MEMO: HSCA REFERENCES TO OVERSEAS CIA STATIONS.
Originator: CIA
From: BRECKINRIDGE, SCOTT D., OLC
To: DCI
Document date: 02/08/1979
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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

OLC 79-0113/8

5 February 1979

MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence

VIA

FROM

SUBJECT

: Legislative Counsel

: S. D. Breckinridge

Principal Coordinator, HSCA

: House Select Committee on Assassinations References

to Overseas CIA Stations

1. Action Requested: That you approve one of the options

set forth in paragraph 11.

2. Background: CIA's participation in the investigation of

President Kennedy's assassination was limited by the pattern of Lee

Harvey Oswald's life.

He served in the Marine Corps in Japan,

although he did not come to the attention of the CIA at that time.

He travelled to the Soviet Union in 1959, returning to the United

States in 1962: He did not come to CIA's attention until his

defection was reported by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

He

travelled to Mexico City in late September 1963, returning to

the United States in early October after a five-day stay. CIA

detected his presence and reported it.

False allegations by a disaffected CIA employee claiming

CIA-Oswald ties in

Japan consumed some of the Committee's time and

attention.

They discredited his testimony, but in the process of

discussing it, they talk about the things he said, including his

duties in Tokyo. We have never confirmed the existence of a Station

in Tokyo, We would endeavor to have the Committee sanitize and

downplay this section of its report simply because of the

of the witness'

testimony, if thisnunsuccessful, unclassified publication

may become an issue.

4. Oswald's entry to the Soviet Union, with a visa given by the

Soviet Consul in Helsinki

existence st the clA station ins estakand the file held on the of

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Consul, who was KGB. We believe this can be remedied by sanitization;

if not, it could become an issue if HSCA insists on publication.

Oswald's visit to Mexico City and other developments there

have produced detailed discussion of certain events

in HSCA drafts.

One of those intended by the Committee for unclassified publication

has to do with a man who made allegations that Oswald received money

the Cuban Consulate for the purpose of killing the President.

This considers the investigation of the allegation,

with criticisms

of the performance of the Agency.

It involves detailed reference to

the Station in Mexico.

The other section intended for unclassified

publication has to do with a man who flew to Cuba from Mexico City

is extensive reference to the role of the Station.

a few days after the assassination of President Kennedy Committee's

Again, there

charter includes evaluation of the intelligence agencies, and it

would argue it must publish.

The present issue is whether there can be some euphemism

for describing CIA personnel in Mexico City for the investigation,

without specifying that they were assigned there on a permanent basis,

or whether we simply oppose any references.

The Committee can be

expected to contest our objections to any references to the Station

or CIA's presence there for the investigation because the story

cannot be told otherwise.

To omit such references would mean

that these limited sections would probably have to be deleted,

or so emasculated as to be rendered sterile and incomprehensible.

The Warren Commission report has only limited references to

CIA, crediting it with reporting Oswald's visit to Mexico City prior

to the. assassination, and obtaining by undisclosed means a photograph

of an unidentified man. Other information from CIA is not specified in

the report,

while the press has accurately described those matters,

the Agency has never officially confirmed it.

8. The Church Committee report, in Book V, makes 28 separate

ceferences to come Mecico ss with last Mexico City e this is not s

Chief, or its communications with Washington.

While this

publication by CIA, it has the quality of official confirmation

virtue of being contained in a Senate report. The Agency did not

contest this at the time.

Further, the Agency subsequently approved

references to the Mexico

City Station and its

Chief, in the book

published by David Phillips, possibly because already public in the

Senate report.

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Staff Discussion:

Since the Church Committee investigation

and the approval of the

references in the Phillips

book,. there

has been

an increase in the sensitivity

of the Mexico City Station.

The Station

has been the subject of a running campaign in the local press. Domestic

political controversy has focused attention on the Embassy and the

Station, with allegations of bribery and other misdeeds.

of the United States an- Mexico gas and petroleum has heightened

sensitivity concerning anything that may affect the political atmosphere.

President Carter will be visiting in Mexico soon.

The President himself

has instructed the Attorney General that there can be no references

to the Mexico City Station in its prosecution of the ITT matter.

the President can instruct a member of the Executive Branch on this matter,

a formal position from him on this subject, directed to the Congress, does

not have the same weight.

10. The agreement between you and. Chairman

Stokes provides that

an official notice of the intent

to publish, you have

five days in which to respond to him if you object.

At present, we have

this information on an informal basis and the five-day period does not

Therefore, this is posed to you in anticipation of a disagreement

if discussions do not produce a way around the issue.

11. Our options are:

a. To seek some compromise by discussions;

b. Accept some euphemism that suggests the presence

in Mexico of CIA people in 1964 for purposes of the investigation

without specifying that they were assigned there permanently;

c. Catagorically oppose publication of these two sections.

12. Action Requested: We intend to pursue Option a,

but prior

to doing so, your decision on Options. b and c will be necessary to

shape how we proceed.

S. D. Breckinridge

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