LETTER OF 11 SEPTEMBER 1978 FROM CHAIRMAN STOKES, HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ASSASS.
Agency: CIA
Originator: CIA
From: BRECKINRIDGE, S.D.
To: DCI
Document date: 9/12/78
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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104-10146-10149,

SECRET

i .

78-2313/4

1016 #73-3016111

12 September 1978

MEMORANDUM FOR : Director of Central Intelligence

VIA

: Deputy Director of Central

Intelligence

FROM

: S. D. Breckinridge

SUBJECT

: Letter of ll September 1978 from

Chairman Stokes, House Select Committee

on Assassinations

Action Requested: A recommendation

for your approval

is at paragraph 3.

Background: The House Select Committee on Assassina-

tions (HSCA) has let a subpoena lapse without execution, and

the 11 September letter from Chairman Stokes, a copy of

which

is attached, lists five items of interest to the Committee,

some

of which were the subject of the earlier request.

The

five items are noted and commented on briefly below:

a .

The letter specifies interest in "mug

books"

shown to a Cuban defector,

Having raised

the questions, the letter then goes on

to say that

this "is no longer a matter in dispute."

The

material has been available for review

by HSCA

personnel for some two weeks now.

b.

The Committee is interested in "all

debriefing memoranda" relating to a Cuban defector.

This was one of the

relates to a debriefing memorandum (numbered 40)

in a series of sequentially numbered documents.

debriet any number o

subjects in the subpoena and

In fact, we believe that a debriefing memorandum

that is unnumbered, but that appears to have been

in the sequence of

debriefings, has been reviewed

by the HSCA investigator.

That investigator has

been briefed on this and

a written summary has

been available for his review.

Chairman Stokes

may not have been informed

accurately on this

point and we think that the explanation available

is a valid one.

22355

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The HSCA requests "all files and file

references" to a person not named in the letter,

but who was William K. Harvey. The HSCA has seer

the official personnel folder

on Mr. Harvey for

the period requested (1959-1966).

The Office of

Security

files were also reviewed, but these had

been sanitized to remove references to personal

difficulties experienced by him in a later part

of his career.

No complaint had been made to the

Office of Security about the sanitization, and

they are ready to show these sections to a senior

member, only, on the HSCA staff.

d. The HSCA request for "the three-volume

history and analysis" of the Mexico City Station

rong aston of do

was a subject of the subpoena.

It is inaccurate

to describe it as an analysis, and it is more a

compilation of terse summaries than a true history.

It covers a twenty-two year period in the history

of the Station

from 1947> to 1969, with a wide range

of subject matter that by any normal reasoning is

irrelevant to the question of the assassination of

President Kennedy.

The rationale offered up by

Mr. Blakey is that he must understand the history

of the Station

to evaluate its performance during

the investigation of the assassination.

While the

Agency's position has been that this is irrelevant

to the charter of the Committee, LA Division is

prepared to let either Mr. Blakey or his de both

Mr. 'Cornwell, review this.

We realize that

gentlemen are very busy, but the total compilation

is too sensitive to let

the young men on the staff

have access to it.

The request for access to "all files and

file references to a Cuban citizen" for the period

1 September 1963 through 31 January 1964 raises the

question of the Proenza case and a deception opera-

in which Miss Proenza was one of the targets.

Contrary to the statement in the letter, a House

investigator was shown the 201 file for

the period

from January 1963 through May 1964. Access to

the operational file on the deception matter was

denied the Committee on the recommendation of the

DDO, approved by the DDCI. LA Division believes

this contains no reference to the subject of the

investigation,

and is reviewing the files again

to verify this.

The origin of the interest in this

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SEURET

was in Miss Proenza herself, and the relevant

period about her and any ties to her association

with the Agency would be reflected in her 201

file.

The Committee's interest in the unrelated

sensitive operation seems unreasonable to us.

3. Recommendation: It is recommended that a meeting

be arranged between

either you or Mr. Carlucci and Chairman

Stokes to review our understanding of the status of the first

to persuade the have altony been satisfied contronte ona

on the sensitive operational file.

S. D. Breckinridge

Attachment:

As stated

SFORET

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SECRET

OIC RECORD COPY

TOL6 + 78-301611

12 September 1978

ASCA

MEMORANDUM FOR : Director of Central Intelligence

VIA

FROM

SUBJECT

: Deputy Director of Central Intelligence

:

S. D. Breckinridge

:

Letter of ll September 1978 from

Chairman Stokes, House Select Committee

on Assassinations

1. Action Requested: A recommendation for your approval

is at paragraph 3.

2.

Background: The House Select Committee on Assassina-

tions

(HSCA) has let a subpoena lapse without execution, and

the 11 September letter from Chairman Stokes, a copy of

is attached, lists five items of interest to

some of which were the subject of the earlier request. The

five items are noted and commented on briefly below:

a.

The letter specifies interest in "mug

books"

shown

to a Cuban defector,

Having raised

the questions, the letter then goes on to say that

this

"is no longer a matter in dispute."

The

material has been available for review by HSCA

personnel for some two weeks now.

b.

The Committee is interested in "all

debriefing memoranda" relating to a Cuban defector.

This was

one of the

subjects in the subpoena and

relates to a debriefing memorandum (numbered 40)

in a series of sequentially numbered documents.

In fact, we believe that a debriefing memorandum

that is

unnumbered,

but that appears to have been

in the sequence of

debriefings, has been reviewed

by the HSCA investigator. That investigator has

been briefed on this and

a written summary has

been available for his review.

Chairman Stokes

may not have been informed accurately on this

point and we think that the explanation available

brenk

is a valid one.

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E 2 IMPDET CL Erd3120

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C.

The HSCA requests "all files and file

references" to a person not named in the letter,

but who was William K. Harvey. The HSCA has seen

will an

the official personnel folder on Mr. Harvey for

the period

requested (1959-1966).

The Office of

Security files were also reviewed, but these had

been sanitized to remove references to personal

difficulties experienced by him in a later part

of his career.

No complaint had

been made to the

Office of Security about the sanitization, and

they are ready to show these sections to

senior

member, only, on the HSCA staff.

d. The HSCA request for "the three-volume

history and analysis" of the Mexico City Station

was a subject of the subpoena. It is inaccurate

to describe it as an analysis,

and it is more a

compilation of terse summaries

than a true history.

It covers a twenty-two year period in the history

of the Station from 1947 to 1969, with a wide range

of subject matter that by any normal reasoning is

irrelevant to the question of the assassination of

President Kennedy.

The rationale offered up by

Mr. Blakey is that he must understand the history

of the Station to evaluate its performance during

the investigation of the assassination.

While the

Agency's position has been

this is irrelevant

to the charter of the Committee, LA Division is.

prepared to let either Mr. Blakey or his deputy,

Mr. Cornwell, review this. We realize that both

gentlemen are very busy, but the total compilation

is too sensitive to let the young men on the staff

have access to it.

e.

The request for access to "all files and

file references to a Cuban citizen" for the period

1 September 1963 through 31 January 1964 raises the

question of the Proenza case and

a deception opera-

tion in which Miss Proenza was one of the targets.

Contrary to the statement in the letter, a House

investigator was shown the 201 file for

the period

from January 1963 through May 1964. Access to

operational file on the deception matter was

denied the Committee on the recommendation of the

this approved by the DDCI. LA Division believes

contains no reference to the subject of the

investigation, and is reviewing the files again

to verify this. The origin of the interest in this

ADI

SEOKEL

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## Page 6

was in Miss Proenza

herself, and the relevant

period about her and

any tres to her association

with the Agency would be reflected in her 201

file.

The Committee's interest in the unrelated

sensitive operation

seens unreasonable to us.

3. Recommendation: It is recommended that a meeting

be arranged between either you or Mr. Carlucci and Chairman

Stokes to review our understanding of the status of the first

four items, which have already been satisfied or can be,

to persuade the Chairman to not precipitate a confrontation

the chai than

and

on the sensitive operational file.

S. D. Breckinridge

Attachment:

As stated

OLD/SDBreckinridge:hfs (12 September 1978)

Distribution:

1 - Legislative Counsel

1

- DDCI

- SA/DDCI

1

- ER

- DDO

1

1

1

1

C/LA Division

Mr. Sturbitts (LA Division)

- Mr. Shepanek (PCS/LOC)

- OLC/Subject

1 - OLC/Chrono

SEGRET

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