HEMMING introduced OSWALD to ANGLETON. ANGLETON encouraged both men to join Castro's revolution. HEMMING was able to enter Cuba, OSWALD could not. Evidence suggested that ANGLETON used OSWALD for another mission that HEMMING termed: "The U-2 Dump." The first part of this mission involved OSWALD'S dispatched defection to the Soviet Union. ANGLETON did this on his own, with no approval from his superiors at the CIA. In the midst of a series of military and civilian defections (The New York Times reported four defections prior to October 1959) evidence suggested ANGLETON instructed OSWALD to travel to the USSR via Helsinki and then to request Soviet citizenship. OSWALD was instructed that he was not to tell anyone, even his mother and brother, about this mission, since their reaction would be part of OSWALD'S cover.

OSWALD'S hardship discharge was granted in early September 1959, and he returned to Fort Worth to help his allegedly disabled mother. Marguerite Oswald reported that he gave her $100 and told her he was about to board a boat since he was working for an import/export company. OSWALD remained in Fort Worth two days, then left for New Orleans. On September 20, 1959, OSWALD boarded a Lykes Line cargo ship in New Orleans due to arrive in Le Havre, France, on October 8, 1959. Before sailing, he wrote to his mother that he had booked passage for Europe, adding: "Just remember above everything else that my values are very different from Robert or yours. I did not tell you about my plans because you could hardly be expected to understand." From Le Havre he took a ferry to Southampton. He arrived there on October 9, 1959. According to official British travel records he claimed he had no fixed address but planned to remain in the UK one week for vacation, before going on to "some school in Swisse." The Warren Report stated that on that same day, October 9, 1960, OSWALD traveled to London where he took an undetermined flight to Helsinki, Finland. [WR p690] Another section of the Warren Report had him arriving on Saturday, October 10, 1959. [WR p258]

On Saturday, October 10, 1959, OSWALD flew to Helsinki, Finland. ANGLETON controlled the CIA Station there. OSWALD registered at the Hotel Torni around midnight. The Warren Commission determined that the only direct flight from London to Helsinki on Saturday October 10, 1959, was on Finn Air 852 and it arrived at 11:33 p.m. - too late for OSWALD to have time to pass through Customs and other airport travel formalities and register in the hotel by midnight. [CIA 758-325, 768-337, 748-321] Could OSWALD have gotten through Customs, then hired a cab to take him to the hotel, in 20 minutes?

In July 1964 the CIA discovered a flight which left London at 7:05 p.m. arriving at Stockholm at 1:30 a.m. then changing planes to SK 734 leaving Stockholm 3:15 a.m. arriving Helsinki 5:35 p.m. This investigation was conducted by Raymond Rocca and ANGLETON Deputy William Hood, Chief/Soviet Research/CI. [CIA 995-928; NARA 1993.06.19.11:19:56:370000]

The CIA reported to the Warren Commission:

"October 1959: Stockholm newspaper Squib Dagans Nyheter of November 25, 1963, states LEE OSWALD passed through Sweden during October 1959. Article also adds that OSWALD was unsuccessful in obtaining visa to the USSR in Helsinki which resulted in his returning to Stockholm. Two days after he arrived in Stockholm OSWALD traveled directly to Moscow. Concluding sentence of the article states "This indicates that Russian Embassy, Stockholm, gave him visa. (Deleted) it was difficult to explain how OSWALD might have received his visa directly from Soviet Embassy in Stockholm which occasionally is done in special cases, but the source had no evidence to confirm this assumption."

The CIA reported: "At November 27, 1963, meeting with Source 2, CIA Officer, Source 6, queried Source 2 as to knowledge this travel. Source 2 was aware of this article, and had already checked all files of Source 3 for the year 1959 for indication OSWALD traveled through Source 3 [Sweden]. Source 2 was not able to locate any record of a visa request for OSWALD during October 1959 or any other month of 1959. Source 2 finds this mysterious inasmuch as Source 3 handled all American visa requests for travel to the USSR as well as practically 100% of all visas issued for travel to the USSR in Stockholm with the exception of cases which the Soviet Embassy, Stockholm, visaed directly for reasons of their own interest. Source 2 checked every visa request for 1959 plus all voucher copies as well as order sheets and all correspondence for such travel with negative results. This check was made with the concurrence of Source 2, Source 4, who also is puzzled as to how OSWALD received his visa in 'two days' without going through normal channels. As a result of Source 2's negative checks, Source 4 cautioned Source 2 not to divulge this information to the press.

3. Source 2 and Source 4 conclude that OSWALD must have been visaed directly by the Soviet Embassy, Stockholm, although they have no evidence to confirm such an assumption. Source 2 has continuing access to all files of such travel and is able to recheck its files to attempt to determine if OSWALD could have been visaed using a different name..." [CIA 203-82, 239-90-A 226-90; WC Coleman/Slawson Memo on Poss. For. Con. p20]

OSWALD did not obtain a Soviet visa in Stockholm, but may have been there for a short period of time on his way to Helsinki. OSWALD did not arrive in Helsinki at 11:33 p.m. He arrived on an earlier flight at 5:35 p.m. This did not explain why OSWALD waited until midnight before registering at the hotel. The reason was because OSWALD was briefed on his mission at a safe location as soon after he arrived in Helsinki. The HSCA: "The Committee was unable to determine the circumstances surrounding OSWALD'S trip from London to Helsinki." [HSCA R p211]

OSWALD arrived in Helsinki on Saturday, October 10, 1959, and was issued a 14-day tourist visa from the Soviet Embassy, Helsinki, on Wednesday, October 14, 1959. The earliest possible date he could have applied for the visa was the following Monday, October 12, 1959. Therefore OSWALD'S Soviet visa had been delivered in two days.

The Warren Commission asked the State Department to estimate the "average time required to obtain a Soviet tourist visa from Helsinki in October 1959." The Department of State had an Embassy contact seek information on Soviet visa application time from three Helsinki travel agencies. These agencies reported that, uniformly for five years from 1959 through 1963, "usual time required for receipt of Soviet visa applied for by Americans has been seven to fourteen days." [FBI 105-82555 NR 6.2.64] The CIA conducted numerous studies of this, finally preparing a memo, "Length of Time Required to Obtain Tourist Visas in Helsinki and Stockholm, 1964." This document conceded it normally took from five to seven days, at best, to obtain a visa at any time in 1964. [WR p258] ANGLETON revised the text of this memorandum so that it read: "During the 1964 tourist season, Soviet Consulates in at least some European cities were issuing visas in five to seven days." The tourist season was the busiest time of the year. The Warren Report stated that the reason OSWALD received his visa in three days was that "the summer rush had ended." [CIA 707-308A, 836-360, 781-341, 1147-431]

OSWALD'S visa was signed by Gregory Yeugenyvich Golub. The OSS knew Gregory Yeugenyvich Golub was a Russian Intelligence Service Officer in 1946. The CIA did the translations of the signatures on OSWALD'S Soviet documents for the Warren Commission. A CIA document revealed OSWALD'S Soviet visa was signed by "illegible - probably Golub." Gregory Yeugenyvich Golub was not the only Soviet official to have an illegible signature: a Warren Commission memorandum revealed that "out of nine signatures appearing on the non-medical documents, eight were illegible or at least stated to be illegible by the translators." Warren Commission Counsel W. David Slawson wrote: "My opinion was that the high percentage of illegible signatures might have been intentional, in order to prevent the CIA from checking back on actual persons and places..." [HSCA V12 p170] David Slawson suspected they traced back to the KGB and the CIA was trying to cover this up.

Gregory Yeugenyvich Golub had joined the Consular Corps in Helsinki, which previously had no Sino-Soviet representatives, in the Fall of 1957. A CIA document stated:

MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, SR/CI/R

SUBJECT: List of Consular Personnel (Soviets) in Helsinki in October 1959.

Source consulted: CIRA/RS list of Russian Intelligence Service personnel in Helsinki. Checklist of Soviet Officials Abroad (years 1955, 1956, 1959, 1960, 1961) 201 file for Golub, Grigoriy Yevgenyevich 'Lindy.'

1. The only Soviet official accredited to Finland as a Consular official in October 1959: Gregory Yeugenyvich Golub. (201-in SR/Bio).

2. Golub stated that he was the only person of officer rank in the consular section in May 1959. He had once had a part-time assistant, Mikhail Petrovich Lyubimov, who had departed sometime between February and May 1959.

3. Mention was once made of a feeble-voiced female who answered the phone in the consular section in 1958, but no other name of any Soviet appeared in any list for Helsinki Soviets with designation "Consular official" or "Consular Employee."

4. I feel that his (Golub's) statement that he was the only "male in the consular section since Lyubimov left" indicates that if he had any help, it was purely secretarial, and this may have been drawn from the regular embassy secretarial pool.

5. (Deleted) said that Golub was the Deputy Resident (i.e. Zhenikov's deputy) before Voronin. However, I noticed from the checklists that Voronin, Yuriy, a 3rd Secretary, predated Golub in Helsinki.[CIA 151-523]

Another CIA document stated that Gregory Yeugenyvich Golub was the KGB chief of Helsinki and he ran an agent in the Finnish Passport Office. During a conversation with a CIA agent, Gregory Yeugenyvich Golub was asked: "Are you the highest ranking intelligence officer the Soviet Union has in Finland?"

The CIA watched Gregory Yeugenyvich Golub: "Golub stated that he was the only person of officer rank in the consular section in May 1959. He had once had a part-time assistant, Mikhail Petrovich Lyubimov, who had departed (deleted) said that Golub was the deputy resident (i.e. Zhenikov's deputy) before Voronin. However I noticed from the checklists that Voronin, Yuriy, a 3rd Secy, predated Golub in Helsinki."

Gregory Yeugenyvich Golub was Second Secretary and Consular Section Chief. He left Helsinki in February 1960. [Memo Rankin / Slawson 6.4.64 re: con. with Rocca of CIA; USSS CO-2-34030 Index Card #302-USSS questions Cyril Golub re: Gregory Golub; Corps Diplomatic USSR Helsinki 7.58 - 6.60; CIA Kapok Dispatch 1.24.58; CIA COS Helsinki KGB Report 8.29.58] The CIA had numerous traces on Golub:

SENSITIVE

/N Golub, Grigoriy OR M499524

/D FBI January 16, 1967 P1 Kusonen /YM

TABE M I 2068777 67

Golub, Grigoriy

OR 70 M261770

/Y M

/D FBI March 23, 1970, Makeyev, Nikolay Gerasimovich

/Z 240895

Golub, Grigoriy OR 70 R088420

/Y M /D Mem March 23, 1970, Biddle, Lydia Spencer

/Z 240304

E. Mendoza of the Office of Security sent the Deputy Chief, Security Research Staff a highly deleted memo dated March 23, 1970, on #88420:

(Deleted) From information contained in the file of Nikolay G. Makeyev, #261770, it would appear that the unnamed TRUD correspondent is actually Makeyev. In a summary of RI references dated December 26, 1961, relating to Makeyev, the following is noted:

Makeyev served as TRUD correspondent in Helsinki beginning in April 1958. On September 4, 1959 he was a dinner partner of an unnamed staff employee, apparently by pre-arrangement at a party give in return for past dinner by Mira and Johanen Bein of the Israeli legation. He attempted ardent cultivation of the staffer who was identified by the pseudonym assigned to (deleted). Summary also reflects that in October 1959, Grigoriy Golub, presumably KGB Chief in Helsinki, asked Biddle if she knew any Soviet diplomats, and she replied she knew only Makeyev. The next day Makeyev phoned her from a public pay phone. According to the (deleted) had a dinner date with Makeyev, and she was thereafter advised by the Station to terminate further contact.

In a report prepared by Biddle concerning her contacts with Makeyev, she commented on the above dinner party. It was noted that Leo Schulgin was also a guest, and as the evening progressed, Schulgin became quite drunk. Viewing the increasingly friendly atmosphere prevailing, especially regarding Makeyev, Shulgin sat muttering, audibly, "he's a dirty Soviet spy."

Biddle received the most assiduous attentions from MAKEYEV and when she indicated that she was leaving, Makeyev immediately bounced up and took his leave. Biddle had driven her own car and as it turned out, Makeyev had not, and solicited a ride from Biddle. He insisted on taking her up to his apartment, which she declined, but to get rid of him she agreed to meet him the following week (although she was aware he was married). He insisted that he pick her up in front of her apartment, and when discussing their plans on that evening, attempted to have her spend the evening in his apartment. She declined and they went to a casino. Biddle described him as a very dull individual, although he appeared to be full of flattery for the U.S. etc. Memo indicates that Makeyev's "designs" upon Biddle are certainly apparent. Whether his original plan included the use of this apartment, and attempt to compromise Biddle with photographs and subsequent blackmail could only be speculated upon. It was also indicated that MAKEYEV thinks Biddle did not report to her superiors on her intent to go out with Makeyev. Memo further notes (Deleted).

A CI/SIG document dated September 1, 1967, stated:

On October 5, 1962, we received a report from (Deleted) concerning Kuril Cornell, a clerk in the Finnish Passport Office arrested on a charge of espionage for the Soviets on October 25, 1962. According to (Deleted) Cornell was one of a group of White Russians and Finns handed over to the Russians by the Finns in 1955, and later returned to Finland. Although reportedly recruited by the KGB in 1954, he did not become active until 1958, when the Soviet Counsel in Helsinki, Grigoriy Golub (201-150, 156?) established contact with him. Cornel was instructed by Golub to obtain personality and other information on persons of interest to the KGB including British and American diplomats as well as lists of U.N. residents in Helsinki. In addition Cornell was to discover the names of American agents through his friend in the Finnish Security Police. Golub mentioned to Cornell that the Finnish Police Commissioner, Garrielson, was one of the individuals in important positions with whom he had contact and from whom he could obtain officially all the information needed."

[SIG 67-94]

A CIA Memo for the Director of the FBI dated January 17, 1964, stated:

"In early August 1957, Gregoriy Golub, Second Secretary and Consul, asked a Finnish official to give Golub advanced notice of any Soviet about to be expelled so that Golub could assure that the Soviet left quietly and immediately. At the time, the request coming from a mere Second Secretary seemed unusual and implied special status. (Golub is identified as a KGB Officer who had contact with the Finnish police. Golub, who arrived in Helsinki, Finland, in early 1957, left in early Septemember 1957 but later returned and stay until February 1960. In 1957, this agency was inclined to presume that departures of KGB Officers from Helsinki, Finland, after the surfacing of Hayhanen were probably somehow connected with the Abel-Hayhanen affair)."

Another CIA document dated January 24, 1958, stated: "We failed to mention at one point in the talk (Deleted) said he took Golub to task for having interests not consistent with a diplomats job. 'Are you' he said, 'the highest intelligence officer the Soviet Union has in Finland?' Golub protested that his interests were purely diplomatic and that he had no other than normal consular duties. (Deleted) smiled and said to Golub 'Of course that is a lot of baloney.'"

In 1977 someone at the Daily World, the organ of Communist Party of the U.S.A. recommended to Jukka Rislakki, a reporter on the foreign desk of a large Finnish newspaper, that he read Coup D'Etat in America. Rislakki contacted me and informed me that he was in contact with Stasi agent Julius Mader, the author of Who's Who in the CIA. The CIA stated Who's Who in the CIA, written by "Julius Mader," was disinformation. Julius Mader was East German Stasi Agent Major Thomas Bergner. Ninety Stasi agents helped put the book together. It was described as largely accurate by The New York Times. [NYT 12.25.77 p12] Rislakki wrote: "Mader made me an interesting offer. He sent me exclusive and detailed info on the Nazi past of the highest West German intelligence bosses (mainly in the BND). He lets me write a story 'honorarfrei' if I send him a clipping he can then use to cite. You know that the CIA and BND have always been like hand in glove...Richard Gilbert is the press and cultural attache in the U.S. Embassy, Helsinki, and a USIS boss here. For over a week he wrote to me that he'd 'like to meet Finland's most famous observer of the CIA.' I wonder what he is up to? We met but really did not have time to talk...It never really occurred to me, but you are right, the CIA might suspect me. Yes, I'm left-wing, and having had my share of trouble for it. Regarding USSR imperialism: Most Finns would say they are not imperialistic. We have very good relations, although different social systems. It was not always so. Finland attacked the USSR with Germany and after the war everything had to change, political climate, politicians, way of thinking and CIA certainly tried to stop this and harm our relations."

In 1978 Jukka Rislakki uncovered a Finnish Government document, "For Facilitating Passport Examination." OSWALD filled out this form when he first arrived, and listed the duration of stay as Sunday, October 11, 1959, to Thursday, October 15, 1959, then gave it to the airport passport control officer. William Hood of the CIA's Counter-Intelligence Section did not obtain the document "For Facilitating Passport Examination" for the Warren Commission.

The Final Report of the HSCA contained a segment, "OSWALD'S Ability to Obtain a Visa in Two Days." The HSCA: "In an effort to resolve this issue the Committee reviewed classified information pertaining to Gregory Golub. Two American Embassy dispatches concerning Golub were of particular significance with regard to the time necessary for issuance of Soviet visas to Americans. The first dispatch recorded that Golub disclosed during a luncheon conversation that, 'Moscow had given him the authority to give Americans visas without Moscow's prior approval. He stated that this would make his job much easier, and as long as he was convinced the American was 'all right' he could give him a visa in a matter of minutes.'"

The second dispatch was dated Friday October 9, 1959, one day before OSWALD'S arrival in Helsinki. (Later in this section of the HSCA Report the same dispatch was dated "approximately one month prior to OSWALD'S appearance at the Soviet Embassy" or September 12, 1959.)

The dispatch: "Since that evening [September 4, 1959] Golub has phoned [the U.S. Consul American Embassy, Helsinki] once and this was on a business matter. Two Americans were in the Soviet Consulate at the time and were applying for Soviet visas through Golub. They had previously been in the American consulate inquiring about the possibility of obtaining a Soviet visa in one or two days. [The U.S. Consul] advised them to go directly to Golub and make their request, which they did. Golub phoned [the U.S. Consul] to say that he would give them their visas when they made advance Intourist reservations. When they did this Golub immediately gave them their visas."

Because Golub was a KGB agent the HSCA found "that the available evidence tends to support the conclusion that the issuance of OSWALD'S tourist visa within two days after his appearance at the Soviet Consulate was not indicative of an American intelligence agency connection. If anything, OSWALD'S ability to receive a Soviet entry visa so quickly was more indicative of a Soviet interest in him." The CIA agreed that the rapidity with which OSWALD obtained his visa and the fact it was issued by Gregory Yeugenyvich Golub indicated: "KGB knowledge or interest in OSWALD stems from at least as far back as his visa application in Helsinki in October 1959." Another CIA Staff Member felt all of this was too obvious: "The KGB would certainly not go out of its way to label its agents as such (which is what the material tends to do), and it would not believe us so naive as to accept the stories and documents as they stand."

ANGLETON had worked out of Helsinki and was in close touch with the CIA Station there. OSWALD was sent specifically to Helsinki because, from documents such as those noted above, ANGLETON knew that Gregory Yeugenyvich Golub was very liberal in issuing visas and that OSWALD would have his in no time. OSWALD knew in advance exactly how long it would take him to obtain a visa because he had the best of intelligence sources - JAMES ANGLETON - and this explained Rislakki's document.

OSWALD left Helsinki by train the same day he received his visa and arrived in Moscow on Friday October 16, 1959.

In his Historic Diary OSWALD wrote: "October 16, 1959 Arrive from Helsinki by train; am met by Intourest [Intourist] Repre. and in car to Hotel 'Berlin'. Reges. [Register] as 'student' 5 day Lux. tourist ticket. Meet my Intourist guied Rimma Sherikova. I explain to her I wish to apply for Rus. citizenship. she is flabbergassed but aggrees to help. She checks with her boss, main office Intour; then helps me add. A letter to Sup. Sovit asking for citizenship, meanwhile boss telephons passport & visa office and notities them about me."

OSWALD checked into the Hotel Berlin. The CIA reported that the room OSWALD occupied at the Hotel Berlin was equipped with an overhead visor. [CIA 861-374]

The Warren Commission stated Rimma Shirakova was a KGB informant. Russian Intelligence Service defector Peter Deryabin stated: "It is an opinion of the undersigned Rima Shirokova is a KGB Second Directorate employee." The KGB Second Chief Directorate handled counter-intelligence matters; The First Chief Directorate handled intelligence. Deryabin was attempting to link OSWALD to the KGB. The FBI commented: "ANGLETON should be advised of the danger of talking to defectors who, for their own purposes, may seek to build up a picture that OSWALD must have been a Soviet intelligence agent under instructions from the Soviets." [FBI Belmont to Sullivan 12.10.63 105-82555-853]

The Soviets were interested in tourists as possible spies, at this time: A lengthy Top Secret study by the KGB in 1961 stated: "It has been established that the Intelligence organs of the USA are displaying special activity in the utilization of tourism, for the purpose of conducting subversive work against the USSR...In line with the preparation and dispatch of such agents, among the tourists the Americans also make extensive use of persons not directly connected with American intelligence organs...Candidates for missions to the USSR are selected carefully. They ordinarily possess knowledge of the Russian language, know the fundamentals of photography." Citing the increase in foreign tourists in the Soviet Union from 35,000 in 1959, to over 50,000 in 1960, the document instructed the First Chief Directorate Legal Residency of the KGB abroad, "to utilize all its resources to expose among American tourists persons suspected of belonging to the enemy intelligence or counter-intelligence organs."

Counter-Intelligence records on Rimma Shirakova prior to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy consisted of this report: "Security Indices reflect that in January 1959 Rimma Shirakova, from Moscow, was in contact with on Martha E. Black at 934 South 4th Street, Springfield, Illinois. Black was apparently one of a tourist group in Russia in the summer of 1958 of which Shirakova was an Intourist Guide. (Deleted). Security Indices contain no reference to any Martha E. Black who would seem to be the individual referred to above. M.D. Stevens." This information came from the CIA's HT LINGUAL program.

The purpose of HT LINGUAL was to obtain intelligence and counter-intelligence from letters sent between the United States and the USSR. On November 21, 1955, ANGLETON recommended to Richard Helms that "we gain access to all mail traffic to and from the USSR." Typically, intercepted letters and envelopes would be photographed and then returned to the mails. Due to their sensitivity, the results of these intercepts were kept in a separate filing system.

There was also this reference:

Shirakova, Rimma *90079

Intourist Guide

*Memo To CI Staff April 10, 1959, p 24.

In 1966 ANGLETON sent the FBI and Secret Service this report on Shirakova:

"Shirakova came to the attention of the Soviet [this word was deleted in the 1993 version of this report] authorities when she befriended two British brothers who first visited the Soviet Union in 1960. She and a male guide joined the party with which the brothers were traveling at the Russian border. One of the brothers had pursued the friendship more than the other and claims that his relations with her have become affectionate but platonic. In fact, since he first met her, she was married and had a child. They have maintained a steady correspondence and he visits their home when he goes to the Soviet Union.

"3. After the birth of their daughter in October 1963, Shirakova wrote and said that she had left Intourist and was employed as a teacher of English in a Moscow teacher's training college."

Another CIA document reported: "Source: (Deleted) (Georges Albert Vandekerkhove, Belgian tour bus driver, born 1931). His first trip to USSR was May 28, 1961, and he made seven trips that season, each 14 days. He made only one trip in 1962, having switched to another firm. Unknown how many he made in 1963, but on the final one he was picked up for black marketing in Minsk. Let off easy after a few hours, but doesn't want to go back.

Claims Rima (lnu) was his only Soviet contact on all those trips. She regularly boarded bus at border and traveled with tour. Spoke English and good German. Purely platonic relationship with source, he says. During one trip, while in Moscow, she invited him to her home once. He was received nicely by her and her mother in their one room apartment. She asked why he didn't invite her to come see him in Belgium, to which he replied that there would be difficulties because of his being married."

In Lee and Marina, Priscilla Johnson wrote that Marina Oswald told her Rimma Shirakova visited Lee in Minsk in the autumn of 1961. Marina Oswald described OSWALD as agitated by the visit, after which he confessed: "I was in love with her, I wanted to marry her." [Johnson, Lee and Marina p124] Was she also in love with him? Priscilla Johnson told this researcher: "He had a crush on her. As far as I know it was one way." Marina Oswald told this researcher in 1994: "I did not know this, I don't know where she got that from. She claims that I know about that. I completely block it out. Even if it happened, it could be absolutely true, I do not recall that. It could be true but I simply do not recall right now."

Rimma Shirakova spoke Arabic and had worked with a high level delegation to the United Arab Republics. She had been asked to procure women for them but claimed she refused. [Norman Mailer, Oswald's Tale, p42]

A CIA report stated Shirakova had lent money to an unidentified tourist, who had run short of funds. [CIA 1295-482, 1302-478, 1110-407; WR p690] When the State Department received ANGLETON'S CSCI report concerning Shirakova it contacted Moscow and inquired if the Embassy could identify this tourist. The telex was answered by Mitchell K. Stanley, who was listed in Who's Who in the CIA. Mitchell K. Stanley entered on duty at the State Department in July 1950. In 1955 he joined the USIA as an intelligence research analyst. In 1965 Mitchell Stanley became Chief of the Intelligence Liaison Section. [State Dept. Bio. Reg. 1977] Mitchell Stanley reported the identification of the tourist "could not be made by the Embassy, Moscow, since the records maintained at the Embassy cover only the last two years...other records disclose the following cases arising at Moscow during that period." Mitchell Stanley listed payments made by the American Embassy Emergency Fund: "LEE HARVEY OSWALD (deceased) $435.71 March 7, 1962..." According to the Warren Report: "On June 1, 1962, OSWALD signed a promissory note at the Embassy for a repatriation loan of $435.71." This was a clerical error.

On September 8, 1966, CIA file 201-803,914 was opened on Rimma Shirakova at the request of SB/CI/R. The signature of the requester and other information remained deleted. Shirakova visited England in June 1968. Her photograph was forwarded to FBI Headquarters by the American Embassy, London, Legal Attache, accompanied by a Secret report. [FBI 105-82555-5606] In Britain, Rimma Shirakova was in touch with a CIA source: "Source and Shirakova visited Mme. Toussard's Wax Works Museum where Shirakova had a visible reaction when seeing OSWALD display. Although this visit was entirely innocent on one source's part (deleted) Shirakova's reaction indicated suspicion that this was a provocation." Another document stated: "(Deleted) states that their source is emphatic that at no time has any sort of intelligence approach or direct questioning taken place, either by Shirakova or any other Russian. (Deleted) adds that it does look, however, if the SCD are building up quite a dossier on the man." [FBI 105-82555-5606; KGB/SCD Connected Soviet Shirakova Memo to Chief SB Div. 6.19.68; CIA FOIA 525-126] The CIA reported that "During (deleted) visit in March 1966 she mentioned Subject to the (deleted) analyst assigned to (deleted) activities. The latter has now written a summary from (deleted) files on Subject."

On Friday, October 16, 1959, after having spent less than one day in the USSR, OSWALD told Rimma Shirakova he wanted to become a citizen. Although he said he was planning to defect for two years, he did not delay his defection for one day to see what Soviet Communism was really about. Richard E. Snyder of the American Embassy, Moscow, stated, "It's typical of those who had come to the Soviet Union during the time I was there to state their intention to stay in the Soviet Union when they simply did not know what it was about. This was one of the meanest dictatorships on the face of the earth. It oppressed its own people and was a danger to the outside world. It's a society no Westerner can imagine unless he has lived there. You have to be either pretty naive or emotionally a little bit doubtful to choose that, of all places, if you are looking for the grander life."

OSWALD: "Saturday October 17, 1959 - Rimma meets me for Intourist sighseeing says we must contin. with this although I am too nervous she is "sure" I'll have an answer soon. Asks me about myself and my reasons for doing this. I explaine I am communist ect. She is politly sym. but uneasy now. She tries to be a friend to me. She feels sorry for me I am someth. new."

"My 20th birthday, we visit exhib. in morning and in the after noon The Lenin-Stalin tomb. She give me a present. Book "Ideot" by Dostoevski." Rimma Shirakova told Norman Mailer that on Sunday, October 18, 1959, "he was saying maybe he could tell them some secret things. He had served in the armed forces and had something to tell. Rimma went to her boss and told her that OSWALD was now prepared to offer matters of interest. He knew about airplanes; he mentioned something about devices." She said her boss told her to go on another tour with him.

OSWALD: "Monday October 19, 1959. Tourism. Am anxious since my visa is good for five days only and still no word from auth. about my request." On Monday, October 19, 1959, OSWALD was interviewed by Radio Moscow. OSWALD made no mention of this interview in his Historic Diary.

OSWALD: "Tuesday October 20, 1959. Rimmer in the afternoon says Intourist was notified by the pass. & visa dept. that they want to see me. I am excited greatly by this news."

OSWALD: "Wednesday October 21, 1959. (mor.) Meeting with single official, balding, stout, black suit, fairly good English, asks me what do I want?, I say Sovite citizenship, he ask why I give vague ansewers about "Great Soviet Union" He tells me USSR only great in literature wants me to go back home. I am stunned I reiterate, he says he shall check and let me know weather my visa will be (extended it expiriers today).

Eve. 6:00 p.m. Recive word from police official. I must leave country tonight at 8:00 p.m. as visa expirs. I am shocked!! My dreams! I retire to my room. I have $100. left. I have waited for 2 year to be accepted. My fondes dreams are shattered because of petty officil; because of bad planning, I planned so much."

Former KGBnik Oleg Nechiporenko wrote that on Tuesday, October 20, 1959, (OSWALD claimed the date was Wednesday, October 21, 1959) OSWALD was interviewed at OVIR by Abram Shaknazarov. Oleg Nechiporenko reprinted a translation of a KGB document detailing this meeting. No mention of OSWALD'S service at Atsugi was made.

OSWALD: "Wednesday October 21, 1959 7:00 p.m. I decide to end it. Soak rist in cold water to numb pain. Than slash my left writst. Then plang wrist into a bathtub of hot water. I think "when Rimma comes at 8:00 p.m. to find me deade, it will be a great shock. Somewhere, a vilin plays, as I watch my life whirl away. I think to myself. "how easy to die" and "a sweet death, (to violins) about 8:00 p.m. Rimma finds me unconscious (bathtub water a rich red color). She screams (I remember that) and runs for help. Amulance comes am taken to hospital, where five stitches are put in my wrist. Poor Rimmea stays by my side as interrpator (my Russian is still very bad) far into the night, I tell "go home" (my mood is bad) but she stays, she is "my friend". She has a strong will only at this moment I notice she is preety."

On Friday, October 23, 1959, the doctors at Botkinskaya, having noticed no psychotic symptoms, transferred OSWALD out of the mental ward but kept him hospitalized. "Transfered to ordinary ward, (airy, good food) But nurses suspicus of me. (They know). Afternoon I am visited by Rosa Abafonova of the Hotel tourist office, who asks about my health, very beauitiful, excelant Eng. very merry and kind, she makes me very glad to be alive. Later Rimma visits. October 26, 1959 Hospital routine, Rimma vists me in afternoon. October 27, 1959 [Ditto].

Three days later, according to his Historic Diary: "An elderly American at the hospital grow suspious about me for some reason. perhaps because at embassy I told him I had not registered as most tourists and I am in general evasive about my presence in Moscow and at hospital. Afternoon Rimma visit." Most American tourists registered with their Embassy upon arrival in Moscow. OSWALD, however, did not. In fact, according to the same Historic Diary, he did not visit the American Embassy until Saturday, October 31, 1959, when he went there to renounce his citizenship. In an early draft of its chronology of OSWALD in the USSR, the CIA reported: "An unidentified 'elderly American' at the hospital became suspicious of OSWALD because when they had met at the American Embassy..." Another CIA document surmised: "OSWALD apparently made no bones about his anti-American feelings during his first weeks in Moscow. Therefore his mysterious and secretive behavior toward the alleged American in the Moscow hospital may have had other causes."

Richard Snyder believed: "It seems to me that he has simply juxtaposed the 'at Embassy' meaning 'I am not registered at Embassy.' Not, 'at Embassy I am not registered.' That's what strikes me. What he is saying is "I did not register at the Embassy, not 'At the Embassy, I did not register.' That seems to me a more logical explanation. Whether this has anything to do with his dyslexia, I don't know. Whether dyslexia operates that way or only on a one word basis, I can't say. He didn't appear in my office."

Oleg Nechiporenko reported: "There was one other American in Ward No. 7 who was often visited by his friend, an employee of the American Embassy. The latter used to ask OSWALD if he had registered with the Embassy and what happened to him...On that same day someone called from the Embassy and asked when he would be released." [Passport to Assassination p36]

Could OSWALD have made a secret trip to the American Embassy? Did ANGLETON arrange a secret meeting between OSWALD and someone in the American Embassy, Moscow, to ensure that OSWALD was convinced that he worked for the CIA? Or did ANGLETON feel that any contact with OSWALD was too risky? Was Richard E. Snyder right and OSWALD had transposed the sentences?

The CIA reported: "There are no legal restrictions against persons, including Soviet citizens, entering the American Embassy in Moscow; in fact, the Soviet Government guarantees the principle of unhindered access to the Embassy. In practice, however, the Embassy perimeter is covered physically by uniformed militia (Civil Police) personnel. These 'Militia Men' are actually personnel of the Committee for State Secturity (KGB). Anyone who is not readily identifiable as a foreigner and who has not had his visit announced in advance, is stopped and asked for his name and documents and business with the Embassy. Any Soviet citizen who does not have legitimate business with the Embassy is taken away for interogation. Should someone force or bluff his way into the Embassy, he would be picked up when he departed. Such measures are taken, according to Soviet explaination, to protect the Embassy from intrusion by 'hooligans' and other undesirable elements. OSWALD might well be stopped by the militia at the gate..."

OSWALD was readily identifiable as a foreigner and could have slipped in but then again, he might have been observed by the KGB. The American Embassy was the last place OSWALD would have gone to after he arrived in Moscow. OSWALD was contacted in Helsinki, not in Moscow. Snyder was correct. This was another example of OSWALD'S stupidity.

What was interesting about the elderly American episode was how the Warren Commission attempted to cover it up. In August 1964, a month before the Warren Report went to press, the Warren Commission wanted to find out the name of the man who spoke with OSWALD at the hospital, and it requested that the State Department check the records of the American Embassy, Moscow, to see if any elderly Americans were hospitalized at Botkinskaya in 1959. The State Department received this reply: "Embassy has no files on names for any other American visitors in Moscow, October 1959. Registration and medical files not retained."Ambassador Kohler sent the Secretary of State this cable: "No 1959 records or 1959 staff here now."

On August 12, 1964, the CIA reported: "American citizen Waldemar Boris Karapatnitsky last known address West Berlin, visited relatives USSR 1959, and believed hospitalized Botkina Hospital Moscow in bed next to OSWALD October 21, 1959, to October 28, 1959. Subject a retired machinery importer-exporter born January 14, 1886, Ukraine...Subject denounced 1950 by neighbor as communist based on conversations between informant and SAC. No further derog. traces." ANGLETON and Raymond Rocca were already familiar with Boris Karapatnitsky through HT-LINGUAL. From 1958 to 1962, Counter-Intelligence intercepted 15 letters mailed either to the Soviet Union from the United States by Boris Karapatnitsky, or mailed from the Soviet Union and received by him in the United States. [CIA Memo 5.1.64 HT Lingual Items Relating to OSWALD Case] On February 4, 1964, Lee H. Wigren C/SR/CI Research made an inquiry regarding the elderly American. [CIA 523-220] On February 6, 1964, Raymond Rocca drafted a document urging the Warren Commission to resolve the issue of the elderly American.

The Routing and Record Sheet of a document that concerned Karapatnitsky contained a message to ANGLETON'S Deputy, Birch D. O'Neal, from Raymond Rocca, urging Birch O'Neal to get the document to the Commission. [CIA 526-223] In Molehunt, David Wise described Birch O'Neal as a Georgian who joined the FBI in 1938 and later switched to the CIA. CIA historian Thomas Powers noted that Birch O'Neal was Guatemala Chief of Station in 1954. Birch O'Neal was in touch with Ambassador John E. Peurifoy in advance of the CIA-sponsored coup which occurred in Guatemala that year. Birch O'Neal worked with DAVID PHILLIPS in establishing a clandestine radio station there. [Kinzer Bitter Fruit pp. 135, 155; Powers, Thomas The Man Who Kept Secrets p107; O'Neal, Birch telephone 703-923-4497]

Al Wong was the former Assistant Agent-in-Charge of the United States Secret Service office in New York City. In 1972 Al Wong was the Secret Service official in charge of NIXON'S security during the Republican Convention. He later became the United States Secret Service technical services man at the White House. Al Wong traveled with NIXON to China in 1972. [McCORD Piece of Tape p11] Al Wong contacted a friend of Boris Karapatnitsky in New York City.

Warren Commission General Counsel J. Lee Rankin wrote, "This request is of the utmost urgency. The CIA has been consulted and has agreed to offer every assistance through its West Berlin representatives." The CIA was reluctant to take the testimony of Boris Karapatnitsky because of "complications that would later arise," and discussed the problem with David Slawson. David Slawson told the CIA he would get the State Department to take Boris Karapatnitsky's statement. The State Department reported: "A Mission Officer called on Boris Karapatnitsky on August 14, 1964, under pretext of checking residences of older U.S. citizens residing in Berlin. Karapatnitsky said he thought he knew why the officer had come and stated he had intended to visit consular section for advice concerning problem. He described problem as follows: He had been informed by a friend in New York that a Secret Service agent, representing the Warren Commission, had inquired about him asking Kara had been in USSR certain time and if he had known OSWALD. Showed Consular Officer letter from friend dated August 10, 1964, surmising that Sovs had furnished names of all patients in hospital at time of OSWALD'S hospitalization and that he had been traced from there. Kara said he had never heard of OSWALD until after assassination of President Kennedy. He volunteered there had been only one American in Karapatnitsky's room in hospital but he was 69 year old industrialist. In response to repeated he had heard nothing about OSWALD in the USSR and could recall no reason to believe their paths have crossed." [CIA 794-871; DOS interview with Kara]

The Warren Commission could not locate the industrialist mentioned by Karapatnitsky. The former Ambassador to the USSR, Alexis Thompson, was asked during his Warren Commission testimony whether he was familiar with Mr. William Edgerton Morehouse, Jr., (born May 11, 1928) who had been in Botkinskaya Hospital in October 1959 after an auto accident. He responded he was not. CI/SIGhad submitted the name of an American Communist named Golden as a candidate: "Golden had been hospitalized in the Botkina Hospital in late 1959. Golden was about 60 and may be the elderly American. In passing, Ann Egerter said that CI/SIG had queried State about the 'elderly American' and she heard that a negative reply had been received, although no one seems to be able to find the reply at present." Raymond Rocca discovered Golden was at Botkin in 1958. [CIA MFR 3.17.64; NARA 1993.06.19.09:02:57:810000]

In August 1964 David Slawson wrote: "Yesterday, Mr. Rocca told me that the CIA had information that Karapatnitsky had once, on an ocean liner, approached a Soviet delegation and asked assistance in locating his brother...he must be worried about his brother and might fear that anything he did which might displease the Soviet Government might result in his brother being harmed. In order that Mr. Karapatnitsky will not be afraid to tell the truth, perhaps he should be informed that the Soviets have officially told the American Government that OSWALD was in fact in this hospital and that therefore, if he saw OSWALD, his testimony will be confirming the truth of what the Soviets had told the Americans and will be welcomed by the Soviets. Obviously, this information must be imparted to Mr. Karapatnitsky carefully, so as not to influence him in the other direction, that is, to say he saw OSWALD when in fact he did not." [WC Memo Slawson to Rocca and Bagley 8.12.64; CIA 797-872]

David Slawson requested he have Secret Service Agent Al Wong remind the elderly American of the "Intourist Guide and her allegedly frequent visits to the Subject. This might be a fact that would juggle Mr. Karapatnitsky's memory."

This activity still didn't "juggle"Karapatnitsky's memory and he refused to play the role of the elderly American for the Warren Commission. Karapatnitsky was, at 75, the ancient American. Nor was he easily identified as an American - he had a thick Russian accent.

"October 27, 1959. Stiches are taken out by doctor with "dull" scisor. October 28, 1959. Leave hospital in Inturist car with Rimma for Hotel "Berlin." Later I change hotels to "Metropole", all cloths packed, and money from my room (to the last kopeek) returned as well as watch, ring. Ludmilla Dimitrova (Inturist Office Head) and Rosa invite me to come and shit and take with them any time. I get lonesome at new hotel. They feel sorry for me."

According to document reproductions provided to the United States Government by the Soviets, OSWALD was discharged from Botkinskaya Hospital on Wednesday October 28, 1959. It was noted by the CIA that "the interpreter that was with him every day [Shirakova] was informed ahead of time." [CIA 285] Upon his discharge from Botkinskaya OSWALD was moved to room 233 of the Hotel Metropole. The CIA reported that this room was equipped with an infra-red camera for observation of its occupants. In KGB, John Barron wrote: "If the KGB, for any reason, has other than a routine interest in a foreigner, the surveillance is much more elaborate...his hotel room contains not only standard microphones and television cameras, but also infrared cameras that can record the Subject's actions in the dark." [Barron KGB Readers Digest Press NY 1974; CIA 861-374]

"Rimma notifies me that pass. & registration office wishes to see me about my future. Later Rimma and car pick me up and we enter the officies to find about four offials waiting for me (all unknown to me). They ask me how my arm is, I say O.K. They ask "Do you want to go to your homeland. I say no I want Sovite citizen. I say I want to reside in the Soviet Union. They say they will see about that. Than they ask me about the lone offial with whom I spoke in the first place (appar. he did not pass along my request at all but thought to simply get rid of me by not extending my Soviet visa. At the time I requested it) I desqribe him (they make notes.) (What papers do you have to show who and what you are? I give them my dischare papers from the Marine Corps. They say wait for our ans., I ask how long? Not soon. Later Rimma come to check on me. I feel insulted and insult her."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs intervened on behalf of OSWALD, thus on the same day he was released from Botkinskaya, he was again summoned to the OVIR office. According to his Historic Diary, when OSWALD appeared there he was asked whether he still wanted to become a Soviet citizen and he replied that he did. He was apprised that he could not expect a decision soon and was dismissed. That evening he met with Rimma.

OSWALD reflected in the journal that he remained in his hotel room sitting by the telephone for three days: "Thursday October 29, 1959. Hotel room. I have been in hotel three days, it seems like three years. I must have some sort of showdown."

On Saturday, October 31, 1959, OSWALD met with Rimma Shirakova, after which he took a taxi to the American Embassy. OSWALD: " I make my dision. Getting passport at 12:00 I meet and talk with Rimma for a few minutes she says: stay in your room and eat well, I don't tell about what I intend to do because I know she would not approve. After she leaves I wait a few minutes and than I catch a taxi. "American Embassy" I say. 12:30 p.m. Arrive in "Bolga" type taxi. Two Russian policemen stand at the Embassy. One salutes as I approach entrane of the embassy and says "passport". I smile and show my passport. He motions me to pass inside as I wish. I walk in and say to the receptionist "I would like to see the consular". She points to a large lager and says "If you are a tourist please register."

Richard E. Snyder reported: "Any American could enter the Embassy there with no trouble at all. I think he arrived on Saturday morning when the Embassy was still opened. We were opened six days. Half a day on Monday and half a day on Saturday. The receptionist was there when he came in, so the Embassy was open. The guys outside the Embassy are KGB and their job was to keep anyone from entering the Embassy who they don't think belongs there. Namely Soviet citizens. They were pretty rough in carrying out their duties. They just dragged people away from the door physically. If you looked like an American, American shoes and what have you, and there was no indication you spoke Russian, they would let you go in. This was constantly a source of friction between us and the Soviet authorities. The Soviet line was the men are there only to protect foreign embassies."

OSWALD: "Entering I find the office of the "Consular" side. Opening the door I go in. A secretary busy typing looks up. "Yes"? she says "I'd like to see the consular." I say. Will you sign the tourist registar please" she says dryly, going back to her typing. I take out my American passport and lay it on the desk. I have come to dissolve my American citizenship I say matter-of-factly she rises rises and entered the offices of Richard Snyder American Head Consular in Moscow at that time. And taking my passport goes into the open inter [interior] office, where she lays the passport on a mans desk, saying "There is a Mr. OSWALD outside, who says he's here to dissolve his U.S. citizenship. "O.K." the man says, "Thanks" He says to the girl without looking up from his typing. She, as she comes out, invites me into the inter office to sit down. I do selecting an armchair to the front left side of Snyder's desk (it was Snyder whom I talked too Head Consular). I wait, crossing my legs and laying my gloves in my lap. He finishes typing. Removes the letter from his typewriter and adjusting his glasses looks at me. "What can I do for you he asks" leafing through my passport. "I'm here to dissolve my U.S. citizenship and would like to sign the legle papers to that effect." Have you applied for Russian citizenship? Yes...He asks name, personal information to which I answer than: "Your reasons for coming." I say I have experienced life in the U.S. American military life, "American imperialism, I am a Marxist, and I've waited two years for this I don't want to live in the U.S. or be burtained [burdened] by American citizenship. He says O.K. Thats all unless you want to profound [propound] your "Marxist belifes" you can go. I said "I've requested that I be allowed to sign legal papers devasting [divesting] myself of U.S. citizen. Do you refuse me that right"? He says Uhg. No, but the papers will take some time to get ready. In the meantime where are you staying. "Room 212 at the Metropole". I state, angry at being refused a right. I started to leave "You'll tell us what the Russ. do next". I turn very mad "of course" I say and leave."

OSWALD told Richard E. Snyder that he had been planning to defect for two years. If OSWALD harbored anti-American feelings while he was in the Marines, perhaps he had deliberately obtained information that would be of value to the enemies of America?

OSWALD omitted this from his Historic Diary: He handed Second Consul Richard E. Snyder a handwritten note denouncing his citizenship.

"I LEE HARVEY OSWALD do hereby request that my present citizenship in the United States of america, be revoked. I have entered the Soviet Union for the express purpose of applying for citizenship in the Soviet Union, through the means of naturalization. My request for citizenship is now pending before the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. I take these steps for political reasons. My request for the revoking of my American citizenship is made only after the longest and most serious consideration. I affirm that my allegiance is to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics."

Richard E. Snyder was questioned about this by the HSCA: "He handed me a handwritten statement which stated, in effect, that he renounced his American citizenship. I used the pretext that the Embassy was not officially open that day, and, therefore I was not in the position to prepare the required form to go through with the renunciation and invited him to come back on the Embassy's next business day if he so wished. I retained his passport at that time." Richard E. Snyder explained in a telephone interview with this researcher, "This was after my interview of him which took an hour or more. By the time the interview with him was over I told him that the Embassy had closed, and I no longer had a secretary there so I wasn't in a position to take his declaration. He came about noon, just before the receptionist left. When the interview was over, I used the subterfuge that the Embassy closed. Actually, I could have typed out the thing myself but I wanted to make him leave and think it over and perhaps he'd change his mind. Understand, when you're in my job you are used to the peculiarities of human beings, the dumb and sometimes inexorable things that they do, in a sense, you save them from their own follies, if you can. That was the attitude I took toward OSWALD. My job was to give aid and comfort to American citizens wherever they needed it. The guy needed some assistance from keeping him from doing something dumb."

The interview with Richard E. Snyder lasted for less than an hour. OSWALD: "Saturday, October 31, 1959. (con.) warns me not to take any steps before the Soviets except me, says I am a "fool" and says the dissolution papers are a long time in preparing (in other words he refuses to allow me at that time to dissolve U.S. citiz. I state "My mind is make up" from this day forward I consider myself no citizen of the U.S.A. I spend 40 minutes at the embassy before Snyder says "Now unless you wish to expound on your Maxist belifes you can go. I wish to dissolve U.S. citiz., not today he says in effect. I leave embassy elated at this showdown, returning to my hotel I feel now my enorgies are not spent in vain. I'm sure. Russians will except me after this sign of faith in them. 2:00 p.m. a knock. A reporter by the name of Goldstene wants an interview. I'm flabber-gassed "How did you find out? The embassy called us." He said. I send him away. I sit and realize this is one was to put pressure on me. By notifying my relations in the U.S. through the newspapers. Although they would say "Its for the public record." A half hour later another reporter.

In 1963 Richard E. Snyder recalled, "Source of his "Marxism," I believe he attributed to "SONU books" and other materials he had while in the Marine Corps and possibly before. OSWALD stated his eyes had been opened to the way American oppresses and colonizes foreign peoples from observing our actions in Okinawa. He referred throughout in condemnatory and contemptuous tones to his own country and laudatory to the Soviet Union. I called strong impression he used simple Marxist stereotypes without sophistication or independent formulation. He referred, I believe, to earlier poverty and a hard life of mother as partial rationale for attitudes." Snyder also stated "OSWALD stated his desire to conclude the matter quickly, that he had been forewarned I would try to talk him out of the decision...." [WCE 909]

Foreign Service Officer John A. McVickar, who shared an office with Snyder, overheard their conversation: "OSWALD was extremely arrogant, truculent and unfriendly to America and Americans in general. He wanted to divest himself of his citizenship for with. His reasons were not too clear, but he gave the impression about being very angry about some thing that happened to him during his Marine Corps duty. He said, however, that he was a 'Marxist' and that he had become disgusted with American 'imperialism' as he had observed it in operation in the Far East while in the Marines. He gave evidence of some education in the rudiments of Communist dogma and he apparently had some knowledge of the legalities involved in renunciation of citizenship. He also did state that while in the Marines he had worked with radar and that he would turn over everything he knew about it to the Soviet authorities. In the minds of those concerned at the time, this statement tended to extinguish any sympathy one may have felt for a confused and unhappy young man.

"I recall thinking at the time that OSWALD was behaving with a great deal of determination and purpose for such a young and relatively uneducated person. On the other hand, there also seemed to me to be the possibility that he was following a pattern of behavior in which he had been tutored by person or persons unknown. For example, in discussing Marxism and the legalities of renunciation, he seemed to be using words which he had learned but he did not fully understand. His determined statements in rather long words were not entirely consistent and not in a fully logical sequence. I am sorry that I do not remember examples but only this impression. Of course, this could have been because he had merely studied books himself without fully understanding what they meant or it seemed that it could also have been that he had been taught to say things that he really didn't understand. In short it seemed to me that there was a possibility that he had been in contact with others before or during his Marine Corps tour who had guided him and encouraged him in his actions." [DOS Ex. 14a (File 294g) ]McVickar was asked to elaborate: "He would have to have known the not too obvious fact that Helsinki is a usual and relatively uncomplicated point of entry to the Soviet Union (one that the Soviets might well choose for example if arranging the passage themselves). OSWALD evidently knew something for the procedure for renunciation of citizenship when he came into the office...At the time, OSWALD seemed surprisingly confident, competent and determined about what he was doing, considering his age and experience." [DOS Memo McVickar to Ehrlich 11.27.63, 4.7.64; NARA 1993.06.22.16:18:44:370240]

On November 17, 1959, journalist Priscilla Johnson told McVickar about an interview she had conducted with OSWALD: "Her general impression of OSWALD was the same as ours has been. His naivete about what he could expect here is balanced by a rather carefully worked out set of answers and a careful reserve about saying things he feels he shouldn't. He made one interesting comment to her to the effect that he had never I all his life talked to anyone so long (two hours) about himself. She remarked that although he used long words and seemed in some ways well read, he often used words incorrectly, as though he had learned them from a dictionary." On another occasion Johnson reported: "He really couldn't carry on a conversation about Marxism. Not that I particularly could either. I tried to engage him. He didn't know anything in depth. He used words that were too big for him. He reversed consonants. He was dyslexic." Priscilla Johnson told Richard Snyder: "During the conversation, Priscilla Johnson mentioned in passing having interviewed LEE HARVEY OSWALD in Moscow. She said she had had a long talk with him during which it became evident that he had very confused ideas, of economics in particular. He seemed to blame a lot of in America on the economic system without having any real idea of what the system was all about." [NARA 1993-05019-13.59.10.000058]

In 1978 the HSCA interviewed Aline Mosby, who, like Priscilla Johnson had interviewed OSWALD in late 1959: "OSWALD was strictly from the boonies. I was prepared for a more sophisticated person. His knowledge of communism was shallow. In America he would be called a 'parlor pink.' She questioned him about his background and he told her about his early readings e.g. Das Kapital, which influenced him. He also told about the lady who gave him the Rosenberg pamphlets. When OSWALD saw Aline Mosby's article about him, he called her and claimed he was "an ideological defector."

OSWALD omitted this from his Historic Diary: When he spoke to Richard E. Snyder he "offered the information that he had been a radar operator in the Marine Corps and that he had voluntarily stated to unnamed Soviet Officials that as a Soviet citizen he would make known to them such information concerning the Marine Corps and his specialty as he possessed. He intimated he might know something of special interest." Richard Snyder discussed the matter with Edward Freers.

On September 8, 1964, Yuri Nosenko stated that the KGB had a microphone in the office of Edward Freers. Yuri Nosenko: "He was not considered to be connected with the CIA." The CIA reported: "Edward L. Freers was never an employee of the CIA. He has been an employee of the Department of State since 1941 and has served in various countries. In 1952, while a Peripheral Officer with the State Department in Rome, Office of Policy Coordination, requested liaison clearance on Edward Freers. The clearance was granted in April 1952. The interest was dropped in 1955 and the clearance was canceled. From September to November 1956, International Organizations officials were in official contact with him because of his position at the Department of State. For that purpose IO requested and received liaison clearance from the Office of Security. In addition, the Office of Security file contains the following record of interest and clearance action concerning Freers. April 1957 - SE/PP, April 1958 - OSI, August 1958 - C/PP/LO, August 1959 - C/PP/LO and January 1962 - DPD -DD/P."

September 20, 1956

MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director of Security (Investigations and Support)

VIA: PP/ICD/Ln- Attn: Mrs. (Deleted). FI/OPS/CCB/OLC-Atten: (Deleted)

SUBJECT: Edward Louis Freers

1. Under date of September 11, 1956, this division requested a liaison clearance be granted to permit Cord Meyer (Deleted) and (Deleted) to liaise with SAC on matters of mutual interest.

2. To the list of IO personnel who will meet with SAC, it is requested that (Deleted) name be added. Mr. (Deleted) will meet with SAC to discuss certain matters in connection with project (Deleted). John C. Richards, Chief, Security Officer, International Organizations Division. Freers was contacted on a continuing basis by Stanley Richardson, Ethel Jill Holton, Wilfred Kaplivitz and Cord Meyer. [NARA 1993.08.02.13:37:17:030028]

FROM: Moscow

TO: Secretary of State

LEE HARVEY OSWALD, unmarried, appeared at Embassy today to renounce American citizenship, stated applied in Moscow for Soviet Citizenship...Says action contemplated last two years. Main reason: 'I am Marxist.' Attitude arrogant, aggressive. Recently discharged from Marine Corps. Says has offered Soviets any information he has acquired as an enlisted radar operator." On November 3, 1959 ALUSNA (U.S. Naval Attache) MOSCOW sent a cable to CNO noting that OSWALD had offered to furnish the Soviets with information he possessed on U.S. radar. This document, only recently released, contained numerous deletions. [FBI 105-82555 NR 11.13.59 Orig. Copy filed in 105-81258] The group that declassified the document mistakenly left this notation: "Paragraph (deleted) contained Category B encryption. Physically remove prior to declassification."

Clearly, OSWALD told Richard E. Snyder he was trying to exchange classified information for Soviet citizenship. By reporting this to Richard E. Snyder, OSWALD was creating his own bona fides. Even if the Soviets did not overhear the OSWALD / Richard E. Snyder conversation on an Embassy bug, all cable traffic went through the Soviet telegraph system. OSWALD, however, did not furnish the Soviets with classified material at this time, he only threatened to do so.

ANGLETON received a copy of the cable that mentioned OSWALD'S threat on December 6, 1959. Birch O'Neal's initials appeared on an OSWALD document that was received by the CIA on November 13, 1959. ANGLETON conducted no investigation of OSWALD. Former military intelligence officer John Newman found this suspicious. [OSWALD and the CIA - John Newman - Carroll & Graff - 1995 p37] During a television interview, Priscilla Johnson said that OSWALD had told her he was going to give military information to the Soviets. When questioned about this in 1994 she stated: "I'm not sure if he told me that or told it to Snyder. Check my notes in the Warren Commission Report. If it doesn't say that, than it's not me he said it to. I got confused."

Neil Huntley of Soviet Russia Intelligence (SRI) wrote: "There is no doubt that OSWALD was debriefed by the secret police shortly after his arrival in Moscow. They were interested in him not only because he was a political defector, but because he also boasted publicly -- in the Embassy on October 31, 1959 -- that he intended to tell the Soviet "everything he knew" about Marine Corps radar installations on the West Coast. According to OSWALD's former commanding officer, this included the location of all radar units and their secret call signs, authentication codes and radio frequencies -- all of which knowledge was grist for the Soviet intelligence mill...any indication that he had made good on his boast about the radars could easily lead to arrest and indictment on a charge of treason." [CIA 376-154 NARA 1993.07.08.18:14:59:810390]

Richard E. Snyder was born in Passaic, New Jersey, on December 10, 1919. He went to High School in Newark, and attended Rutgers University for a year. He reported for active Army duty in September 1940. Richard E. Snyder was overseas from October 1944 to November 1945, and saw action in France and Germany, later serving with the occupation forces in Germany. He was awarded the Bronze Star, and discharged with the rank of Captain in January 1946. Richard E. Snyder recalled, "I was in the 44th Infantry Division of the New Jersey National Guard. I went to OCS in Texas, and then was assigned to the 100th Infantry Division as a Medic throughout the war. After the war I attended Yale University. I stayed in the Reserves for awhile and I asked for a transfer from the Medics into Military Intelligence, MI, because I studied international relations."

Shortly after having graduated from Yale, Richard E. Snyder entered the CIA. A document, "A Brief History of CIA Interest in Richard E. Snyder/Memorandum for the Chief CI/R&A [Raymond Rocca]," stated: "Snyder applied for CIA employment in June 1949 and submitted a complete PHS form at that time." On July 14, 1949, W.R. Cornelison, Acting Security Officer, Security Branch, Office of Policy Coordination, informed Robert Bannerman that a semi-covert personnel action was being instituted on Richard E. Snyder: "It should be noted from his Personal History Statement that he has several in-law relatives who are presently Italian citizens. It is not believed that these relatives are close enough to the Subject to create a security problem. Therefore, it is requested that you take into consideration the request for a waiver of foreign connections." Two documents about Snyder dated October 17, 1949, was withheld in their entirety [CIA JFK Box No. 46 Folder No.2]

The Brief History of CIA Interest in Richard E. Snyder memorandum continued: "He entered on duty with CIA on November 8, 1949, as a GS-9 ($4600.00 per annum). According to his Personnel file (see tab c) he was assigned to the Office of Policy Coordination and was slated to serve in Tokyo (the file contains no entry showing that he actually served in Tokyo)."

The CIA told the HSCA that Richard E. Snyder's position with the CIA involved "an accounting project, the purpose of which was to provide funds for administrative purposes. It had a budget of $5,000 and was a 'project for purposes of providing each Program Group, Budgetary Group, and Foreign Branch with an unvouchered funds account against which proper administrative and operational development costs, not properly chargeable to a specific project may be charged.' These charges (which had to be approved in advance) were to include: Staff travel and incidental expenses; travel of interviewees (when authorized); travel compensation per diem of prospective agents and operational contacts; conferences; salaries, per diem and other costs of maintaining casual personnel paid from confidential funds and not assigned to a project." Snyder was paid from unvouchered funds for the entire period of his employment, November 8, 1949, to September 26, 1950."

The Brief History of CIA Interest in Richard E. Snyder/Memorandum continued: "Snyder did, however, serve in Heidelberg, beginning in March 1950. While in Germany he apparently resigned effective September 26, 1950, in order to assume a position with HICOG. There are no further entries in his Personnel file."

The Brief History of CIA Interest in Richard E. Snyder/Memorandum stated he apparently resigned. Did he resign, or didn't he? Richard E. Snyder stated: "The record you have suggests that I went to Heidelberg under CIA auspices. I did not work for the CIA in Heidelberg. I left the CIA in Washington to join the Foreign Service and my first assignment was Heidelberg. I went as a Resident Officer. The occupation was just winding up and the Foreign Service took over the occupation duties from the Army. A number of us were rushed over rather quickly to fill these spots. Under the military occupation, each county or kreiss had a resident military officer who represented the power of the occupation in that county. I took over the kreiss around Heidelberg. I was only there for about three months or so when an appointment came as Munich Vice Consul, which I then took. I was there for two years. The same thing was happening in Japan. The Army was pulling out and turning over to the State Department a number of Information and Educational Libraries, which were then turned into American cultural centers in Japan. I and another group of other SSOs took over these centers. I ran a cultural center in Niigata from 1953 to 1954. I was there for one year when I was transferred to the Tokyo Embassy as a Consular Officer in charge of the Passport and Citizenship Section from 1954 to 1956. I was in Harvard from 1956 to 1957, in the Kennedy School, Russian Studies.

"I was only in the CIA while awaiting my appointment. I resigned when it came through. They called me one day while I was working in Washington and said, 'Do you wish to accept your Foreign Service commission?' I left the CIA and was then a genuine Foreign Service Officer for the rest of my career. This keeps reappearing over and over again. You are the first one who checked it with me. Each person writing on the subject simply takes it from somebody else. None of the people who have written books and have me as a CIA agent in Moscow have ever checked it out with me. Edward Epstein wrote a book on the subject and had lunch with me in the tavern here. We talked for two hours or so. When he wrote he said there was evidence I was undercover in Moscow. Epstein did not ask me at the time. If anyone checked with me I would have told them, 'I was not with CIA, I was not undercover.'"

A September 27, 1950, letter to Chief, Staff C, from C.V. Broadley Acting Chief, Security Division, stated "This is to report the resignation on or around September 26, 1950, of the SAC person who was employed as an Intelligence Officer in the Office of Policy Coordination. The SAC resigned to accept a position with the Department of State, with which Department he expects an eventual assignment to Germany."

Richard E. Snyder's CIA Office of Security File indicated he resigned from the CIA to become a diplomat. There was no indication of significant CIA-contact after he joined the State Department. The CIA: "There is no record in Mr. Snyder's Official Personnel File that he ever worked, directly or indirectly, in any capacity for the CIA after his resignation on September 26, 1950." The Brief History of CIA Interest in Richard E. Snyder/Memorandum stated: "The SR Division had an unofficial file on him (see tab d). That file shows Nelson Brickham, an SR Division staff employee, was in contact with Snyder for about one year (1956 to 1957). Brickham used Snyder as a spotter at Harvard where Snyder was studying Russian and had access to other students who might be going to the USSR. There is no record of POA, OA or CSA action in that connection. There was a record of CI/OA interest in Richard E. Snyder at this time."

On September 19, 1956, a request for a document was submitted to R&I/Files. A notation in red by R&I/Files indicated that the document had to be cleared for access and review by the restricting desk (CI/OA). [CIA FOIA 04187] Nelson H. Brickham Jr. was in the SR Division from 1955 to 1958, Iran from 1960 to 1964, and Vietnam from 1965 to 1967, where he worked in the OPERATION PHOENIX assassination program with John L. Hart.

The HSCA: "Richard E. Snyder's 201 file indicated that for approximately one year during 1956 to 1957 he had been used by an Agency case officer as a spotter at a university campus because of his access to others who might be going to the Soviet Union...Snyder testified that since resigning from the CIA in March 1950, he had no CIA contact other than a letter written in 1970 or 1971 inquiring about employment on a contractual basis."

Richard E. Snyder continued: "After I graduated from the Kennedy School, I then served two years in the Department of Intelligence and Research, Soviet Affairs. That was 1957 to 1959. [Richard E. Snyder was granted a Top Secret CIA clearance on July 18, 1957.] Then two years in Moscow, 1959 to 1961." The Brief History of CIA Interest in Richard E. Snyder/Memorandum: "In March 1959 (probably just before Snyder's departure for Moscow), State requested that he be given two weeks of OBS Course (probably ORR's training in Soviet Order of Battle)." Richard E. Snyder: "We had a travel program which members of the Embassy who would be traveling in the Soviet Union were told to look for certain signs, factories, railroads which would potentially point to a strategic installation. This was the OBS course." On April 1, 1959, a Request For Approval of Liaison form was sent to Chief, Employee Activity Branch, PSD/OS through the Chief, Official Cover and Liaison/CCB/FI. The name of the CIA employee who was in contact with Snyder at the time was withheld. His component was PPG/Staff. Richard E. Snyder commented: "I was in Washington at this time." The document read: "The following contact is hereby requested to be effective on a one-time basis. CIA Employee (deleted) PPC/Staff. Non CIA Employee Richard E. Snyder, State Department." Richard E. Snyder was appointed Second Secretary and Consul of the American Embassy, Moscow, on June 28, 1959. On October 18, 1959, Russell A. Langelle (born October 7, 1922), the Chief Security Officer at the American Embassy in Moscow, was charged with espionage and ordered to leave the USSR in three days. From 1942 to 1956 Langelle was in the Office of Naval Intelligence. From 1956 he was in the State Department, where he worked for the CIA. (The CIA had agents in the USSR as early as 1953). [Wise, Molehunt p46]

COUNTRY: USSR

SUBJECT: "The Cherepanov Papers"

DOI: As stated

SOURCE: As stated

1. On November 4, 1963, Laurence H. Miller, a librarian at the University of Illinois, turned over a package of documents to the U.S. Embassy, Moscow, with the explanation that A. A. Cherepanov, an employee of the International Bookstore, passed them to Miller's wife with the request that they be delivered to the U.S. Embassy. After photographing the documents, the Embassy, fearing a KGB provocation, delivered the package to the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs that following day.

2. According to a defector source, whose information has been reliable, the Foreign Affairs Ministry turned the package over to the KGB, who identified Cherepanov as the person who passed the papers to the U.S. Embassy. Cherepanov had been a case officer in the First (U.S. Embassy) Department, 2nd (Internal Counter-intelligence) Chief Directorate, KGB, until August 1961, when he was forced to retire from the KGB and found employment at International Books. In ca. mid-December 1963 Cherepanov was arrested near Baku, where he was trying to flee across the Soviet border. He was later executed.

3. The documents received by the U.S. Embassy which have come to be known as the "Cherepanov Papers" all appear to have come from the files of the First Department, Second Chief Directorate, KGB, during the period 1958 to 1960. A number were handwritten drafts, which would normally have been destroyed once the final copy was typed. Attached is a translation of the "Cherepanove Papers."

Edward Petty stated: "It was the State Department that insisted that it be given back. The CIA resisted. It was Ambassador Toon. Garbler copied the material." The Cherepanov papers contained this entry: "Report on B.G. Kokiyev, a contact of Richard E. Snyder, Consul to the U.S. Embassy, Moscow, February 1960."

B.G. Kokiyev, born in 1935 in the city of Moscow, Ossetian, bachelor. His father, G.A. Kokiyev, a former Moscow State University professor, who was arrested in 1949 by State Security organization and sentenced to eight years of corrective labor under Article 58, Section 10, and in 1954 he died at the prison site. His mother, D.M. Kokiyeva, born 1911 a member of the CPSU works as the chief doctor at the children's clinic, city of Moscow.

While a student of the Mendeleyev Chemical Technological Institute Kokiyev in 1957 came into contact with the so-called "hippies" and began to live a criminal type of life. He developed a wide circle of acquaintance among foreigners from whom he bought foreign currency, watches, gramophone records, magnetic tape, shoes and clothing of American manufacture and resold them for speculative purposes. He corresponded with foreigners whom he had met in Moscow and received presents from them from abroad. In connection with this in 1958 he was expelled from the ranks of the Komsomol and from the Institute.

Among the "stilyagi" he became well know as a homosexual and a very active and enterprising speculator noted for his coarseness, insolence and greed for money. In connection with this, in 1958 he was expelled from the ranks of the Komsomol and from the Institute.

During the Sixth International Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow in 1958, he rented a room for the purpose of storing things for speculation. He was several times detained by the militia for speculation. As he spoke English and held anti-Soviet views he took active steps towards obtaining a foreign passport in order to escape to the United States, where, he claimed, his rich relatives were living.

Kokiyev's mother, in order to get him away from the "stilyagi" took steps to get him in the army service, from which, faking illness, he was discharged after a few months. He returned to Moscow and continued the same sort of life. In late October 1959 he got a job at the State Scientific Research and Design Institute of the Varnish Industry (GIPI-4). Until recently, in spite of the warnings from the militia and the KGB, he has continued to make contact with foreigners, speculate in foreign currency and goods and seek opportunities to go the United States. In November of this year he made the acquaintance of the American Embassy Consul in Moscow, Richard E. Snyder and, taking precautionary measures, had two prolonged meetings with him. In conversation he openly told Snyder about himself, his parents, where he worked, and tried to get his help in going to the United States. He tried to conceal his contact with Snyder from the KGB during a case officer's conversation with him.

In late 1959 Kokiyev succeeded in getting help from the Rayon Committee, CPSU to get his friend V.P. Orlov a job at GIPI-4. The latter appears in KGB records as a person who recently made contact with Huston, an American Embassy employee in Moscow, who is suspected of affiliation with American intelligence.

According to the head of the secret department at GIPI-4, he tries to act like a good worker. She directs attention to the fact he expresses an interest in rocket technology and he became friendly with one of the young employees working in a secret laboratory.

Richard E. Snyder commented: "The only thing that kind of fits this was a couple of conversations I had with a Soviet, a young man I had met with twice in a café, at his request. The young were not particularly afraid of the security people like the older people were. I remember this in particular because he invited me up to his apartment. We spent the evening talking. The next day, or the day after that, there was a pointed article in Izvestia describing my meeting with this guy but not naming me. That was clear warning for me not to see the guy."

On November 1, 1959, OSWALD'S family read about his appearance at the Embassy in the local newspapers, and tried to contact him. Marguerite Oswald suspected that he had been forcibly removed to Russia. She placed a telephone call to him, but either he refused to speak with her or he cut her off quickly. A call from Robert Edward Oswald was either canceled before it was completed, or refused. Marie Chetham of the American Embassy wrote: "At 11:05 p.m. I contacted Mr. OSWALD at his hotel and asked him if I could read messages from his brother, that I now had two telegrams for him. Mr. OSWALD replied, 'No, not at the present time,' then hung up." One of these telegrams implored him to keep his nose clean. OSWALD'S Historic Diary told a different tale: "Sunday November 1, 1959 - more reporters, 3 phone calls from Brother & Mother. Now I feel slightly axzillarated, not so lonly."

OSWALD told no one that he was going to defect. When Marguerite and Robert Edward Oswald were questioned by the FBI in 1962, both responded they had no prior knowledge OSWALD had planned to defect. OSWALD, who had been neglected by his mother and half brothers, used them as cover.

On November 2, 1959, Sam Papich, the FBI liaison between the FBI and the CIA, requested information on OSWALD from CI/SIG, and was advised that CI/SIG had no information on him. On November 4, 1959, an FBI memorandum was sent from the FBI's Counter-intelligence Soviet Section Chief, William A. Branigan, to A.H. Belmont, "summarizing agency checks regarding OSWALD and recommending that no further action was warranted by this Bureau concerning OSWALD at the time." [WCE 834 p2] "ONI advised they contemplated taking no action in this matter. No derogatory information was found in the files of the U.S. Marine Corps concerning SAC, and there is no indication of any Soviet Contacts involving SAC. Since SAC's defection is known to the Department of the Navy, and since SAC apparently has no knowledge of any strategic information that would be of benefit to the Soviets, it does not appear that any action is warranted by the Bureau in this matter. It is recommended however, that this memo be referred to the Identification Division so SAC's service fingerprints can be placed in the criminal files and that a stop be placed against the prints to prevent SAC's entering the United States under any name. Espionage section should be advised if SAC again enters the United States." [FBI 105-82555-3] Branigan, contacted in July 1993 stated, "I don't remember that. You got something there in writing? What the hell? We couldn't investigate him in the Soviet Union. You can't do that. But when he comes back, he's a defector you know, and then he's fair game for investigation." William, A. Branigan, who was disciplined by the FBI for his pre-assassination handling of the OSWALD case, was in charge of the FBI's mail opening program. [Scott, Deep Politics p64] On November 9, 1993, William Branigan, 77, died of cancer. The memorandum continued: "Since Subject apparently has no knowledge of any strategic information which would be of benefit to the Soviets and there is no indication of any Soviet contacts...it does not appear that any action is warranted by the Bureau in this matter." [FBI 105-82555-3] When this telephone interviewer mentioned OSWALD'S access to information on the U-2, William Branigan commented, "I don't know much about OSWALD and Atsugi. You are surmising he had access [to U-2 information]...you surmise these things. It could be. I don't know." He was asked, "What made the FBI believe he possessed no strategic information?" He responded, "From the fact of who he was, where he lived, and what he did. There was nothing about OSWALD that would indicate, well, hell, this guy is something really important. No, no, no. There was nothing. Somehow it sticks in the back of my mind that the Soviets did not think very much of him. They thought he was a jerk. 'This guy was something we don't want to fool with.' That's my recollection now and that was a long time ago. You could prove me wrong..."

In 1964 William Branigan, and his colleague William Cornelius Sullivan, were in charge of directing the FBI's investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy for the Warren Commission. William C. Sullivan, a farm boy from Bolton, Massachusetts, entered the FBI as a Special Agent on August 4, 1941. During World War II, he worked in the Special Intelligence Service of the FBI, and was closely connected to the OSS. On his return, he became a security field supervisor at FBI Headquarters in Washington; he remained at Headquarters for the duration of his FBI career. In 1961 he became FBI Assistant Director in charge of the Domestic Intelligence Division (DID). William C. Sullivan was the house intellectual at the DID. He had close ties to ANGLETON, and was listed in Who's Who in the CIA as having been co-opted by the Agency. In 1961 William C. Sullivan was named Bureau representative to the U.S. Intelligence Board (USIB), a position he held for ten years. The USIB was composed of CIA, DIA, NSA, Atomic Energy Commission, DOS, ONI etc. The Chairman of the Intelligence Board was the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Allen Dulles, until he left the Agency in November 1961. Allen Dulles was succeeded as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency by John McCone and then Richard Helms.

OSWALD claimed he sequestered himself in his hotel room from, "November 2, 1959, to November 15, 1959. Days of utter loneliness. I refuse all reports phone calls I remaine in my room, I am racked with dsyentary." Oleg Nechiporenko wrote that KGB records indicated that on November 4, 1959, OSWALD met with a representative of the First Chief Directorate, who claimed to be with Intourist, and spoke with him on the subject of possible use abroad. Oleg Nechiporenko stated that the KGB never recontacted OSWALD.

On November 16, 1959, OSWALD was interviewed by Priscilla Johnson [201-102,798; OS 71 589]. Priscilla Johnson was born on July 19, 1928, in Glen Cove, Long Island, the daughter of a wealthy cotton textile broker. Her ancestry traced back to the Pilgrims. Priscilla Johnson attended Bryn Mawr College from 1946 to 1950.

At Bryn Mawr College she became affiliated with the World Federalist Organization, whose President in 1948 was Cord Meyer. According to Edward Petty: "He's a person I considered to be of interest in a certain way, simply because I know so little about him. Cord Meyer is a strange guy to be in the Agency to begin with and then, beyond that, he had a special friendship with ANGLETON." Priscilla Johnson, interviewed in December 1993, commented, "I know him, yes. When I first saw him it was at a New Hampshire World Federalist Organization conference in 1946. He was one of its leading lights. By 1947 he said, 'Either there would be a world government by such and such a year or else...' The 'or else' was that he went to CIA."

In 1960 ANGLETON was friendly with Cord Meyer and many of the women Cord Meyer dated came to know him. [Hersh, NYT 6.25.78] Priscilla Johnson became President of her World Federalist Organization chapter at college, as well as a member of the Pennsylvania State chapter. Priscilla Johnson told this researcher: "How did you get all this?" In 1947 she spent the summer months working with the World Federalist Organization in New York City. A Passport Division check disclosed that Priscilla Johnson traveled to England, France and Luxembourg to attend a convention at Luxembourg as International Chairman of the United World Federalists. Priscilla Johnson told this researcher: "I was never chairman." CIA traces on Priscilla Johnson first appeared on an index card titled, "Joint Press Reading Service - Moscow" and read "Memo Notebook, State, USSR, Moscow D# March 1, 1951, CIA #580822."

Priscilla Johnson told the HSCA that "she applied for a position with the CIA in October 1952 as an intelligence analyst. The application, however, was withdrawn." The Cancellation of Applicant Processing indicated Johnson had applied for a position as an intelligence officer. On February 24, 1953, the Project and Liaison Section sent a memo to the Deputy Chief, Security Division. "Reference is made to your memorandum of February 24, 1953, requesting that SAC be reviewed from a Counter-Espionage aspect. Personnel has been contacted by the undersigned and SAC is no longer an applicant for employment, having declined employment on January 21, 1953. In view of the above it is not believed that is any CE interest in Subject case. Bruce Solie." A CIA investigation that resulted in a March 5, 1963, report on Johnson indicated she was a liberal democrat and member of the United World Federalists: "Subject is described as liberal, internationally minded and overly polite to such a point that it was thought that she was putting it on. At Bryn Mawr college she was a member of the International Relations Club and the Students for Democratic Action...(Deleted) Subject (deleted) exhibited some odd mannerisms such as cocking her head to one side and waving her hands in an exaggerated manner. Only one informant furnished any information of a similar nature, he described her as a 'rather goofy kid.' This informant could not qualify his statement." The CIA discovered that Johnson was:

1. A member of the League for Industrial Democracy, an organization affiliated with the Socialist Party.

2. Two of her professors at Radcliffe, Harold Joseph Berman and Robert Lee Wolff had been a member of an organization on the Attorney General's list.

3. At Bryn Mawr College she knew Frances De Graaff, a suspected Soviet agent.

4. She listed Norton Dodge, Nancy Nimitz and Edith Farnsworth as references. The CIA had unfavorable traces on these individuals.

5. A person who considered herself "quite close" to Johnson spoke of her in highly favorable terms. This person was subsequently alleged to have been recruited as an Israeli Intelligence agent and one who allegedly had contact with Russian Intelligence agents over a considerable time.

Bruce Solie concluded: "In view of the Subject's close association with a person identified as a Communist, her association with other persons of questionable loyalty, and her liberal political views and her connection with Socialistic organization and Internationalistic organization, it is believed that (deleted) the Subject (deleted) would constitute an unwarranted security risk." Robert H. Cunningham, who conducted the investigation of Johnson, advised the Chief of CI/OA, Mr. Thomas Carroll, that Priscilla Johnson was unsuitable for CIA employment.

CIA Office of Security Staff member William Osborn disagreed with Cunningham: "This girl is now being considered for employment in ORR where she will need SI clearance. She's active politically (i.e. interested in domestic and international politics), but is not, and has not, been tied in with subversive groups. While a member of United World Federalists she does not appear to be objectionably internationalistic. Recommend approval." [CIA To: Chief Security Division 2.17.53] A undated CIA Telex stated: "This reopens (deleted) now being handled in (deleted). Priscilla Johnson is not aware of the fact, but she has been interviewed by a representative of (deleted), who was very much impressed by the young lady. Despite (Deleted's) opinion (deleted) is interested in possibly offering Johnson a job. They wish to see samples of Johnson's writings, and for this reason they request that you approach her for FPI debriefing and ask if she has written any articles, preferably on her recent trip, which she would be willing to let you have on loan. We have determined from (Deleted) that Miss Johnson may be reached by phone..." [CIA NYOR CITE WA 11059 undated]

Priscilla Johnson told this researcher: "I've seen what you're referring to and I figured out who that is. My father had a friend named F. Trubee Davison, he was high in CIA. I didn't know it. My father played tennis with members of Davison's family. [Davison, the son of a J.P. Morgan & Co. partner, was the assistant to the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Walter Bedell Smith, and an associate of Warren Commission member John J. McCloy]. And I remember Mr. Davison speaking to me in his living room. My father was there. I wondered since, 'Who was in a position to see that I was offered a job?' I'm not sure what year this was. I was young enough that I got a ride with my father. I would have been in my early 20's. This was sometime between 1950 and 1953."

Priscilla Johnson had probably received word that her application was not going to be approved, so rather than be turned down by the CIA for Security reasons, she gracefully withdrew.

After receiving a degree in Russian Studies from Radcliffe in 1953, Priscilla Johnson went to work for Senator John F. Kennedy as a researcher on Vietnam. Priscilla Johnson left the staff of Senator John F. Kennedy and became a translator for The Current Digest of the Soviet Press. The next CIA trace read: "JPRS #1047 *Tucker, Robert Charles - Report dated August 12, 1953, p2."

From 1955 to 1956 Johnson worked as a Moscow correspondent for The New York Times. On August 8, 1956, the Chief, CI/Operational Approval and Support Division, notified Deputy Director of Security, Mr. Rice, "Please withhold (deleted) pending favorable assessment. When appropriate, CSN 10-27 memo will be submitted."

A CIA memorandum from the Office of Security to the Deputy Director for Security of the State Department revealed that Johnson's biographical data "reflects that from December 1955 to April 1956 she worked in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow as an employee of the Joint Press Reading Service." [CIA 1273-1027] Priscilla Johnson told this researcher: "I did not work for Joint Press Reading Service from December 1955 to April 1956. I was in the Soviet Union from December to April. It is incorrect. I worked for the Joint Press Reading Service in February 1955 for 30 days only. Then I worked for The New York Times as a translator. Then my visa ran out. The Joint Press Reading Service appeared to be something that the British, Canadian and American Embassies had for their diplomats. You went to work early in the morning and rapidly translated the foreign affairs articles in that day's papers. Those would be delivered to the English-speaking Embassies by their lunchtime. Then we would go back to work after lunch and do the domestic Soviet stories. It appeared to be a three country organization. It was mainly English people." The Joint Press Reading Service was part of the CIA. In Priscilla Johnson's 1957 application for CIA employment she wrote: "1955 to 1956, Translator, U.S. Embassy, Moscow."

Priscilla Johnson once received payment from the United States Information Agency (USIA) for an article she authored. In a CIA fitness report on HOWARD HUNT, his duties were listed as: "Liaison with USIA and area division as required to co-ordinate (deleted)." [CIA doc. approved for release 4.22.83] The CIA's Office of Security stated: "Johnson, Subject of OS #71 589, has been of prior interest to this agency both as an applicant and under the legal traveler program. She has apparently been employed on a part-time basis with the United States Embassy in Moscow during two periods of residence in Russia. (Priscilla Johnson: "They're wrong. I worked 30 days in the Winter of 1955.") On her application for CIA employment in 1967, Johnson she wrote: "Inclusive dates 1955 to 1956, U.S. Embassy, Moscow, Translator 1955 to 1956 N.Y. Times, Moscow, Correspondent."

On January 25, 1957, Priscilla Johnson's Operational Approval was canceled when (Deleted) SR/10 sent a Request For Cancellation of Approval to Chief, CI/OA: "SR/10 has no further interest in SAC. Please cancel." The next trace was a card: "Johnson, Priscilla 3819 (deleted). Memo to CH/CI/SRS, February 25, 1957, p.1."

On April 10, 1958, Cord Meyer and Lewis J. Lapham of the International Organizations Division sent this message to (deleted): "From wealthy, Long Island family. Excellent scholastic rating. Application Kubark employment 1952 rejected because some associates and memberships would have required more investigation than thought worthwhile. Once member United World Federalists: Thought liberal, international-minded, anti-communist...Considered by present Kubark employee knew her at Harvard to have been screwball then; considered 'goofy, mixed-up' when applied Kubark employment. No headquarters record prior Kubark use."

Louis Jay Lapham (born October 5, 1920) received a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1954. When the above message was written, Lapham was in Paris, under State Department cover. In 1967 Lapham went to Vietnam where he worked in OPERATION PHOENIX. Lapham was the Director for Political Research of the CIA from 1974 to 1976, and Assistant to the Deputy Director from 1977 to 1978.

On May 6, 1958, Counter-Intelligence/Operations Approval and Support Division, asked Mr. Grigon of the Office of Security to approve Priscilla Johnson. "Subject investigated for employment in 1952 (deleted)." This was followed by a Classified Message dated June 20, 1958, "Report reveals derogatory political associations in past. Dissemination this information limited to Kubark personnel on need to know basis. Subject's past activity in USSR, insistence return and indefinite plans inside likely draw Soviet suspicions. (Deleted.) Regret delay. Appreciate Station efforts. Copies went to Deleted at OS, IO, WE/3, CI/OA SR/10, SR/COP/FI. The releasing officer was C/WE/FI and the authenticating officer was C/SR/2." On August 28, 1958 (Deleted) SR/10 sent a Request For Cancellation of Approval to Chief, CI/OA "SR/10 has no further interest in SAC. Please cancel." In September 1958 Priscilla Johnson became an accredited correspondent for the North American Newspaper Alliance.

The North American Newspaper Alliance was owned by OSS founder Ernest Cuneo, a highly influential Washington, D.C., attorney. [CIA 592-252-B] Ernest Cuneo's clients included United Fruit, and he was a friend of Allen Dulles. She told the FBI he had been commissioned to prepare a lengthy article on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and that "Allen Dulles was to be the principal source of information for him prior to the time the report was issued." He asked C.D. De Loach if he could see a copy of the FBI's report to the Warren Commission. DeLoach generated a memo about his request and sent it to Mr. Mohr. [Goulden Superlawyers p143; FBI 105-82555-1936, 62-109060-NR 12.11.63, 105-82555-195] When journalist Drew Pearson wrote articles unfavorable to the Warren Commission, Cuneo attempted to dissuade him from writing such articles. [Serial illegible NR #199] Priscilla Johnson commented, "I didn't know Cuneo was a former OSS man." There was a card that read: "Johnson, Priscilla, Hotel Metropole, Moscow, USSR 90079, Memo for CI Staff, October 30, 1958 - p.6."

Priscilla Johnson told the HSCA: "In November 1959 she had returned from a visit to the United States where she covered the Camp David Conference between President Eisenhower and Premier Khrushchev. On November 16, 1959, she went to the American Embassy to pick up her mail." At the Embassy, she accidentally ran into Consular Officer John A. McVickar, who told her an American defector named LEE OSWALD might speak to a woman reporter. McVickar felt she might be able to dissuade OSWALD from defecting. Priscilla Johnson said she needed a story that was not time sensitive, because she had to mail, rather than cable, her stories to the United States. She then "proceeded to her hotel, found out the American's room number, knocked on his door and asked him for an interview. OSWALD did not ask her into the room, but he did agree to talk to her in her room later that night."

OSWALD told Johnson that he "Became a Marxist at 15. Why? I had discovered socialist literature at that time. Five years of reading Socialist Literature observing treatment of minority groups: Communists, Negroes and the workers especially watching treatment of workers in New York - the fact that they are exploited. I'd read about it in socialist literature and I saw that the description was quite correct. Saw that I would be worker exploited by capitalism. Professional: an exploiter, or since there are many in this category, I'd be in the unemployed...Marx and Engel, the standard works, Das Kapital...Segregation, I was brought up, like any Southern boy, to hate Negroes. Then socialist literature opened my eyes to (illegible) reasons for hating Negroes. Was part of Indonesian invasion in March 1958. Sat off coast with ammunition."

"McVickar called on her on November 17, 1959, the day after the interview, and asked her to supper...McVickar indicated a general concern about OSWALD...McVickar believed Snyder had acted in a way to make OSWALD more likely to go through with the defection." As stated Priscilla Johnson also had a conversation about OSWALD with Richard E. Snyder. Priscilla Johnson told this researcher: "At the Embassy I avoided those political attaches that I thought to be CIA. I tried to skirt all of that secret apparatus. I equated the CIA with KGB."

In July 1960 Priscilla Johnson was expelled from the Soviet Union. She told the FBI that she "attributed this to the U-2 incident...she stated that Vice President RICHARD NIXON had, at one time, intervened on her behalf to obtain an extension of her visa." Priscilla Johnson told this researcher: "Adlai Stevenson did. I'm not so sure about NIXON. I tried to get him to help through his Press Secretary, Herb Klein. I don't recall that he did anything." On another occasion, the United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union spoke directly to Nikita Khrushchev about an extension of her visa. Priscilla Johnson told this researcher: "Mr. Thompson spoke to Khrushchev in this country during the Fall of 1959, when Khrushchev was visiting Eisenhower, about pressure that had been put on some American correspondents to spy for the KGB. Mr. Thompson didn't speak to him about an extension of my visa. He spoke to him about the pressure American correspondents had been under." Priscilla Johnson returned to the United States and worked briefly on the speech writing staff of Senator John F. Kennedy's Presidential campaign: "I worked as a Fact Finder. I did a study for him of the treatment of Asian and African students in the U.S. as compared with Russia. Archibald Cox was in charge. Joe Kraft, Adam Yarmolinsky. I found out facts for Kennedy to use in his speeches. For just a matter of weeks." On December 16, 1960, it was reported to the CIA that "it was highly likely that the Soviets attempted to recruit Priscilla Johnson, as she spent a lot of time with Soviet nationals."

On January 31, 1961, a Memorandum was generated for the Chief, Personnel Security Division, OS, to Chief, Contact Division, OO, Subject: Travelers to Soviet Bloc Countries. It asked for a Security Check on Johnson because OO planned to debrief her. [Virginia Thorne for E.M. Ashcraft] On March 19, 1961 the Domestic Contacts Division received an Interoffice Memo William A. Osborne, Chief, Personnel Security Division, of the CIA's Office of Security: "In as much as Subject is employed as writer, any classified information released to her during contact should be carefully identified as such."

A CIA Classified Message dated April 1962 stated:

1. Files do not indicate any contact or new information Subject ref following her return from USSR July 1960 after two years lose association American Newspaper Alliance Moscow.

2. (Deleted) still evaluates highly basis his contact (deleted).

3. Suggest you check (deleted) who may have information.

4. Dir. 16955 April 1958 noted: 'Excellent scholastic rating; thought liberal, internationally minded, anti-communist (deleted).'

5. Basis paragraph four might be advisable check editorial competence and general development past few years, review recent writings etc.

6. (Deleted) Hqtrs. requests opportunity to submit possible other candidates for this position prior to any decision. Will cable recommendations for your consideration.

7. Hqtrs. will initiate appropriate clearance Subject ref. until (deleted) concludes investigation impossible provide evaluation beyond para 4. Request available information on her activities from 1958 to present. (deleted)

C/S Comment: (Deleted) recommends Priscilla Johnson, Harvard Russian Studies for position Soviet Survey. C/IO/Security (deleted) OS/ID/ - Hamby, Cord Meyer C/IO, Releasing Officer.

Priscilla Johnson told this researcher: "That was a journal put out by the Congress of Cultural Freedom. They put out Encounter, NATO anti-communist intellectual world. I think Cord Meyer was in charge of the program. A man named John Hunt came to Cambridge and sounded me out as to whether I wanted the job. I didn't. The Congress was shown to have been behind all those magazines until 1967. Whether I suspected that it was, or whether I just did not want to move to London, I'm not sure. I think I didn't turn it down on the spot because I went to a conference on Soviet literature in England that summer. I wondered about the morality of it. Because I knew I was being considered for that job and I didn't intend to take it. I didn't know that it was Cord Meyer."

On May 25, 1962, Office of Security and Counter-Intelligence Operational Approval received a Approval Request. The only undeleted lines read: "Subject has been of previous interest to the Agency. (Deleted) or equivalent on file in the Office of Security." On July 16, 1962, a CIA investigation of Priscilla Johnson's post-1958 activities turned up a State Department telegram dated June 22, 1960. On July 24, 1962 the Deputy Director of Security (Investigations and Operational Support), Victor R. White, sent a memo to Chief, CA Staff, about Johnson the first paragraph of which was deleted. In the late Summer of 1962 Priscilla Johnson reentered the Soviet Union. When she left the USSR from Leningrad, the KGB confiscated her notes. Priscilla Johnson t