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104-10105-10120

UNCLASSIFIED

2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

INTERNAL

USE ONLY

CONFIDENTIAL

SECRET

• JUTING AND RECORD SHEET

SUBJECT: (Optional)

AT To ca

FROM:

EXTENSION

Robert R. Kierce

Chief

Special Security Unit, DDO

TO: (Officor dosignation, room numbar, and

DATE

building)

RECEIVED

1.

C/EAB/SSD

2.

1015

OFFICER'S

INITIALS

FORWARDED

NO.

DATE

14 June 1976

COMMENTS (Numbor each commens to show from whom

to whom. Dram a line across column after each commeni.)

APPROVED FOR RELEASE 1093

CIA MSIONIGAL HENIEW PROGRAM

6.

7.

PRIORITY

De: No: 760

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

FORA

3-62

0.0 USE PREVIOUS

EDITIONS

SECRET

CONFIDENTIAL

INTERNAL

USE

ONLY

UNCLASSIFIED

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_CONFIDENTIAT

1 4 JUN 1976

MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, External Activities Branch, SSD

SUBJECT

: Manuscript by David Phillips

1. The following passages are a compilation of

observations made by the SSU regarding Mr. Phillips'

manuscript.

The comments are by no means a total list

of reservations concerning the submitted chapters but

those noted from the perspective of the SSU.

2.

In general the undersigned felt somewhat enlight-

ened but rather uncomfortable in reading the submitted

manuscript.

This uneasy feeling appears to be based upon

two impressions.

effort on the part of Mr. Phillips to

Throughout the text, the the record straight"

with regard to events,

techniques and activities involving

CIA.

Regrettably, as

is often the case when one attempts

o clarity and present the real tacts, there is a possibility

of further

compounding

a confused and

ambiguous circumstance.

Because of the various ramifications of the activities of the

Agency, the SSU gained the feeling that more was lost rather

than won in Mr.

Phillips'

efforts.

The second disarming im-

pression is that because an individual has proved to be an

effective and successful CIA operations officer, there is no

clear-cut assurance that he can achieve the same success as an

The SSU was continually pained by Mr. Phillips' efforts

to employ certain techniques often seen in spy fictions.

The

problem with author Phillips is that he is not writing fiction

and has been identified as a former CIA employee with over

25 years in intelligence service.

Although Mr. Phillips

labored to introduce some humor into his manuscript, some of

his anecdotes appear to be in bad taste.

3. The following comments are codified to complement

those parts of the manuscript reviewed in this reading.

Epilogue

Page 6: Although Mr. Phillips makes a considerable effort

to conceal the true identity of "Abe"

, there is a question

as to whethel the fact that two cables were sent from Head-

quarters to (Chile) in May 1973, and if this manuscript is the

proper vehicle to surface such

information.

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Page 13: Mr. Colby is quoted by the author indicating

certain information revealing complications between

Mr. Colby and Dr. Kissinger.

In addition to breaching

personal confidences,

the author contradicts what he had

indicated earlier to

be an intent to permit Mr. Colby to

speak for himself.

Page 14-18: Mr. Phillips again refers to "Abe" and

his evaluations of the various congressional select comnittees

investigating the CIA.

In eftect these comments are suggestive

of Agency judgments and evaluation regarding the conduct and

success of the investigative efforts às well as other person-

alities critical of the Agency.

Chapter 3

Page' 5: Have the circumstances regarding Mr. Wisner's

death ever been surfaced with such particulars as provided

in this text?

Page 14:

money" as set forth in

The information regarding the "laundering of

the first paragraphs of this page

serves as a contirmation of official involvement in such

activities. This should be deleted.

Page 21: There is a serious question raised regarding

the author connecting Ernest Hemmingway and the Havana Chief

of Station implying the prospect of a professional as well as

personal affiliation.

Page 48: If it is in fact correct, has it ever been

officially acknowledged that a U.S. citizen, a businessman

in Havana, implied by the author

as being a

CIA agent was

executed? Note: This chapter is replete with a profusion

of illustrations of tradecraft and operational activities

too numerous to set forth.

Chapter 5

Page I: Mr. Phillips in his writing provides a

historical chronology of senior assignments within the Agency

with particular reference

to the LA or WH Division.

This is

illustrate leaders page the is pavestone to noone intere

Anyone interested

noting the organizational hierarchy and key personalities

in

the wh or LA Division during the period of Mr:

Phillips'

tenure with the Agency, would be aided considerably on page 2

and turther as the author proceeds to identify Mr. Winston

Scott as the Chief of Station Mexico.

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Page 3: Although it has been publicly surfaced that

Mr. William F. Buckley had worked for ClA in the past,

the

author on

and Mexico City and turther as an American contract agent.

The

best interests of the Agency are not served nor for that

matter the interests of Mr. Buckley and Mr. Hunt are not

served by such revelations.

Page

4-6: The SSU believes it is totally unwise to

have the mission and organization of

the Mexico City Station

outlined

as explicitly as contained in these pages.

Page 5-6: The above observation is further complicated

by the author's remarks

regarding operations levied against

the Cuban Embassy in Mexico.

Page 8: The SSU further challenges the information set

forth on this page regarding the biographic details of

Mr. Winston Scott's assignments in Cuba, (London), Eur Division

and Mexico City.

15-8

Page 15: The undersigned does not believe the content

of the information set forth regarding the Agency's procedures

associated with the purchasing of scotch liquor.

He is implying

things which may perhaps have been unique to that station but

certainly has not been a worldwide practice.

Mr. Phillips'

anecdote about the prospects of the Agency printing counterfeit

tax stamps and the details involved in such planning, even

though perhaps presented in jest would not be viewed

as such

in the eyes of many individuals in the United States today.

Page 16: Because Philip Agee has revealed the secret of

the camera operation in his book, is it necessary for Mr. Phillips

to repeat and in effect collaborate what a diseffected employee

of the Agency is purporting?

From a friendly alumnus of the

Agency, this serves as a verification of Agee's statements and

provides a violation of sources and methods of this organization.

Page 18-19: Pursuing the aspect of sources and methods,

the SSU questions the author's anecdote regarding the identif-

ication and employment techniques of the material "why me".

It would seem that in so far as any chemical or technical

devices of this nature used by the Organization should not be

surfaced in a book such as this.

3

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Page 25-21:

The specifics associated with the Cuban

Missle Crisis of 1962 involving former Director John McCone

and others are subject to strong question as to whether they

should be included in this text.

Again, what is provided

by MI. Phillips in this manuscript is drawn from such personal

experiences realized in his Agency duties.

Page 33-35:

The SSU takes exception to the information

presented regarding "walk-ins" based upon the same rationale

as contained above. It also flirts with the concerns of

sources and methods of this Agency.

Page 46-48: All remarks concerning technical operations

such

as hidden microphones, quick plants, etc, are out of

order particularly with reference to the

nicrophone in the armchair.

concern regarding sources and methods.

acos for not

development of a

This again violates the Agency's

Page 55-61: Considerable inside information is provided

regarding Lee Harvey Oswald and his activities in Mexico.

The SSU defers to LA Division, SE Division and OS regarding

the advisability of inclusions of this material in this

manuscript.

Chapter 7

Page 26: Although there is a legal basis for the serving

of alcoholic beverages in

the DCI dining room, is it appropriate

to include such "tidbits" providing the news media with grist

to conjure up stories of senior CIA executives making critical

decisions following an alcoholic luncheon.

implication

is synonymous with the problem of beer being available to the

Secret Service when they are on assignment with the President.

Page 31: Throughout the manuscript the author in his

narration confirms the fact that CIA has stations located around

the world and in his writing procedes to verify the location of

these stations.

The comments relating to where he was assigned

and where others in the Agency have been or are assigned, not

only relates to the South America area but on this page the

author confirms the fact that there was a CIA station

in

12-32 Brazzaville.) Other than in the change in name there is no

effort made

to dispel the prospect that the station continues.

Page 42-44: Although it is a most timely subject,

information regarding any U.S. Government effort to assassinate

Castro is

highly explosive.

Mr. Phillips is reporting information

which he has privy to as a direct result of his Agency exper-

iences. These should not be contained in this book.

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Page 44: Although (Camp Peary)has unfortunately been

identified

as a CIA facility, is it necessary for the author

to reintorce media articles regarding this establishment by

spelling

out the cover background and other "chapter and

verse" items regarding this facility. I believe comments

regarding firearms training, counterterrorism training should

be avoided.

Chapter 8

to the fibrick kidnapping again is a violation of sources

The author's remarks concerning CIA support

and methods, and should be deleted.

Pages 13-21: It is understandable but regrettable that

the author continues to single out sensitive issues; 1.e.

assassination

instance CIA involvement in Chile.

The information contained in these pages are volatile and

should not be included in such a commercial venture.

Any

such information is liable for quotations out of context

warping or reinforcing the involvement that the Agency did

have in the political activities of Chile.

Page 25:

For the first time the SSU was made aware of

the daughter of a CIA officer who was stripped naked and held

with a knife at her throat by political assassins.

If this

is in fact a true statement, I question the value of such an

inclusion in this

text particularly in light of the terrorism

problems that this Agency and other elements of the U.S.

Government are experiencing around the world.

Page 27: The statement the author makes with regard to

promotion to GS-17 is not correct.

Page 31: I believe that Office of Communications should

be consulted on the entire section relating to communications,

communications personnel and the Office of Communications,

however, the ssu raises the question concerning the inclusion

of teletype decoding speeds on this particular page.

Chapter 10

Note: Chapter 10 continues in the same vein as all of the

other chapters.

• It further reinforces the earlier remarks that

the more one

tries to explain and clarify a point the more

confusing it becomes.

The remarks contained in pages 23 and

24 regarding Chile are illustrative of this.

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In summary, the ssU joins those who feel that this

oook would better have been left unwritten. It is a text

replete with names, details, operational information and

close personal

privileged information based upon the author's

assignments which has been rendered into a commercial version

of Mr. Phillips'

affiliation with this agency for over 25

This manuscript reinforces

the difficulty of a retired

operations officer to develop a non-fiction text which is

attractive to the public but does not contain information

regarding intelligence personalities, organization and sources

and methods.

Rulent R. Airse

Robert R. Kierce

Chief

Special Security Unit, DDO

CONFIDENTIAI

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