MF: ADDITIONAL NOTES AND COMMENTS ON THE OSWALD CASE-SUMMARY OF REASONS FOR NOT CONCLUDING SOVIET INVOLVEMENT WITH OSWALD
Agency: CIA
Originator: CIA
From: SRI-HUNTLEY NEIL
To: CHIEF, SINO-SOVIET BLOC AREA
Document date: 12/11/63
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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CLASSIFICATION REVIEW

CONDUCTED ON R5- MAY 1921

mIMPDET CL BY 0142€

for FOLA Review on

MAY 1976

HENORANDUM FOR: Chief, Bino-Soviet Bloc Area

TEROUGH

: Chief, Soviet Internal Affairs Branch

Chief, Soviet Division

FROM

SRI - Neil Hintley

SUBJECT

Additional Notes and Conments on the

Oswald Case - Summany cr Rousers

for not ceveluding Stret eNvelremont

with OscArn

According to the New York Iimes for 10 December,

the Fil report on the assassination of Fresident Kennedy

categorically states that loe tarvey Oswald was the

assassin,

that he acted alone, and that there is no ev

dence to

indicate that he was the agent of any foreign

government.

These disclosures prosumably elisinate the

possibility of furtber conirontations, with kre Robert

Slusser•

In the event that tr. Slusser continues to

Inalst that the President was nurdered by the Sovlet se

cret police, the following additional negative indications

and observations may be of sone value.

Long standing kis practice generally forbids

serving outside the USSR to have any contact with

domestic communist parties or with sovlet embassies or

consulates.

2055

This prohibition, designed to reduce the

possibilitles of compronise to a minimm, is probably nost

stringently applied to agents on extremely sensitive i

sions.

Jet Oswald blazed a trail to the Soviets which was

a mile wide.

He corresponded with the nationnl headquarters

of the Cornist Party USA- apparently With sone regular-

Ity-and visited the Soviet Consulate In Mexico City. In

addition to his well-knom leftist political activitles,

11 DEC63

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4" "

ho also subscribed to the Dally Vorker and a Trotskyite

pubilcation, allegedly received newspapers fron the Sov

let Unlon, and asked last June that his passport be

re validated for travel to the USSR.

Certain facets of Oswald's activities in the

Boss also sigue strongly thit the IGB sould never have

recrulted him for a mission of any kind. First, there

Is no doubt that Oswald us debriefed by the secret

police shortly after his arrival In Hoscow. They were

interested In him not only because he was a political

defector, but also because be boasted publicly in the

Embassy on 31 October 1959- that he Intended to tell

the Soviets "everything he knew" about Marine Corps

radar Installations on the West Coast. / According to

Oswald's former conmanding officer, this included the

locations of all radar unts and their secret call signs,

authentication codes and radio frequencies-all of which

knowledge was grist for the Sovlet Intelligence u1ll.

Given the KGB penchant for keeping Its "Illegals" under

the deepest possible cover, bovever, 1t 18 extremely

unlikely that oswald with bis Fassian wife was even

seriously considered for subsequent repatriation to the

United States as # KGB asset.

As a re-defector from

the USSR he would immediatoly be suspect and thus under

survelllance by the ible

Furthernore, any Indication

that he had made good on his bonst about the radars

could easily lead to arrest and Indictent on a charge

o1 treason.

Secondly, Sovlet "executive action" agents

(assassins, saboteurs and terrorists) are carefully

selected by the KGB and specifically trained for their

missions.

Oswald very probably ruled hluself out of

any consideration. for this kind of operation. On

14 November 1959,

Moscow refused his request for sor

fet citizenship; Shortly thereafter, he becane des

pondent and reportedly attempted to kill hinsolf by

slashing his wrists.

Even 1f the EG3 bad not earlier

noted signs of mental aberratlons, the sulcide try pre

sumably furnished convincing evidence that Oswald vas

5. Oswald's activities on a Dallas rifle rango on

17 November are of some interest both as circumstantial

evidence of prior planning to assassinate the President

and as one more negatlve indication of XGB Involvement.

BACKGNON.

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SLutci

NO FOREC. SSEM

Oswald was firing at a range of 100 yards. He was assigned

to target suber 8, but according to witnesses, was actu

aLy Iring at targets 7, 8, and 9.: Se was thus firing

through an nre of approximately lo degrees and obviously

seems to have been simulating Iise at a moving target.

It 15, of course, most unllkely that & KGb agent on an

pat kins is a ge

perait hinself) to practice firing under such obvious and

public circunstances.

:Go.: The evidence presently avallable to us seens

falrly conclusively to rule out any soviet Involvement in

the President's assassination. There are, however,

several rather fascinating inconsistencies, loose ende

and unanswered questions about Oswald.

Some, #I not ally

may be treated in the IBI report.

Pending its publion

ton, they are listed below for whatever they may be worth.

2): In an interview last august, Oswald stated

that his father-In-law was a sovlet army colonel who

taught him to drink vodsa when he came to court Marad.

After the assassination, however, Nrs. Ruth Paine (some-

time Oswald Irlend and landlady) stated thnt Marina's

father, a colonel, had died wben Marina was an Infant.

b) To the tine of some $437, the US pleked

up the tab for Ossald's return to this

country.

loan was repald between October 1962 and January 1963.

During this period, Oswald was earning $50 per veel,

Thus, over half of

his total earnings went to the govern

ment and he supported himself, his wife and child on

somewhat less than $25 weekly.

His rent at that tine

was $59 per month.

The possibility that he received out

side help In repaying the government apparently hasnnot

been raised in the press.

surprisingly literate.

a par play tog

In contrat to the letters Oswald wrote

to his mother, Governor Connally and Senator Tower, bis

letters to the Falr Play for Cuba Committee are rather

They do not appear to contaln

his frequent misspellings and ungramatical languago.

There have been no suggestions that he received help in

framing the letters, and he told the IPCC that he was

Iinancing his activitles on its behalf out of his ow

pocket.

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SHOREI

BACKGROWNO GOE ONL.

NO FOLDEN OSSEA

There is increasing evidence that Cswald

and his wiie vere not happily narried. She vas vell

liked and he was unpopular.

She soned genuinely lond

of tho United States, did not share his anti-merican

viers and sosetimes spoke of the hard lile in the Sov

let Usion.

Oswald resented ber friends and beat her

up on at last one occasion. Since he could not have

planned the assassination of the President prior to

26 September-whon tbe Dallas trip vas announced could

it be that his appliention for a passport (without one

for Marina) on 29 Juno, his application for & lexican

visa on 17 September and his trlp to Mexico City on

26 Beptember simply indicate that be planned to desert

his wife and soek refuge in the sertet Unlon?

Despite Mrs. Palne's testimony that

Oswald could not drive, witnesses sald he drove klusell

to the Dallas riflo range on one of his vialts.. Do vas

driven there by a unidentified nan on his other trip.

One witness also clalas that two non wore lavolved in the

aftemptcyidently by Oswald-to shoot General Walker

last April.

Distribution:

Orig. # 1 - Addressee

— CD/SOV

CB/SRIv

SRI File

SEE 2A

BAC: 10

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PHILE

22St Li

Hesit

COGE SQ. CE. 3. 41

BIEST FEST. COGE

AFE (B)

FOR FROKE

MEMO FOR THE RECORD:

CorRections to Record

SUBJECT: DCI Testimony before the Warren Commission

1. 0/SR called me in re matter of correcting record of DCi's

testimony before the Warren Commission. On page 6582 of transcript,

Mr. Allen DULLES asked one of the key questions in the inquiry.

Unfortunately, the question was badly phrased and contained an

accurate statement.

It was usggested that the following modification

be made for the final record:

Melief that mirk

ME CD

D: Does your answer, Mr. McCONE, include a negation

of any belief that OSWALD was working for or on behalf

of the Soviet intelligence services (originally phrased:

on behalf of the Soveet Union) at any time?.

This would require a slight change in Mr. MCCONE's testimony in

which the words "intelligence services" would be substituted for

HUnion!

1eluded

2. :

In response to C/SR's request: I provided him with à brief

statement to

the effect that other

defectors to the USSR had received

subsidies or salary supplements vis the MVD.

The Statement also in-

cluded information concerning the role of the MVD in 1959 - 61.

(Copy attached)

Note:

/s/:

Lee H. Wigren

C/SR/CI /R

was advised by telephone that C/SR

R used this on

18 May 1964.

/s/

Document Number

628-305

for FOIA Review on

JUN 1976

RECORD COPY

18 MAY64

201-289248

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According to his own statements, Lee Harvey OSWALD

received a lump

sum of 5000 old rubles and a monthly salary

supplemented by 700 old rubles. These funds were provided

to him through the Soviet Red Cross, but OSWALD indicated his

belief that these funds actually came from the Ministry of

Internal Affairs (MVD).

2. Several other Americans are known to have received

salary supplements while resident in the USSR. In two cases

the Soviet Red Cross reportedly supported the defector and his

family for as

as six months. prior

to resettlement.

other cases it was not specified where the aid came

other than Soviet Government or Soviet authorities.

included payment of espenses until resettlement, medcial care,

above-average salary for job done, and lump-sum payments in

varying amounts.

3.

Until January 1960, the All-Union Ministry of Internal

Affairs (MVD) of the USSR was responsible for civil police func-

tions (crime detection, traffic controls,

administration

of internal document controls, fire fighting and civil defense.

In January 1960, the All-Union MVD was abolished and its func-

tions were transferred to the MVD's of the fifteen républics:

of the USSR..

The republic MVDs were renamed Ministeries for

Maintenance of Public Order (MOOP) in mid 1962•

Prepared for and delivered to

C/SR on 18 May 1964 (AM) •

Notified by phone that

C/SR used this on 18 May.

/s/ L..W.

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Sea Sanitines 1al0

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SR/CI Memo

23 Novumber 1963

vacate

ananation Departrest

241: 91

cover for their friarser there som sort of eyes business Vios Adulnal

COPY oF 34-538

Document Number

for FOlA Review on WAY: 1973

34-538

CoPs

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