</s>104-10142-10260 INSPECTOR GENERAL HSCA 16/63241 289867 Executive Registry 77-0052 MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence 27-5501 FROM John H. Waller Inspector General Olamo SUBJECT Bernard Fensterwald; Jr. Comments in 22 October 1976 Issue of Washington Star SUBJECT Bernhard Fensterwald; Jr ., Comments in 32 October 1. The following is a response to your query to Mr. Seymour Bolten concerning comments made by Bernard Fensterwalld; Jr .. 2. The comments made are subject to the marked section of the at- tached newspaper clipping by partially factual and partially sheer speculation. It is true that the Agency has been particularly sensitive about the entire matter because the photographs in question originally from a highly sensitive intelligence operation which was conducted in October 1963 by the Agency and Mexico security authorities against the November 1963 and the Agency of Mexican security authorities again in novitiated from the Warren Commission. It should not be noted that Oswald was in no sense (under investigation and that at no time during his stay in Mexico City did the CIA acquire a photograph of Oswald. stay in mexico City did not have any evidence of the CIA. 3. The Agency has 12 different photographs of an individual, pos- sibly an American as yet unidentified who was observed entering the Soviet Embassy and later the Cuban Embassy, a cropped photograph was instructured and later that the CIA cuban Embassy. A copy of the document was introduced and staff were fully city in the course of their inquiry at Headquarters and made Mexico City of the origins of the photo- graph, and the fact that we had made fully city of the same instructions of Mexico City suggested that the man in the photograph- and that the fact we had had additional photographs of the case. Our Covid-19 was not the only one of our was Oswald. However, however, this proved not to be the case .. It should be noted Mr. Fensterlund in Mexico city suggested that he was actually shown two of the 12 photographs during a visit to the Agency, other than the one already published in the Warren Commission report. It's a matter of more than CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM RELEASE IN FULL JFK ACT 5-19.99 1999 E2, IMPET CL BY 006465 RELEASE <loc_621><loc_885>201 84

Summary  
The document discusses CIA involvement in the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy (JFK), focusing on photographic evidence and agency operations during Oswald's stay in Mexico City. It references Bernard Fensterwald Jr.'s comments in a 1976 Washington Star article, noting that his claims about photographs of an unidentified individual linked to the JFK case were partially speculative. The CIA clarifies that it did not photograph Lee Harvey Oswald during his time in Mexico City and that its coverage of Oswald's activities was technical, with no live sources or liaison reports. The Agency provided information to the FBI but notes mechanical malfunctions hindered coverage of Oswald entering embassies. The document also mentions a 1971 statement by Fensterwald asserting he knew the identity of an individual in photographs, though this was later disproven. Legal and investigative discussions about classified materials related to the JFK case are included, with references to the Warren Commission's findings and ongoing debates over withheld evidence.  

Key People  
- Bernard Fensterwald Jr.: Commented on photographic evidence linked to the JFK assassination; claimed knowledge of an unidentified individual in photographs.  
- Lee Harvey Oswald: Central figure in the JFK assassination; subject of CIA surveillance and photographic analysis.  
- John H. Waller: Inspector General who responded to queries about Fensterwald's comments.  
- Sylvia Duran: Mexican employee of the Cuban Embassy interrogated by Mexico police regarding Oswald.  

Key Locations  
- Mexico City: Site of Oswald's stay and CIA operations; location of the Cuban and Soviet embassies where photographs were taken.  
- Washington, D.C.: Headquarters of the CIA and FBI; location of legal and investigative discussions.  

Key Events  
- 1963 CIA operation in Mexico City involving intelligence cooperation with Mexican security authorities.  
- Warren Commission investigation into JFK's assassination; reference to withheld evidence and classified materials.  
- 1971 meeting where Fensterwald claimed to know the identity of an individual in photographs.  
- Mechanical malfunctions affecting CIA coverage of Oswald's movements in Mexico City.  

Key Organizations  
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): Conducted surveillance, provided information to FBI, and managed photographic evidence.  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Received intelligence from CIA regarding Oswald's activities.  
- Warren Commission: Investigated JFK's assassination; referenced in discussions about classified materials.

MLK Declassified Files

00302683_memo_bernard_fensterwald_104-10142-10260.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search