PROJECT ZRRIFLE AND QJWIN
Originator: ROCK
From: CARGILL, MASON
To: FILE
Document date: 05/30/1975
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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157-10003-10490

2023 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

1I1V

Date:04/19/94

0119/15

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JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : SSCIA

RECORD NUMBER : 157-10003-10490

RECORDS SERIES :

MEMORANDUM

CIA HAS NO OBJECTION TO

DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR

RELEASE OF CIA INFORMATION

IN THIS DOCUMENT AS SANITIZED

19/12198

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR : ROCK

FROM : CARGILL, MASON

TO : FILE

TITLE :

PROJECT ZRRIFLE AND QUWIN

DATE: 05/30/75

PAGES : 12

SUBJECTS :

PROJECT ZRRIFLE AND QUWIN

/ASSASSINATIONS

DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION

:U

RESTRICTIONS : 1A, 1B, DONOR REST., REFERRED

CURRENT STATUS

:X

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 04/20/94

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS :

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COMMISSION ON CIA ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES

Washington, DC 20500

April 30, 1975

CIA HAS NO OBJECTION TO

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RELEASE OF THIS DOCUMENT

AS SANITIZED

14-18-94

(1) (A)

(1) (B)

MEMORANDUM

To :

File

From:

Mason

Cargill Me

Subject:

PROJECT ZRRIFLE AND QJWIN

On April 25, 1975, I was given three file folders

containing material on the

above subjects by Mr. Joseph Selzer

of the Inspector General's staff. According to Mr. Selzer, his

review of these

that the basic purpose of

ZRRIFLE and its asset QJWIN was the burglarization of premises

outside the United States for the purpose of obtaining crypto-

logic materials.

that there is nothing in these

files which refer explicitly or implicitly to assassination or

"executive action" in any form. His opinion is that clandes-

tine operatives of the type who wrote the

documents contained

in these files would never commit to writing anything having

to do

with the subject of assassination.

The first file reviewed is entitled "zRRIFLE/QJWIN/

RYBAT OPERATIONAL."

The following entries in this file seem

to have some potential relevance:

1. Dispatch, dated November 1, 1960, to Chief of Station,

akarn and Chief of Station, Luxembourg, from Chief, KUTUBE/D

at headquarters.

This three-page dispatch apparently deals

with a mission on which a recruited agent, Jose Marie Andre

Mankel, will be sent from Luxembourg, where he was recruited,

to Dakar for the purpose of recruiting certain other agents

trom among criminal elements there, specifically Corsicans.

The purpose for which these agents would ultimately be used

is not clear from this dispatch.

as follows:

"In view of the extreme sensitivity of the

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objective for which we want him to perform his task, he was

Instead, he was

told that we have evidence of soviet operations

among

some dependable, quick-witted persons for our use.

(Comment:

It was thought best to withhold our true, specific require-

ments pending the final decision to use MANKEL.) He agreed

to go on the trip for us."

It is not clear from this dispatch

that Chiefsof Station in

Luxembourg and hakatswere completely

witting of the purpose for which Mankel if'being sent to Dakax.

Paragraph 3 contains the following sentence:

"Rabney gave

Jouvenoy [Chief of Station, Luxembourgl the same briefing.

concerning our purposes as he had given to the cos, (barai) í2-10

The remainder of the dispatch deals with details of the con-

tacts

with Americans which Mankel may make in Dakar if he

requires further assistance, including instruction for bringing

about a clandestine meeting.

19-20

2. Cable dated November 2, 1960, from Frankfugesto the

Director with the notation:

"Action:

C/FI/D-4.

This cable

contains the following statement in paragraph 1: "Altman met

Mankel 2 November.

He accepted offer to procede Leopoldville.

Precise mission not conveyed to him, he only informed that

mission

might involve large element of personal risk."

3. Cable, dated November 3, 1960, from Director to

stations at Luxembourg and bak trik-This cable contains the

first identification of Mankel with the code name QJWIN.

The cable reads as follows:

pouched both stations

"SODI 47 on QUWIN trip akanta-ki

3 November. 2 Confirm receipt by cable. "

"Luxembourg: will advise when to brief him on Dakar

mission after

receipt further info from Altman per paragraph

to BEAN 6959/ (IN36814) on Leopoldville mission."

This cable

contains the following code word references: . RYBAT, LAURICLE,

ZRACORN.

Cable from Leopoldville to Director, with action

to C/FI/D4, dated 5 November 1960.

It contains the following

paragraph:

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"Please inform Mankel he should proceed Leopoldville

as soon as shots completed. Not necessary have Congo visa.

Should go Paris and take Air France flight to Brazzaville

and can obtain visa for Brazzaville in Paris."

This cable contains a handwritten note in the margin as

follows:

"One copy given to Mr. Bissell by IS/Duty Off.

Saturday. Action to be taken by DDP. - E.B."

5. Cable, dated November 9, 1960, to Luxembourg from

Director.

It contains the following statement:

"Unless you

advised to contrary by Altman, brief QJWIN on Dakar mission,

using notes left during Rabney visit... Please insure he

thoroughly rehearsed all details since we anticipate he will

go from Leopoldville to Dakar with no opportunity reviewing

briefing...

Luxembourg.

bou cable November don 1960, to Directong Statement :

"OJWIN recommended two French contacts who agree undertake

unspecified job.

Arrangement

made for direct access

without

QJWIN if Altman

interested..."

7.

Cable, dated November 12,

1960, to Director, from

Leopolaville.

This cable requests

the immediate departure

of QWIN for Leopoldville, and contains the following state-

ment:

"Local operational

circumstances require immediate

expediting of QJWIN travel to Leopoldville."

8. The file contains several documents apparently

describing various Italians in the area of Trieste who have

the capability to break and enter and crack safes. They

appeared to be of questionable morality.

Reports

on the safe.

from the Chief of

safecrackers in question are

Sabatti, Cuccagna, and Bernardini.

the Director.

presence in Leopoldville is to recruit a major in the

Yugoslavian air force, through framing him up in an illegal

smuggling transaction.

This recruitment is apparently for

the purpose of collecting information from within the

Yugoslavian government.

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10.

Cable, dated December 14, 1960, from headquarters

to Leopolaville.

The cable criticizes Leopoldville for using

QJWIN for the purpose of recruiting the Yugoslav major, since

this was not his primary purpose in Leopoldville.

Cable con-

tains

the following statement:

"Would like restrict QJWIN to

activity directly pertinent his mission Leopoldville or forth-

coming mission Dakar and possibly elsewhere

(e.g., Milan) for

KUTUBE/D purposes.

He our only asset of this type and we

wish keep him clean of any operational involvement other than

that originally planned for him."

This is the first cable

from headquarters on which the

name of William K. Harvey appears.

11. Cable, dated December 17, 1960, from Leopoldville

to Director.

This cable concerned

a new asset entering the

picture for the first time, who arrived in Leopoldville on

December 2.

The cable states that WIROGUE was

ase with

whom initial contact has been made in Leopoldville. WIROGUE

is living in the same hotel as QJWIN with whom he conversed.

QJWIN

has reported:

"WIROGUE had offered him $300 per month

to participate in intel net and be member execution squad.

When QJWIN

said he not interested, WIROGUE added there would

be bonuses for special jobs.

Under euwin questioning, wiRoGUE

later said

he working for PBPRIME

service."

12. Cable, dated January 19, 1961, from Director to

Luxembourg.

This cable apparently indicates that the Agency.

plans to use QJWIN in Leopoldville for more than one particular

mission. It contained the following statement:

"Inform

we planning use him Leopoldville indefinitely as dis-

cussed with him there."

13.

fact that QJWIN

One cable admonishes field agents to tell JWIN not to give

reason to any of the candidates

There to eat nical a

There follows a series of cables reflecting the

proceeds to Italy to recruit other assets.

to be recruited in Italy to

believe that ODYOKE Or PBPRIME is involved. I get the :

impression that ODYOKE refers to the U.S. CIA, and PBPRIME

refers

to the intelligence service of some other nation.

However, no document uncovered so far confirms this. Cables

which

follow seem to indicate that the people QJWIN was to

recruit were intended to be professional burglars. There is

no indication that they are intended

to be assassins.

There

are many other indications that these recruits were intended

for safecracking and breaking and entering.

QJWIN told them

he could offer a job for a large firm which wanted certain

commercial documents stolen.

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14. Subseguent cables and dispatches indicate other

efforts on the part of QJWIN to recruit safecrackers in

France and Italy.

15. Dispatch dated June 7, 1961, from headguarters,

Chief, KUTUBE/D to the Chief of Station in Luxembourg.

contains a long discussion of the Agency's relationship with

QJWIN and his main purpose as an agent.

This dispatch makes

it clear that the primary purpose of QJWIN's employment by

the Agency 1s to recruit burglars and safecrackers for use

by the CIA.

This dispatch contains the first reference I

have ' found

to the code word ZRRIFLE. The one thing that seems .

rather unclear is why QJWIN was initially sent to Leopoldville,

and apparently was contemplated to return to Leopoldville, when

all of his recruiting of safecrackers and burglars takes place

in Europe. The fact that his return to Leopoldville was con

templated may be easily seen from paragraph one of this cable.

The releasing officer on this cable was Mr. William K. Harvey.

16.

Correspondence and cables indicate that one James

Rabney from CIA headquarters visited

• Europe in April and

March of 1961 for the purpose of meeting with Mankel to discuss

possible recruits for safecracking operations.

17. Dispatch dated December 15, 1961, from Chief of

Station in Luxembourg to Headquarters, Chief,

_KUTUBE/D.

discusses the efforts of QJWIN to recruit two

safecrackers in

Switzerland.

It indicates that two French citizens, named

Santelli and Garioni were asked to come to Switzerland under

false pretenses by QJWIN for the purpose of being interviewed.

The following passage in the dispatch indicates clearly these

men were to be recruited

for the purpose of the safecracking

surreptitious entry.

"During the interview with Santelli,

Garioni observed that for a night job he would need an

assistant to help him with carrying the equipment and to act

as lookout. He said he would prefer to do the job during

working. hours; for this he would get three or four others

help him and force someone in the office to open the safe."

18. Dispatch dated February 2, 1962, from Chief of

Station Luxembourg to Headquarters, Chief, KUTUBE/D. It

discusses the efforts of the Luxembourg station to provide

acceptable cover for Mankel in Germany, where the Agency has

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decided to locate him. The plan

• seems to be for Mankel to

develop a

business as an art dealer in some German town selling.

French paintings.

It is contemplated that the Agency will

supply the initial capital for the formation of his business.

The final sentence in this dispatch asked headquarters for

projected operational plans for QJWIn.

19. Cable, dated March 17, 1962, from Director to

Luxembourg indicates that the Agency still contemplates some

activity for Mankel in Leopoldville. Paragraph 2 of this cable

reads as follows:

"Tell him will at same time discuss

Leopoldville assignment and have him sign contract."

The

cable directs Luxembourg to tell Mankel to meet James Rabney

at certain locations in Germany on the 28th and 29th of March,

1961, telling him to be prepared to travel in Europe for about

two

weeks.

20. Cable dated April 18, 1962,

from

Headquarters to

Luxembourg states that another

the Agency that QJWIN is going on trial after Easter on charges

of cobalt smuggling from 1957 or 1958 and could receive uD to

six-year sentence.

Paragraph 2 of the cable states, "Please

contact eJWIN for

all details including specific charges and

name prosecutor.

ONwaRe info true we may wish attempt

quash

'charges or arrange somehow salvage QJWIN for our purposes."

Paragraph 3 states, "Still do not have basic decisions but

fully

anticipate we will need QJWIN."

21. Cable, dated April 26, 1962, from Luxembourg to

Headquarters indicates that QJWIN's trial will be completed on

April

29.

He expects to be fined but not subject to a jail

sentence.

Some indication of the Agency's intents with

respect to QJWIN may be discerned from paragraph 4 which

reads as follows:

"While we do not know present long-term

plans for QJWIN, he has

no lead to other candidates.

His

potential appears restricted activation to candidates OLLA

1426 or personal spot action. Suggest either could be done

from Leopold base and question if not preferable move him to

Leopold assignment now."

There is a handwritten notation

beside the

first

sentence of paragraph 4 which states, "Not

the point."

Beside the last sentence of this paragraph is

the handwritten notation, "How?"

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22. Cable dated May 24, 1962, to Luxembourg from

Headguarters indicates that the Agency has changed its plans

about assigning @JWIN any duties in Leopoldville.

Paragraph 2

reads, "Decision made keep QJWIN Europe.

Leopoldville assign-

ment canceled."

Cable also indicates that headquarters

approves of Mankel's proposed move to Germany, probably

Baden-Baden.

23.

Memorandum dated July 3, 1962, WKH [presumably

William K. Harveyl from AMS,

re ZRRIFLE.

This memo discusses

possible future uses for QJWIN.

— It seems perfectly consistent

with the use of QWIN merely for the purpose of recruiting

safecrackers and burglars.

Paragraph 4 of this memo refers to

some RIFLE authorization paper:

"I have already given you

the ZRRIFLE authorization paper signed by Helms and Skip has

been given QJWIN contract, including the extension to 1

An attachment to this memorandum gives details

on

two possible candidates for burglary and safecracking.

In

this attachment there are two references, however, which may

be somewhat disturbing:

One candidate is

stated to be "willing

to use gun"; the second "wanted

to know if he should be armed

for job-ready to go to the end."

24.

Immediately following a dispatch dated

December 7, 1962, from Luxembourg to headquarters, there

appears in

the files two pages of penciled notes

on yellow

"buck-slip" type paper which are difficult to read but may

be relevant.

At the top of the first page appears the word

QJWIN.

On

this page appears the following words, which are

barely legible:

"In 1961 by Bill H or Bissell used Arnold

Estale [or Estatel direct action capability established

in

B [illegible] QJWIN Luxembourg principal prelim capability

for fourth country. QJWIN spotted three or four--moved to -

Italy..."

25. Dispatch from Luxembourg to Headquarters Chief

KUTUBE, dated February 14, 1964, indicates that QJWIN has

been terminated. Paragraph i reads in part, "QJWIN has been

terminated. "Rozeney told him on 21 April that the operation

in which he was to play a role had been shelved and therefore

his contract, which ran out on 29 February, was not renewed.

He was reassured that this action did not result from anything

he had done and his past cooperation was appreciated. It was

mentioned as conceivable that the operation might have been

off and running if he had been able to establish his cover

last year."

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Another file examined was entitled "RRIFLE

Administrative/Financial"; it is a long

manila-type file.

The following items of possible interest were noted in this

file:

1. Memorandum dated January 11, 1961, to the Finance

Division from William K. Harvey.

Chief FI/D deals with the

payments for Mankel's trip to Leopoldville. Paragraph 2 of

this memo states, "In order to avoid any misunderstanding,

it should be noted that QJWIN was sent on this trip

specific, highly sensitive operational purpose which has been

completed. Although future use of QJWIN is not precluded, it

was not deemed fitting during this one use of him to enter

into a continuing contractual relationship or to have him sign

any memorandum of understanding."

2. Memorandum, dated January 31, 1961, for Chief,

Accounts Branch, Finance Division,

from Justin E. O'Donnell,

Subject: Payments to QUWIN.

Paragraph 1 of this memorandum reads

as follows:

"QJWIN was recruited in Frankfurt 1 November 1960

to undertake a one-shot mission to the Belgian Congo. Because

the mission potentially involved great personal risk to him

and he was obliged to separate himself from his business affairs,

it was agreed orally by this writer with QJWIN that his com-

pensation would be

at the rate of $1,000 per month, plus his

expenses months, Period of not less than one month and not more

These two financial memoranda, numbers 1 and

2 here, seem

to indicate a one-shot purpose for QJWIN in con-

nection with a Congo operation, which seems inconsistent with

many of the papers in the operational file reviewed above,

which indicated an ongoing relationship with QJWIN for the

purposes of recruiting safecrackers and burglars.

These

financial memoranda are certainly quite consistent with a plan

to use QJWIN for a one shot assassination attempt in the

Belgian Congo.

It is unclear that merely recruiting safe-

crackers and burglars or even performing safecracking ano

burglary missions, would have involved "potential great

personal risk" to QJWIN.

3. Memorandum, dated March 24, 1961, for Cable

F1/Division D,

•" Paragraph 1.

of this memorandum reads,

"Two copies of all cables bearing

the ZRRIFLE indicator are to be delivered in a sealed envelope

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directly to Chief, FI/Division D, 1502 I Building. No other

distribution is to be made without the specific approval in

. each

instance of the Chief, FI/D." Paragraph 2 reads, "The

above has been personally approved by the Deputy Director

(Plans)."

I question whether such close handling of cable

traffic is not unusual even in a case involving safecracking

and burglary. Perhaps Harvey intended traffic of more

sensitive issues to be passed through the RIFLE channel.

4.

In a large manila envelope filed immediately

after a dispatch

to Luxembourg from the Chief, KUTUBE, dated

September 30, 1963, is a large manila envelope marked

"Documents in Receipt Supporting ZRRIFLE Activities."

Within

this envelope are

several

smaller manila envelopes, one of

which is entitled "ZRRIFLE, Receipts for Accounting Submitted

by WK Harvey, Receipt for Operational Phone Calls May 15, 1963."

Within this

envelope are two sheets of yellow legal size

paper

which contain lists of operational expenses submitted by W.K.

to be charged as operational expenses to QJWIN/ZRRIFLE.

These

expenses cover hotel expenses in Miami and Perine, Florida,

long distance hotel calls

for these locations, plus $75 for a

boat chartered for operational purposes at Islamorada, Florida.

A hotel receipt indicates Harvey paid the bill of a Mr. John A.

Wallston of 56510 Wilshire Boalevard, Los Angeles, California,

for the nights of April 17, 18, and 19, and a Miami hotel,

probably the Eden Roc.

These documents are the first indication

of any activities

Perhaps Harvey should be confronted with this listing

and asked to explain it.

Have bad ate a beause

within the U.S. with respect to ZRRIFLE.

Apparently they did not involve QJWIN but rather other

activity, perhaps directed at Cuba because of his location in

Miami.

A third file was examined, which was marked "ZRRIFLE- •

QJWIN Project/Contract.

The following items of interest were

found:

1: A long memorandumwritten in ink in longhand on sheets

legal size paper

on yello tele be paper

at the very back of this file

This is apparently justification

material submitted for the project.

The first portion of this

memorandum seems to end abruptly at the end of the second page;

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perhaps the subsequent pages are missing.

These first two

pages portray the objective of RIFLE to be that of pro-

curement of code and cipher materials by burglary and safe-

cracking.

However, subsequent pages, particularly the last

four legal size pages in this file, contain what appears to

outline of something which could be the establishment

of an "executive action capability," although these words are

not mentioned nor is the word "assassination."

A copy of these

pages should definitely be obtained.

Paragraph I of these

pages reads as follows,

experience (Bangkok) (and affect on DDP)

and experiences with KGB...require most professional, proven

operationally competent ruthless stable CE experience ops

officers..."

Paragraph 3 of this memo is entitled "Maximum Security";

subparagraph

3b reads:

"Within KUBARK one focal point for

control, search, tracing, case officering, etc.

DDP authority

in this

focal point mandatory.

DCI officially advised?"

Paragraph 3c reads as follows: "Max. security cable COMMO

for innocuous cables only; no restrictions on travel; pos-

sibility of one man overseas (Europe) control base with own

(nonstation) COMMO.

Word of mouth and no bashfulness re

trips."

Paragraph 3f reads as follows, "No use of any agent

who ever worked for a U.S. government agency. Tracing by

opposition would

reveal."

Paragraph 3i reads,

"Pretext:

KUTUBE/D search; this established (e.g., Rome)."

Paragraph 3J

"No discussion in stations."

Paragraph 3k reads, "No

until ready to go, if at all." Paragraph 4 reads:

"Blackmail:

No American citizens or residents or people

whoever obtained U.s. visas. B.

No chain of connections:

Strictly person to person; singleton ops. C.

No meeting any

candidate in home territory, D. Exclude organizations; e.g,

Sicilians, criminals, those with record of arrest, those with

selection."

Paragraph 5 reads, "Cover: Planning should

include provision for blaming Soviets or Czechs in case of

blow."

• (This seems to indicate RRIFLE is not limited to

burglary of embassies; how could you blame the Soviets or

the Czechs for burglarizing

their own embassies?]

Paragraph

9 reads, "Should have phoney 201 in records to backstop this

(referring to blaming the Soviets or the Czechs], all dacuments

theagra hora deand askareethorne "la Look Like a CE file:'

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On the following page of these papers, the paragraphs

are numbered again from one.

On this page

a large ink X has

been placed over the page; however, it is still legible.

Paragraph 1 of this page reads, "Maximum security plus within

KUBARK OnlY (e.g., How much does Sivagusal?) now know?).

Limitation on number code clerks for enciphering and deciphering.

Guise of LAURICLE objective."

Paragraph 5 reads, "No chain

of connections permitting blackmail."

2. Memorandum, dated February 19, 1962, from Richard

Helms, Deputy Director

"Authorization of ZRRiFLE Agent Activities.

(Plans), to william K. Harvey, Subject:

" This memorandum

authorizes Harvey to retain the services of agent. QWIN "and

such other principal agents and subagents as may be reguired."

Memorandum does not state the purpose of the RIFLE project.

3. Filed immediately after a memorandum dated March 6,

1969, from Richard Helms to William K. Harvey, is a normal

business size white envelope containing the following notation

in penciled handwriting, "Lloyd very personal

from Bill H. "

Within this envelope is a small yellow piece

of paper containing the following notation in penciled hand-

writing, "John Rosselli, alias John Ralston--Wn. Walker."

4. A memorandum dated June 27, 1963, for Chief,

Foreign Intelligence, from William K. Harvey, Subject:

OJHIN.

I'nis memo states that QJWIN is currently not being used for

any operational purposes. It discusses whether or not he

should be retained as an agent.

Paragraph 2 seems to indicate

that the executive action portion of QJWIN's project, if any,

atet aspecta of this

This paragraph reads:

far as the

ZRIFLE aspects of this operation which has been covered under

the QJWIN authorization for security reasons and with which

Fletcher M. Knight is tully familiar as I orally advised you

on June 26, 1963, except for one precautionary 'lifeline,'

aspects of

this case have been terminated and need no longer,

except perhaps for minor accountings, be considered as a part

of this project."

A last file of the ZRRIFLE series examined is entitled

"ZRRIFLE Name Traces/Personality Sketches."

Items of interest

in this file are as

follows:

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1. Piece of thin white paper under tab C, the heading

of which is "Secret-RYBAT."

This document is a

list of traits

which desired recruits would have. This is similar to the

list of traits deemed desirable in the handwritten memorandum

contained in the far rear of the previous file reviewed. This

set of characteristics, however,

could refer to burglars and

safecrackers as well as assassins.

This is indicated by

paragraph 8 which reads,

industrial documents cover."

"Commercial firms (unspecified) --

2. Included under tab M is a dossier of one Harold

Meltzer, a resident of Los Angeles, with a long criminal

record.

included inde oa

This is the first instance in which I have noted

a U.S. citizen under consideration for any recruitment with

espect to the ZRRIFLE project.

3. Under tab I, information on

Orlando Portale, an

Italian citizen residing in Detroit, is included.

4. At tab Y is a page of information on one Hanna

Yazbeck. The report states, "He often heads up a hatchet

squad when disputes arise

between the Moslem and Christian

underworld factions in Beirut."

The second paragraph of this

page reads as follows:

"During the period I was in Europe

(1950-1958), his chief bodyguard was a convicted murderer who

owed his release from prison to Yazbeck's power.

This body-

guard has since been murdered, but Yazbeck has an

available

pool of assassins."

PROPERTY OF

THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE

TOP

SECRET - SENSITIVE

...

01966

50955

DocId: 32201879

Page 13

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