WIROGUE/1 MISSION TO KINSHASA, DECEMBER 1960
Originator: CIA
To: MFR
Document date: 1960-12-01 00:00:00
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

# DOCID-32345613

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Date: 12/01/04

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JEK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

------=----→=

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : CIA

RECORD NUMBER

: 104-10059-10238

RECORD SERIES : JFK

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

80T01357A

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

AGENCY ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM

TO

TITLE

DATE

PAGES

MER

WIROGUE/1 MISSION TO KINSHASA, DECEMBER 1960

12/01/1960

4

SUBJECTS : CONGO

KINSHASA

JFK ASSASSINATION

WIROGUE/1

DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER

CLASSIFICATION

RESTRICTIONS :

1B

CURRENT STATUS : RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS

DATE OF LAST REVIEW

: 05/20/04

COMMENTS

: JFK8 : F26 : 20031208-1021136

Heleased under the John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act of

1992 (44 USC 2107 Note). Case#:NW

55924 Date: 10-21-2021

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

104-10059-10238

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1975-0855

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

SUBJECT: WIROGUE/1 Mission to Kinshasa, December 1960

On 13 March 1975 a search of available documents was

made to determine the

reason for the comment in paragraph 2

of a 17 December. 1960 cable from Leopoldville indicating

that WIROGUF/1 had attempted to recruit a European to be a

member of

"an execution squad."

The research did not clarify

this matter to any great extent, although some assumptions

can be made on the basis of circumstantial evidence.

WIROGUE/1 was

an ethnic Georgian recruited and trained

for the old REDSOCk program. Although born in the Soviet

Union, he moved to Western Europe when two years old. He

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

essentially stateless. Involved peripherally with the french

Resistance, he was sentenced to death by the Germans but

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

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

sum of money, receive a prison sentence and be released five

years later

for good behavior. He was brought to the United

States originally for use

as

one of

two agents for Project

AESENTINEL.

He spoke native French

and fluent Georgian,

German and English.

By 1960 the Agency was involved in a reasonably major

effort to resettle WIROGUE/1, possibly in Mexico, for. the

mission for which he had been

brought to the United States

had been canceled. WIROGUE/l's file indicates that as of

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

However, on 19 September. 1960 two members of Africa Division

met with him to discuss "an operational assignment in Africa

Division."

In connection with this assignment, WIROGUE/l

was to be

• trained in demolitions, small arms and medical

immunization. Plans to resettle him in Mexico were can-.

He was provided a new pseudonym and immunization

celed. In October 1960 a cable to Leopoldville stated that

SECRET

EZ IMPDET

CL BY 018307

5856

(ATT TO DOC# 4048)

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WIROGUE/1 was being prepared for deep cover assignment to

arrive Leopoldville late November.

Headquarters noted the

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

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

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

requiring positive action. PHis utilization is not to be

restricted to Leopoldville. Indeed, he may be subject

to

call by other African stations although it is expected for

him

' to be resident in Leopoldville."

In this cable WIROGUE/1

was

described correctly as an inventor, photographer, archi-

tect, forger and former bank robber.

He was judged to be

ingenuous, observant, shrewd, glib and one who relished

intrigue and daring.

He was assessed as able to "learn

quickly and carry out any assignment without regard to

danger.!'

As he was in the United States black, the plan

was for him to depart black, documented as an Austrian,

to surface in West Germany and from there to proceed on

his own to Leopoldville.

In November 1960 "to prevent his

identification with the U.S. Government or BKHERALD and

to

preclude any unexpected recovery of his past which would

associate him with his pre-BKHERALD life", WIROGUE/1 under-

went plastic surgery to change the shape of his nose.

was provided a toupee for constant wear and documented as

an Austrian who had never been to the United States. Cover

for his presence in Leopoldville was to be as shopkeeper,

possibly that of

a photographer.

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

able to rationalize any action if he had strong case offi-

cer direction.

Training records for WIROGUE/1, subsequent

to his engagement by the Africa Division, indicate training

only in sW.

WIROGUE/1 arrived in Leopoldville on 2 December 1960.

His case officer gave him the following instructions: (a)

¿ December 19(a)

to build cover possibly by opening a photographic shop; and

(b) to try to spot persons for a surveillance

team, intel

assets, particularly in Oriental province, and para-military.

assets.

Almost immediately upon arrival he ran into QUINg

who told the station that WIROGUE/1 looked like an intel-

ligence agent.

In attempting to recruit QJVIN& for his

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

avoid making approaches without checking with Leopoldville

station.

2

SECRET

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SEGRET

In January 1961 Leopoldville asked for authority to

permit WIROGUE/l to take flying lessons so that the station

plane could be used for clandestine missions (the plane was

registered in YQCLAM/1's name). Station acknowledged dis-

advantage of crossing WIROGUE/1 and YQCLAM/1 operations

(YQCLAM/I was never involved in any assassination schemes).

Headquarters approved flying lessons. By March 1961 WIROGUE/1

had obtained the position of adviser to the Congolese Air

Force with the rank of Major and was almost immediately used

for the purpose of gathering intelligence on the Congolese

Air Force. By April 1961 the Congolese were attempting use

himVobtain arms and instructors in Western Europe.

By

April. 1961 WIROGUE/l was teaching the Congolese to fly

aircratt, although he himself had learned only several

months earlier and was reading navigation manuals at night

to stay ahead of his class.

In July 1961 WIROGUE/1 departed

Leopoldville because he had run into difficulty obtaining

a residence permit.

He was terminated in September 1961.

In a summary of his activity in August 1961, Leopoldville

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

ities.

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

for his Congo

assignment because of his third country national

background in order

to establish a support mechanism in

Leopoldville.

At the time the Congo was in chaos, BKHERALD

had

few

assets and there was some likelihood that the polit.

ical situation would degenerate quickly. The Station possibly

also wanted to have a latent para-military capability and

WIROGUE/1'5 background and previous training for the REDSOUKE

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

conjecture.

Perhaps pertinent is an October 1964 assessment of

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

in Germany.

Resettling him had turned out to be an enormous

problem.

The October 1964 cable notes that WIROGUE/l had

an intense desire for intelligence service and enjoyed the

role of lower

echelon action agent. Although he threatened

to go to work for the French IsS, it was not believed that he thost.

bineshe would be accepted.

The assessment indicated there

was little flap potential with WIROGUE/1 since he knew little

3

SECRET

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SECRET

about the Agency. In particular, in the Congo he was

only of the COS's contact with 'contact

WIROGUE/1 spent

most of his time trying to develop contacts and was not

directly involved in any particular operation.

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