LIONION PHOTOGRAPHIC OPERATION AGAINST CUBAN CONSULATE
Originator: CIA
Document date: 1978-07-25 00:00:00
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

# DOCID-32400224

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JEK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION

FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : CIA

RECORD NUMBER: 104-10126-10059

RECORD SERIES: JFK

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

8OT01357A

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

AGENCY ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM

TO

TITLE

:

LIONION PHOTOGRAPHIC OPERATION AGAINST CUBAN CONSULATE

DATE

07/25/1978

PAGES

:

4

SUBJECTS

WITHHELD

LIONION

DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER

CLASSIFICATION : UNCLASSIFIEL

RESTRICTIONS

CURRENT STATUS RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS

DATE OF LAST REVIEW

: 08/05/93

COMMENTS: JFK57 : F2: 1993.08.05.19:27:58:000037

Heleased under the John F. Kennedy Assassination

Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Note).

Case# NW 65924 Date: 10-26-2021

[R]

ITEM IS RESTRICTED

104-10126-10059

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SECRET

25 July 1978

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

Subject:

LIONION Photographic Operation;

Targeted

Against Cuban Consulate

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SUMMARY

Available records show that the VLS-2, an automatic

camera..device,

was in process of being installed at the

LIONION basehouse on 27 September 1963., This device was

to be used with

the K-100 16 mm. movie camera or the

Robot Star 35 mm. still camera.

These systems were aimed

at the gate of the Cuban Consulate. The first test pictures

were sent

to Headquarters as attachments to HMMA-22433 on

7 November 1963.

One of the attachments, (A), shows the

VLS-2 coverage

of the Consulate gate. Obvious in this

photograph is a sign indicating the hours of the Consulate

(for visas).

The hours are 10:00.to 2:00, Monday through

Friday. The date this test photograph was taken is un-

known.

A later monthly report for 1

- 31 December 1963,

- (HMMA-22726), discusses the installation of a SEQUENCE

camera on 17 December 1963 with hours of operation against

the Consulate 0900 to 1400, office hours of the Consulate.

Subsequent monthly reports

confirm that the SEQUENCE camera

was indeed the Pulse Camera.

The record, then, shows:

A. The Pulse Camera was installed, for the

first time, on 17 December 1963.

B. No coverage of the Consulate existed prior

to 27 September 1963 when the VLS-2 and

K-100 or Robot Star systems were being in-

stalled during the morning.

DISCUSSION

HSCA Researchers, Dan Hardway and Ed Lopez, reviewed

Agency files on the following dates:

26 May 1978

22 June

1978

5 July 1978

20 July 1978

21 July 1978

SECRET

19989

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These files contain materials cited in the SUMMARY, includ-

ing sample photographs of the Consulate

gate using the

K-100 and Robot Starr systems triggered by the VLS-2.

These systems are readily identifiable by nature of the

resultant prints.

The K-100 is 16 mm. format and is so

marked on the reverse side of the print (although misidenti-

fied as Attachment A to HMMA-22433

when it should have been

Attachment B). The Robot Star is 35 mm. format. None of

these prints, which were sent to Headquarters as test

on 7 November 1963, has the distinctive mark of

the Pulse Camera in the lower left corner. The Pulse

Camera recorded a time-date image in the lower left corner

from an internal Accutron movement.

This can be seen in a

sample picture sent to Headquarters.on 22 June 1965 (HMMA-

26414), entitled Details of LIONION

Pulse Camera Operation.

This report confirms,

begin operation until mid-beceher Pubs. Camera did not

'INFERENCES

The Warren Commission record concludes, from Duran

testimony, that Oswald

visited the Cuban Consulate some-

time after arriving in Mexico City on the morning of

27 September 1963.

That same morning, across the street

at LIERODE basehouse, the new trigger

device and K-100/

Robot Star systems were in process of being installed. If

the installations were to have gone smoothly, the systems

may have been tested against the target at the very

moment when Oswald is supposed to have appeared. However,

the record of that mornings? efforts shows that the K-100

had a malfunctioning part which had to be remachined.

It

is possible that this installation, begun in the morning,

may have taken welllinto the afternoon

to complete because

(1) this was a new installation in a new room of the base-

house and (2) the technicians experienced problems with

the equipment. The ultimate setup

would have been tested

on the target when it was complete.

But the Consulate

have been

few, if

purposes.

may have been

likely, then, that the instal-

lation, when completed, was

not tested against actual (and

available) targets until the opening of business Monday

morning, 30 September. Oswald is not known to have visited

the Consulate after Saturday, 28 September.

The LIONION

photographic site did not operate on Saturdays.

I conclude that the probability of having taken a

photograph of Oswald during his visit(s) to the cubar

•Consulate on 27 September 1963 is remote.

2

SECRET

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SECRET

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

The files reveal the following supplemental in-

formation:

A. LITAMIL ?, LITAMIL 9, penetrations of the

Cuban Embassy, were aware of and assisted

in the production of LIONION.

HSCA re-

searchers have reviewed this item.

B. LIONION 1 and

Z were terminated 1 November 1972.

The termination report assumed that they were

either doubled, or their operation was being

monitored.

C. LIONION 1 and 2 intended to resettle in Madrid

on l September 1972. HSCA researchers have

had access to this item.

D. Seventy volumes (5 packages) of LIONION pro-

duction from late 1961 through December 1968

were sent to Record Center, 12 August 1969 to

Headquarters with a recommendation that they

be forwarded to Records Center for retention

of 10 years from date of information. (Thus,

the earlier production may have been destroyed!

This item

is HMMA-37684.

Unknown is HSCA has

seen.

E. Photographs of Pulse Camera in operating posi-

tion sent to Headquarters as Enclosure 3,

HMMA - 22881, 13 February 1964. Location of

Enclosure or HMMA-22881 unknown to undersigned.

Unknown if HSCA has seen.

F. Photographs taken using Pulse Camera were sent

to Headquarters as HMMA-22836, 31 January 1964.

Location of photographs unknown to undersigned.

Unknown if HSCA. has seen.

G. Pulse Camera

removed for reconditioning during

May 1964.

H. All

equipment removed from LIONION basehouse on

26-27 September 1964 for 6-8 weeks as precaution

after release of Warren Commission Report.

SECRET

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..t.

SECRET

I. LIONION basehouse partially reactivated,

25 November 1964 with

only coverage

Embassy gate....Pulse

Camera

be installed

in near future.

Redger

Rodger S. Gabrielson

4

SECRET

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