Oswald and the CIA (Otto Otepka)
curtjester1
and responsible for issuing or denying security clearances for State
Department personnel. He took his job very seriously and, in 1958,
received an award for Meritorious Service from Secretary of State,
John Foster Dulles (brother of CIA Director Allen Dulles) for his
attention to detail, loyalty, devotion to duty, and sound judgment.
By October, 1960 eighteen US Citizens had "defected" to the Soviet
Union and came to Otepka's attention at the State Department. He
*informally* asked the CIA and military intelligence to identify which
these "defectors" were double agents working for the US but, after
receiving no ersponse, formally requested the information.
On October 25 Hugh Cumming, of the State Department's Intelligence and
Research Bureau, wrote a letter to CIA Deputy Director of Plans (DDP)
Richard Bissell requesting detailed information on the eighteen
"defectors." Bissell turned the request over to James Angleton's
Counterintelligence (CI) staff and Sheffield Edwards' Office of
Security (OS), *but not to the Soviet Russia (SR) division which had
jurisdiction in dealing with the "defectors," including Oswald. This
is confirmation that Angelton's CI staff was involved with false
"defectors," including Oswald.* Angleton's CI/SIG chief, Birch D.
O'Neal, prepared the responses on behalf of counterintelligence while
Robert Bennerman handed the request to members of his staff in the
CIA's Office of Security that included Bruce Solie, Morse Allen, and
Paul Gaynor. Gaynor was head of the Security Research Staff where
*James McCord, of future Watergate fame*, worked.
Bennerman specifically instructed Marguerite Stevens, in the research
staff (OS), to provide information *only on American "defectors" other
than Lee *Harvey* Oswald* (and six other "defectors"), explaining that
Otepka already had information on these individuals. The Office of
Security then coordinated their response with Angleton's CI staff
before sending it to Richard Bissell (DDP) in lave November for his
signature. When Otepka finally received the CIA's response at the
State Department, the 10th name on the list was Lee Harvey Oswald with
the notation "SECRET."
On December 9, 1960, a few days after providing information on
"defectors" to the State Department, Angleton's trusted associate Ann
Egerter, of the Special Investigation Group (SIG), opened a "201" file
on Lee *Henry* Oswald (201-289248). *This file was opened 13 months
*after* Oswald "defected" to the Soviet Union and 6 months *after* the
memo was written about the CIA's interest in the *Harvey* story."*
It appears that if not for Otepka's investigation into American
"defectors", the CIA would never have opened a file on Oswald. *This
indicates that Lee *Harvey* Oswald and his activities were so
sensitive that only Angleton, and perhaps SIG , knew the truth about
Oswald which they held only in memory.* Prior to President Kennedy's
assassination, Lee *Henry* Oswald's "201" file was held within
Angleton's Special Investigations Group (SIG).
NOTE: *During Oswald's stay in the Soviet Union cover sheets of
Oswald documents contained the notation "CI/OPS," which is an
abbreviation "Counterintelligence Operations."
#SIG member Ann Egerter was asked by the HSCA if a CIA asset or agent
would have a "201" file and if it would contain material of an
operational nature. She replied, "I assume that person would have a
201 file but it would be a restricted 201 file and *it might even be a
false 201 file, not having anything in it. Everything would be held
by the case officer...operational material is not filed in 201
files...It would be held by the operations officer, case officer."*
#*Angleton's deputy Ray Rocca said, "The key documents in establishing
a fiduciary relationship would not be in the 201. They would be in a
separate file held by the desk and whoever was handling the
individual."*
#*Former CIA employedd Phillip Agee said, "The 201 file is divided
into two parts which are stored separately for maximum secutiry. One
part contains true name documents while the other contains operational
information."
#*The obvious question: "Who was Oswald's case officer?"*
Soon after trying to pry information on the eighteen American
"defectors" from the CIA, Otto Otepka's duties began to change and
soon his position as Chief of Security at The State Department
appeared to be in jeopardy. Even though head had received awards for
Meritorious Service only two years earlier. Otepka soon found that
his access to sensitive cases was limited. Stories began to appear in
the press that the State Department, and specically Otepka's Office of
Securiy, would soon experience a "reduction in force." Otepka was
soon asked by his superior to transfer to another division within the
State Department and take a different job but refused.
*NOTE: James Angleton had developed a fearsome reputation within the
agency and was known to expose agents he no longer trusted. CIA
career officer John Whitten (aka John Scelso) told the HSCA, "Several
times in my career I was appointed by Helms or Karamessines to
investigate or look into investigations where Angleton was
running....They always told him. And when they say, now, you go tell
Angleton you are going to do this. I used to go in fingering my
insurance policy, notifying my next of kin."*
*It is reasonable to speculate that Otepka's problems originated with
Angleton after he began pressing the CIA for information relating to
"defectors", including Oswald. A phone call from Angleton to CIA
Director Allen Dulles, and a subsequent call from Dulles to his
brother, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles , could easily have set
the wheels in motion to "neutralize" Otepka and stop his investigation
at the State Department (the Eishenhower administration remained in
the White House until late January, 1961).*
Otepka, *for unexplained reasons*, was called before the Senate
Internal Security Subcommittee, which was chaired by Senator James
Eastland and Senator Thomas Dodd. He was questioned at length by
Jules (Jay) Sourwine, the subommittee's Chief Counsel, about
procedures established by Otepka for issuing clearances for State
Department applicants. Sourwine and Otepka soon became friends and
discussed at length a proposal by the subcommittee to loosen security
clearance procedures for State Department personnel.
Sourwine soon realized that the loosening of security procedures was
not the only reason the subcommittee was focusing their attention on
Otepka. In an attempt to learn what was really happening at the State
Department, behind the scenes, Sourwine began to informally question
Otepka. But Otepka, following protocol and procedure, told Sourwine
that if he wanted to question him further he would have to question
him before the committee.
When the subcommittee questioned Otepka they asked if had been
subjected to any recent "reprisals" from the State *Department, which
he denied, and defended the department's actions. A short while
later* hidden listening devices were placed in Otepka's office and a
former employee of the National Security Agency (NSA), David Belisle,
was assigned to work with him. Otepka's secretary was replaced by an
individual who spied on him, his house was placed under surveillance,
and his trash was inspected daily.
*QUESTION: Which agency of the US government has the capability and
the political muscle to electronically bug the Office of Security at
the State Department?*
One evening Otepka was working late in his office and went out for
dinner. Upon returing he found David Belisle and an NSA employee in
his office, but when he asked for a reason for their intrusion
*neither man gave a rational explanation for being there.*
Otepka soon found that someone had drilled a hole in his safe and,
with a tiny mirror, had determined the combination and removed the
contents. According to Otepka the only sensitive material in the safe
was his uncompleted study of American "defectors" to the Soviet Union,
*which included Lee *Harvey* Oswald. Fred Traband, who also worked in
the Office of Security ate the State Department, told the Eastman
Committee that it was Otepka's boss, John Francis Reilly, who
searched, who searched Otepka's files and his safe.
*NOTE: Three weeks before the assassination of President Kennedy,
Otto Otepka was ousted from the State Department, but had not yet
determined if Lee *Harvey* Oswald was an agent of the US Government.
Following the assassination OTepka told journalist Sarah McClendon
that he knew who had JFK killed, but declined comment in public.*
pgs. 306-08 Harvey and Lee, How the CIA framed Oswald, J. Armstrong.
* = Italicizing
CJ
Spiffy_one
The moment you mentioned Harvey and Lee, you lost total credibility. Per
renowned CT writer Harold Weisberg: "My only disappointment in 40 years
of research has been my inability to tie LHO to the intelligence
communities". You don't believe Weisberg investigated Otepka and his
story? Is that what you're telling this NG?
tomnln
"Spiffy_one" <bail...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:c4dfbc59-054a-4a8e...@s19g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
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The moment you mentioned Harvey and Lee, you lost total credibility. Per
renowned CT writer Harold Weisberg: "My only disappointment in 40 years
of research has been my inability to tie LHO to the intelligence
communities". You don't believe Weisberg investigated Otepka and his
story? Is that what you're telling this NG?
In which of Harold Weisberg's 10 books does he lay out Everything about
Otto Otepka?
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curtjester1
Well Weisberg is probably not your best bet when you try to resurrect eons
ago of research.
Let me put you up to speed with the author of Harvey and Lee and the
history of people who have attempted putting LHO into a Second or
Intelligence field.
Author Richard Popkin, in his book "The Second Oswald," claimed that
Oswald had a "double". Edward Epstein, in his book "Legend: The Secret
World of Oswald." postulated that the Russians substituted a look-alike
for the real Lee Harvey Oswald during his "defection" to the Soviet Union.
Robert Cutler, in his book "Alias Oswald," claimed that a Russian-speaking
"Oswald" worked for the CIA, "defected" to Russian, married Marina,
returned to the US, and was the person accused of assassinating President
Kennedy. No book had the answer to who killed JFK, but it did seem that
nearly every book contained unanswered questions-*many of which dealt with
Lee Harvey Oswald*. *italicized* I began to wonder if the secrets to who
killed President Kennedy could be found in Oswald's background.
It's my opinion that anything on the subject prior wouldn't be classified
Oswald 101 in any stretch. I am also convinced not only that there were
two Oswald, there were two Marguerite Oswalds. You basically have to have
an open mind and deal with what the CIA has done in the past for double
agents, why they have them, and how they operate in regards to them. You
won't find a better book on the assassination or any more newer research
than from J. Armstrongs tome, Harvey and Lee, How the CIA Framed Oswald.
pg. 4
Here's something you can check out to whet your appetite.
"Americans are apt to scoff at the idea that a military coup in the
U.S.....could ever replace our government. But that is an idea that has
grounds for consideration..."1
-Lee Harvey Oswald-
1WC Exhibit 102, draft of proposed speech by Lee Harvey Oswald; Vol. XVI,
p. 441
(The book has been seen on ebay lately for about $130) (I got mine for $60
from the only non-ebay source I know)
CJ
Canuck
Prof. Joan Mellen has written about Otepka at her site. I think the
website is:
http://www.joanmellen.net. - Peter R. Whitmey