INTERVIEW OF PAPICH, FORMER FBI LIAISON WITH CIA
Agency: SSCIA
Originator: SSCIA
From: BAYLY, JOHN
To: SMOTHERS, CURT
Document date: 6/5/75
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

0942493

Date: 08/15/92

Page: 1

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

13X11

AGENCY : SSCIA

RECORD NUMBER : 157-10005-10078

RECORDS SERIES :

Released under the John

F. Kennedy

Assassination Records

Collection Act of 1992

144 USC 2107 Notel.

Case#:NW 54653 Date:

10-23-2017

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR : SSCIA

FROM : BAYLY, JOHN

TO : SMOTHERS, CURT

TITLE :

MEMORANDUM

DATE: 06/05/75

PAGES : 2

SUBJECTS.:

INTERVIEW OF PAPIACH, FORMER FBI LIAISON WITH CIA 5/25/75

ELLIFF, JOHN

HOOVER, J. EDGAR

FBI

DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION : U

RESTRICTIONS : REFERRED

CURRENT STATUS : P

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 09/29/93

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS :

BOX 265-14

CIA MASNO OSUSCTION TO

DECLASSIFIGATION AND/OR

RELEASE OF THIS DOCUMENT

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

HH 54653

DocId: 32202268

Page 1

---

## Page 2

SSCI BOX # 265-14

10018

"FBE UNTO

REVIEWED BY FBI/JFK TASK FORCE

MEMORANDUM

ON 112/92 dal-

I RELEASE IN FULL

TO:

Curt Smothers

CT RELEASE IN PART

T: 101 39414979-

O TOTAL DENIAL

RE :

Interview of Papitch, former FBI liaison with CIA

May 25, 1975

June

5, 1975

Mr. Papitch was interviewed by John Eliff in the

presence of Burton Wides and myself in Room 607 of the

Carroll Arms for about 4 hours.

He appears to be a reflective, ingenuous, and agreeable

former FBI agent who has a considerable reservoir of

experience and opinion.

He was forthcoming and cooperative

but stated firmly that he has considerable concern for Bloc

Intelligence efforts and a great admiration for both the

CIA and the FBI.

At the onset, he presented a brief history of the CIA's

relations with the FBI and traced Hoover's suspicions

regarding the CIA -- as well as his aloofness from it --

to a residual resentment which sprang from both Hoover's

innate parochialism and the agency's recruitment of FBI

personnel -- particularly those with Latin American back-

grounds

-- in the late '40's and early '50's.

Papitch

stressed more than once that Hoover was a solitary silent

colossus

who had his own sources and contacts and the best

sense of political realities of any official in Washington.

Directed toward the matter of operations, Panitch

mentioned that the FBI and CIA ordinarly undertook no

joint efforts, and never co-operated on any electronic

surveillance

efforts. In this regard, Papitch contrasted

the views of Belmont, whom he lauded,

with those of Sullivan

and DeLoach.

Papitch also adverted to the difficult "grey"

areas in which there was a confusion or duplication of

jurisdiction with the CIA, and cited specifically the

questions of penetration of foreign embassies and

missions

in this country as well as the recruitment of counter

intelligence groups by CIA. (Papitch stated that he often

CIA HAS NO OBJECTION TO

DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR

RELEASE OF THIS DOCUMENT

AS AHE

18124/98

NW 54653 DooId: 32202268 Page 2

---

## Page 3

JB: dk

1H 54653 DocId: 32202268

Page 3

Page 2

Papitch reviewed the history of the Riha case

and outlined how confusion led

to Hoover's abrupt

decision to

terminate liaison with

CIA. Papitch

also adverted to CIA's concern in '68 or '69 that

certain of its employees were being recruited by

radical associations and thus CIA sought the assistance

of the FBI.

Papitch

also mentioned the following:

1)

FBI had a San Juan, Puerto Rico, office as

well as

a Mexico City office.

2)

An FBI agent went to the Dominican Republic

during the 1965 crisis at President Johnson's

direction to investigate.

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

8)

9)

Many problems arose from CIA's attemots to

recruit Cubans in Miami and several squabbles

developed from the conflicting interest of FBI

and CIA.

On occasion CIA gave FBI "products" and "items of

interest" derived from its mail opening operation

in New

York City.

Without exception, each and every American newsman

in Moscow has been approached and attempted to be

recruited by the KGB.

The CIA has provided the FBI information for

criminal prosecutions, but never information

has tainted prosecutions.

which

Ober asked the FBI if the Bureau objected to the

insertion of an Agency asset in a domestic dissendent

group so that the asset could obtain "credentials"

for further foreign work.

(Operation Lodestar)

Papitch agreed but asked

for the identity of the

CIA "insertion".

In '69 an FBI source/asset went to Italy as a student

although Papitch recommended transfer of the sourcel

asset to the CIA.

Papitch has no recollection of Jane Fonda or Robert

Vesco and only a hazy recollection of notional

Marxist/Leninst groups and CIA funding of a

52.9 million FBI operation in New York City (M-leon).

( B)

---