despondence has accumulated since the

which the

ncy has attempted to be responsive to

simultaneously, has tried to satisfy what has b

from the inception of

the matter: to prote

d'y

erest

acquisition

of the photograph and

the foreign liaison relations

acquisition possible.

hich made the

50. Following are highlights from the correspondence during the

current

phase.

a.

On

16

er

the signature of the General Counsel

of the Agenc

HOUSTON, CIA voluntarily submitted

statement

ograph to Judge BAGERT of the Criminal

Distr

Parish of Orleans, State of Louisi

The respense

affirmatively with the contents

of

bpoena

that had been delivered to the United States Mars

of Columbia, despite the

fact that the subpoen

executed because of

the lack of jurisdiction

Mr. HOUSTON proferred on Agency Balif

agoric assur-

ances to the court regarding the inaccuracy

of statements

and

35

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inferences made by Mr. GARRISON in New Orleans

of the unidentified ind

The following is

Mr. HOUSTON's memo

"Because

Orl

Parist

Grand Jury proceedings, we have

recently

carted out, an exhaustive search of the

files of the Central Intelligence Agency for any

picture of Lee Harvey OSWALD taken in Mexico. As

a result of this search, I can state categorically

that the

files of

this Agency do not conta

never have contained, any such pictur

Lee Harvey OSWALD taken in Mexico

no information whatsoever tha

raph

ever existed. To the best

and

information, therefore, there

no

such

photograph.

Furthermore, the photograph which is printed in the

Warren Commission

ort, Exhibit No. 237 in Volume

XVI, never

more than one figure, and the

figure in

depicts an individual who,

to our

not been identified. The

ci

filing of this photograph with

ssion are set forth in affidavits

on pages

468

and 469 of Volume XI, Hearings Before

the President's Commission on the Assassination of

36

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Presid

enn

Donsequently, we have no record

ot ograpta

That answers in any way the

the one we understand was requested

in

el (sabpoena.

"I hope you will accept this information

form in the spirit of cooperation in which

proferred."

this

b. The Agency has repeatedly serviced equests about the

identify of

the unknown individual from Mr. Emory L. BROWN, Jr.,

Route #4, Box 82, Squankum Road, Farmingdale, New Jersey. The last

exchange of

correspondence in our record covered the period

4 - 17 April 1970.

c. Detailed inquiries on the unidentified

indivi

received on 1 and 24 November 1971, to which the

sanc

on 15 November and 14 December, respectively

Mr. Paul L. HOCH, 1735 Highland Place #2, Y

res

des

fornia.

d.

individual

The

is now

ti

Document

extensive effort to pursue the unidentified

and

being made by Bernard FENSTERWALD, Jr., who

gector of a Committee to Investigate Assassina-

reet, N.W., Washington, D.C., beginning on

shortly after the Agency declassified Commission

674, and extending through ll October 1972, after the

37

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FBI's declassi

of Commission Document No. 556. On 8 April

1971, Mr

TERMALE WES

invited to the Agency for a discussion

with the

дорвеі,

Mr. HOUSTON, of his question ab

pho

tograph

the

unknown individual. Two other phot

of

the unidentified individual, in addition to the

depicted in the two Commission exhibits, were

to

that

time. It is a matter of more than ordinary

lote that

on this occasion Mr. FENSTERWALD, who was accompanied by his

partner, Mr. William

HAUSEN, told Mr. HOUSTON and

another

representative

Agency in attendance that he knew who the

unidentifie

Memoran

The following is extracted from Mr. HOUSTON's

&April 1971:

STERWALD came to my office this

morning with his partner, William. G. OHLHAUSEN,

looked at the other photographs, and told us he

did know who the man was. He said he is presently

serving a prison term somewhere in the United

States and admitted that he had known OSWAL

Mr. FENSTERWALD said there was nothing o

indica

any connection between the man in

and the assassination of President KENNEDY.

Mr: FENSTERWALD did not give us the man's name at

this time, as he said enough people had suffered

unnecessarily from allegations that they were

38

0002186

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associated with the assassination, but

say he was sure we had a file

asked if he could have the

PRODUETION

Đng graphs

asked how he could use them.

not know and finally agreed that for the time

"PROBITED

being he would not press his request.

The whole meeting was extremely friendly and

they thanked

US

for our response."

The following

is extracted from the Memorandum of Record

by the other CIA man present, Mr. Arthur E. DOOLEY.

"Mr. FENSTERWALD said he knew who the person

was and had spoken to him; that the man was too

nervous to come forth on his own. FENSTERWALD

would not give the man's name but said he is an

American, serving

rison term in this country

TION

on a crimina

sharge,

and that he had met, OSWALD

in Mexiço

I asked

nother the prisoner had any

• 00010

conspi

atori

Tonship with OSWALD.

Kohlibi

INVO

TERWALD!

repried he did not know the answer

he had

Snot interviewed the man

as yet.

We

reiterated that we did not know who the man

was, and said that we would like to know his

identity. FENSTERWALD replied that CIA has a

39

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thick file on the

be furnished

unknown man, and that we will

name

in due course

CANALD)made no reference in his subsequent

ang correspondence to this allegation about the identity

dentified Individual," though the claim, if true, would

be of affect evidential.

interest and possibly permit us to assert

with finality what we believe has been the fact from the beginning:

the "Unidentified Man" has nothing to do with the OSWALD case

at

Attachment A: Memorandum by David W. Belin to Mr. E

inoche.

dated 15 April 1975, with

attachmept

he crAlang

the Man Who Was Not Oswald"

from he lew York Revier

of Books, by Bernard Fensterwald

and George goole.

Attachment B:

Pages 364, 365, and 667 from the Warren cargission's

40

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CONMISSON ON CIA ACHIVITIES WITHIN THE INNED STATES

Washington, DC 20500

Ex-cuties Rogist?

75-1845

ATTACHMENT A

David W. Belin,

Executive Director

Nelson A. Rockefeller,

Chairran

John T. Connor

C. Douglas Dilion

Erwin N. Griswold

Lane Kirkland

Lyman L. Lemnitzer

Ronald Reagan

Edgar F. Shannon, Jr.

April 15, 1975

Mr. E

Knoche

Assistant to

the Director

Centr

2) Intelfigence Agency

noche:

Know, Lee Harvey Oswald was in Mexico City in

he

September and early October, 1963.

Shortly afte

Left Mexico City a photograph

was taken of

an Ame

male and a question was raised whether or not thi

Lee Harvey Oswald.

The CIA and the Warren Commi

determined that the picture was not of lee Har

and that the picture was taken after Oswald

City.

Although portion

public, other

of concerns

full picture

CIA felt

that tim

assass

Of

rea

disc

this record have been releas

to

ons have remained classified because

the

CIA

at the time that a release of the

sclose sources and methods which the

he national interest to disclose at

of the false allegations about the

resident Kennedy and the false allegations

I

feel that

it would be appropriate to

Yer or not the entire matter can be fully

is time.

I would

like

to receive by April 22 a full

the CIA on this entire matter.

from

Sincerely yours

Davia TKÔ

Executive

She 96 21

83

0002189

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The CIA and the Man Who Was Not Oswald

vasco before the sisassinai

jent Kennedy. or Novem

i, the Contrai Intelliges

the lollowing telety,

Fedar! Bureau

the Department

seck: Lea

SW

! October 1905,

Laola

ê sensicive source

Mexico

ported thai an America male,

idertified himself as Lee

SWALD, contasted the Soviet

nbassy in Mexico City inquirinz

rether the ambassy had raceived

y neis concening a telegram

rich had been sent to Washing-

a. The American was described

approximately 35 years old,

in an athletic build,

about six

it tall, with a receding hairline.

It is beilaved that OSWALD

y- de identical to Lea Henry

¡WALD, dom on 18 October

39 in New Orleans, Louisiana. A

mer U.S. Marine who defected

the Soviet Unign in October

59-and later made arrangement

ough

the United States

Em-

sy in Moseow to retum to the

ited Siates with his Russian-

wife,

Marina

Nikolaevna

iakova, and their child.

The information it paragaphs

being disseminaied to you

resentatives. in

Mexico

" furier information

this subject will be

This

information

de zvaluble to th

Nacucalzatior

Her

Os:

nessie ire Harey

ling to Richard ilelma,

Yes,

shen chief

= Agenty's Clundescine Services.

March 196÷ memorandom to J.

Rantin, tuneral COunsel lo

the

a Craninion,

Helms explained

•OS$N10i3

mide's

nam?

Bemard Fensternaid and

George OIcole

erroneously giver

as "Henry' in the

subject line

and in paragraph two of

the dissemination..:. The maiden sur-

name of Mirs. OSWALD was mistakenly

Ested as "PUSAKOVA? n

•. Bor Les Harrey. Oswald was not

approximateiy 35 yeais oid, with an

athletic

buld"; he was twenty-three

years oid and slender" Apparently the

CIA. was concerned about the dis-

crepancy, for on October 23 it sent

tire following. massage to the Depart-

ment of the Navy:

Subject: Lee Henry OSWALD

Refererce is made to CIA Out

Teletype No.

74573 ' [the earlier

message), dated 10 October 1963,

regarding possible presance of 5u8-

ject in Mexico Gity. It is requested

that you forward to this office as

soon as possible two copies of the

most recent photograph you have.

of subject. We will forward them

to our representative in Mexico,

who will attempt to determine if

the Lee OSWALD in Mexico City

ual subject are the same individ-

Since Oswald had served in the

Marine Corps, which comes under the

administration of the Navy, his person-

nel records would have included his

photostaon.

What the Agency did not say in this

cable is that it had in its possession a

photograp

of

the man

who had

Ree The man into in pi to was

The man in the ClA photo was

×i Lea Harrey Oswald; he was, just as

the

Agency's

"reliable

and

source"

sensitive

had

described him, approxi-

mately

thirty-five years.old, with an

athlatie build and a receding hairline.

According

Helms,

to a memorandum by

the

cid

neis? recaled the

Diary's pictures of Oswaid and only

concluded

after tho' assassination that

two diftorent peopie were inyoived.s

Meanwhile, the photograph was deliv-

arad

to

10639

the

FBi on Nosember 22,

One can or

caused by

no Nas

the

the confusion

3I naeded

lish that

man

Swald -Lee

kag handcuffed

ce of the Dolles

ers.

The next day

Jardwell D. Odum was:

dispa

ith the photograph to tha

molel

vera Oswaid's wife and mother

were hidden. He showed the picture to

Mrs. Marguerite Oswald, mother of the

accused assassin. Mrs. Oswaid looked at

the photo and told Odum she didn't

recognize the man.? The

following

day, howerer, shortly after her son was.

murdered in

the basement of. Dallas

City Hall, Mrs. Oswald erroneously

identified the mystery man. She told

the press the FBI had shown her a

picture of Jack Ruby the night before.

Mrs. Oswald's mistake was. under

standable-the mystery man bore a :

superficial resemblance to Jack Ruby,

and

in

her recollection of a briet

glance ai the phoiograph, to faces

became one. But the misidentification

made

it necessary for the Warren

Commission to refer, however oblique-:

ly, to the aftair of the mystery man.

In the twenty-six volomes of published

testimony and evi

supplementary

to the Warren

the Commission

printed the

rat was shown to

Mrs.

Osta

Report

contains

it of tha

incide

• tha

CIA

with a photo

no, it was thought

it have been associated

aitilor

Tha Report quoied an

Richard Anims That "tite

original photograph. had been taken by

the ClA outside of the United States

None toe 2e, ve Jur 1o 1963 ind

The Commission's explanation

is

both inaccurate and. misleading. The

implication that the CiA thought the

mystery man was associated wich

0002190

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ind ouse di tis own chidence, tha

rug mast

have. confluded

either

tis mapstate man wi impersor

¿ Osait on that ao unlikely chat.

imois had accidentally liniced both

man in ins phoio gann and tha

who "coniacted" tire Soviet

y to Lee Harray Oswald.

To train was further

Report's reference

lavit, which de

ses in whic

ographe

supplementa.

Had obtained an

= ¿itidavit from Heims on July 22,

irhich he was, much niore

f-?= "The origioal paotograon,"

a astuted, "was taken in Mexico

on Ostober 4, 1953.813 (This

as Helms affidavit was released in

7 throud the efforts of Paul Foch,

wate researcher.)

here is no available record that

ard Heims ever toid the Warren

mission exactly where in Mexico

the mystery man

red, but the circumstances

it the photograph was giver to the

mission offer. a very plausible

estion. The CIA roquired the FBI

rop out the background in the

o belor handing it. over to the

mission."* The obvious conclusion

at the photograph was taken by a

en surveillance camera, and the

wished to avoid disclosing its

ion. According to knowledgeadlo

er employees of the ClA, the

it and Cuban embassies, among

is in Mexico City, were under

tant photographic surveillance at

ime. It seems likely then that the

fified himseli as Lee Oswald" was

shed leaving the Mexico City

Issy of tha

Soret Union or of

oiher communist couniry.

first public hint that thi

man may have been impo

ild come in 1956, vi

n of Edward

:, a saholariy ster

mission's

Epsteig

of the Commission's

sacullet the incident He bud

asied

Haymond G.

Roses, the

ay's

with

the Commis

I G

shaul the photogazon. Thelaw-

perrocite word from the agency

the rupitery man was thou shi to ba

dd si the tune the photograph was

tie duaney mistle someone so di.

similar in appearance for lee ilarvey

Oswald? The. ClA sid they

checks further and cail in back.

lawyer. told Epsisin that thüy never

called irim back and the Warren Report

contaiás no expianation of the Agen-

cy's raisiake 17

Anotiner piece of the pucci fell into

place early in 1971, when the National

Archives released a previoully classified

memorandum about the mystery man

from• Richard Helms to the Commis

Dated March 27,: 1964,

memo informed Rankin:

On 22 and 23 November, im

following tha

nation of President Konnedy, three

cabled reports ware received from

[deleted) in Mezico. City relative

to photograghs of an unidentified,

man who visited the Cuban and.

Soviet Embassies in that city

On the basis of these cables, Helms

went on to say, the ClA had sent

séveral reports to. the Secret Service.

Attached to the Heims memorandum

were paraphrases of these reports??

Two dealt with the mystery man:

Message to the Protective Re-

searca Staff, The Secret Service,

delivered by hand on 23 Novem-

ber 1963, at 1030 hours.

Through sources availabla. to it,

the CIA [deleted) had coma into

posiession of a photograph of an

unidentitied

persor thought to

have visited the Cuban Embassy in

mid-October, This individual,

was believed at the time, might be

with Lee Harvey

int

CIA Headquarters was informed

23 November thai

photographs of a person

frequent the

Embassy in Maxico City, ard who

might be identical with Lee Hard

vey OSWALD, had been forwarded

to Washinator by the hand of a

United Stales

Helins's covering memorandum

firmed that "the subjest of lie phora

sighs mentioned in these reports is

photo capis,

mysterious stranger

oi

kept. being

coits! vith Les Harrey Orwald, ead

who had visited doin in Sovier and

•Cuban emoncies Wins it the same

myxory min whose posure had been

sion to Mrs, Osmaid?. Or was it ye:

arother Oswald Doppelpinger?

Firm axidenco di the existence of

additional photographs of the unidenti-

•Smith, a private. resourcher. In 1972

Smlin, toen razzarch diractor for tha

Commission to lavestigala Assassina-

tans, was poiing eyer sorge recently

•Commission dacu-

manks when

direference to the

twa oiner views of

person?" Smith called his

ryuto the attention of one of

tre autors, Semard Pensterwald, wino

instituted a suit under tre Freedom of

Information Act for release of the two

pictures The government yielded and

turned over the photographs to Fen-

sterwald and Smith. They are pub

lished here for the first time.

The two now views. of the mystery

man were taken at a different time

the first pictura. In the first

picture, the one published in the

Warien Commission, volumes, he. is

wearing a long-sleared dark shirt and

appears empty handed; in the two new

phoios he is wearing a short-sleeved

white shirt and is carrying some kind

of bag or pouch. The new photos also

show him holding a small, passport.

sized booklet and whai appears to be a

wallet. As in the first photograph, the

backgrounds of the two

have been cropped out. Whoever he

was, he managed to be photographed.

apparently by the ClA's hidden sur

veillance cameras,

• separts occasions And neither of th

new pholographs reveals

blance between the mystery, mart an

The Warren Commission conclude

Inat Oswald had been in Maxico in lat

Reçords of biexican Customs ard Ir

migration, bus lines, god a Mexico Cit

Septemoar: 26, traveled

bus to Mexico City,

neit mornind, and returned

United States on October 3.35

gors: on the bus to

remembered Oswald,

but there is s

mosi no ejawiiness testimony to sur

port the Commission's reconstrucrio

of Osmal's moremants after he arriva

in thut ciir.?à

0002191

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diat Oruaid made roperted visits to

in the Sovier and Cuban embassias

is heavy upon the affidavit of one

ness,

=

Mexican

woman

ted at the Cuban Embassy.

27

via Tirado de Duran was secretary

the Casan Consul in Mexiso

i sison statement?? sha

City.

Eathe

aty diestor of Mas

arity on Novemont

that Oswaid ita

V963,

the 6

she

2253y in lets

rita

Lit Cuba

n=d

Mrs.

anze be.

nsu! when

m his request

embered

madicely.

She

mas

"semiotricial"

te cill to tho Sovie: Embassy to

to spird up action on Orald's

talio".

Sho identilied the Lea

ej Crueld mao vistied tina Cuban

355j is no accused astassia whose

appatred in the

Maxican

papa: en November 23.79

the Warren Commissio

dot Martey

Silvia Duran.

incess Find solely on per aid-

rimiti any attempt to taik to

its taid li nue secondad in cay

However,

accord

de cnicion files, allerican

newsgaper reporter tried to interview

her in April 1964. Her husband would

not permit the man to speak with her,

saying

"she had suffered a nervous

breakdown following her interrogation

by the Mexican autoritisg and had

been pronibited by her physician...

from

discussing the Oswald matter

further. "30

this report is. correct,

the interrogation of Silvia Duran may

have been a more emotional interview

then one

would conclude from the

report fonvarded by the Mexican po-

lice. The report gives the impression

that the police were routinaly collect-

ing information about Oswald's Mexi-

can trip for the American authorities.

One question that arises is whether

Duran's statement was given volun-

tarily, and, in not, whether her identi-

fication of Oswald as the visitor to the

embassy is valid.

The Warren

Commission may have

omitted

fall

exploration of this

question because it had collateral avi-

dunce of Ourald's visit to the Cuban

Embass. There

mere, for example.

Osmaid's application for a Cuban visa,

betting

his

photograon

and

jure. 31

5352

and e loiter reportadly we

by Oomaid do tho Soviei Embass

Hashingron, referrina to his visit to 692

Caban Embraig, 12

The

iddress book

found

anong Oswald's possessions.

morsorer, contem

telephone number. Bur

ible eyewituess testi

in fact

visitad

statement of Sil

Then

vie

recerilly

that

amne and

ly cred.

Oswald

is

the

the

sited the

wald, the

settle

of

Com-

the thres

13151

03:- SteiTTs

extraor.

dinary. It is

Prudacia that the CLA did

in fact supply

an explanation of the

photograpis that was enough to sntisty

the Commission at the time. If so, that

explanation remains a part of the

classified

Warren Commission

docu-

ments not available to the public.

Raymond

Rocca (who, until his

• recent resignation, was the Agency's

action officer for all post-Harten RE-

port inquiries abput the matter) told

not of the quin

What the ClA could

mystery men. If this is

so, we may.

Wolder how the Agency

could Paya

offered.

= satistactory ex-

natiòn iót tha

55:00

Ent to the Com-

onal documents

akring

the con

er are deciassified,

that Oswald really visic-

cd

& Embassy must remain in

But even it he did, the

augeon whether someons vas never-

Vetess trying to impersonsie him re-

ma tires 3 crucial one.

0002192-

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Ii sumien.

josing as Orwald visited

tha Sovier and Cidan embassias in the

carly autama or 1963, suhat implica-

tions might be drawn frong

this dis

corery? One povious inte

ation is

that someone sought

feit a

fresh connection bet

nan who

waS

soon to

cused

presidential

penis of

trics.

were

swald

cizat

Sissination,.

the

theory oi a lone

assassin;

sted with any

•cor.

spiricy,

is senously undermined and

the case should be reopened.

Tivera

of course, an

came to misidentify the mystery man

as La: Harvey, Oswald: Oswaid may

actually have visited: the Cuban and

Sovier embassies. If this were the case,

then somewhere in the ClA's files

there should be photographs of the

real Lee Harey Oswald departing from

the Soviet and Cuban embassies in

Mexico City. If those photographs

exisi, them publication would help to

settle the question. If they don't, the -

CiA should now explain why not. In

sither case, it should also disclosa what

it knows about the man it wrongly

identified as Oswaid on two separate

occisions li should. explain why it

believes that this man was not imper-

sonating Oswald. Äll these matters

shouid be cioritied both by the ClA

itsair. and by

the congressional com-

mitices that are about to investigate its

activities..

3 Jarren Commission Document 631,

Ti::

IC.

National

Archives, Washington,

*Joid. Her correct maiden name was

Prusakova.

"Report of the iresicent's Commission.

on tre Ascarination Of President Ker-

redy (US Goismment Printing Office,

1967), p. 114. (Heisalter, Peporr.)

"Commission Document 631, op cit.

sIbid.

"Haerings Before the President's Com-

mission on ine Assassinatior, of presi

dant Kennedy (US Govemment Print-

ing Office,

1954), Vol.

11, p. 459

(hereafter, rectings).

Isid.; p. 468.

"Ibid., Odur Exhibit 1:

*Report, p. 354.

10Ibid., 0p. 354365.

13 Hearings, Vol. 11, p. 469.

12 Commission Document

1287, The

National Archives, Washington, DC.

13 Ibid.

1* Hearings, Vol. 11, p. 469.

15 Edward Jay Epstein, Inquest: Ine

Wurren Commission end the Establisi-

ment of Truth (Vikina, 1966).

16855.

CIA'S

Rocca,

deputy

chief

of the

Counterintelligence • Staff,

was

one of the four senior Agency officials

who resigned. last

December in

the

wake of Tre New York Times's revela-

tions of ilegal domestic operations by

the ClA's Clandestine Services.

1" Epstein, Inquesi, p. 94.

13 Commission

Document

674, The

National Archives, Washinzton, DC.

19 Ibid.

20ysid.

21lbid.

221bid.

BERNARD FENSTERHALD is Director

mittee to Investigato Assassinations

Counsel for Senator Edward Long's

sovernment wiretipring. GEORG

former chief of the Probiem

CIA. His books include a no

Other Sile, and, most recentle

Tages: An Elecironic Probe into the

1 Hennedy and the Dales Covero.

Brand

*"Ibid!.

2 Commission

Documen!

S5ộ,

Tr.

National Archires, Washington, DC, 22

25 Repore, p. 299.

26Ibid., pp. 733-736.

2%lbid.,

73%. two other witnesses

told the

Fai they saw Oswald

it the

Cuban Embassy

Mexican

private

detective who h

sited the emoass!

on October &

identified Oswald

from

7ey

Totoxrapis as some.

one

izaying the embassy

company

of

Tailed no ithe

failed to iden

Fel seems to hav:

conclu

He was mistaken (Com

Ement 566). The Warrer

des not'offer the detective':

any as evidence of Oswald's visit

Another witness who claimed to hay:

seen

Oswald

at

the Cuban

Embassy

retracted his testimony after falling to

pass a polygraph examination (Repor:

p. 308).

23 Commission.

Document 775a,

Thi

National Archives, Washington, DC.

2ª Ibid., p. 5.

39 Commission

Document $63,

National Archives, Washingion, DC, !

31 Hearings; Commission Exhibit 256

32 Ibid., Commission Exhibit i5.

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