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14-00000 104-10106-10188] 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F_ KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
I NIT REFaODUcE
SUBJECT: Sam Jaffe
RETQiN TO Cwa
Sam Jaffe's relationship with the Agency predates his assignment
to Moscow as an ABC correspondent- During the period 1958-60 while in New
York Jaffe was a confidentia} informant of the FBI on his Soviet contacts
in New York In addition, he had severa] meetings with the New York office
0f CIA's Domestic Contact Division- While in Moscow with ABC Jaffe felt he
was the subject: of a recruitment attempt by the KGB in 1962_ He recounted
his story to the Regiona] Security Officer at the American Embassy in Moscow
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copies of which went to both CIA and FBI _ Jaffe covered the Gary Powers
trial for ABC and flew on the same plane from New York to Moscow with the
Barbara Powers party - Prior to that trip he was briefed by a CIA Psocderegist
On ways to observe Powers 's behavior and demeanor. Jaffe was never
to cover the Powers: trial, but simply acted as an enterprising newspaperman
befriending Barbara Powers while her party was enroute and in the Soviet Union.
2: During the latter part of.his time in Moscow Jaffe was in contact
with a KGB officer, Kuvkov and this relationship is a matter 0f record.with
the FBI_ There is some evidence that Jaffe was given preferential treatment
by the Soviet authorities_ Some western pressmen felt that Jaffe:. as an
aggressive newspaperman, was giving a little to get a story_ Jaffe has
given his version of his deal ings with the KGB in a lengthy 1969 interview
with the FBI _
3 The defector Nosenko provided information on Jaffe' s relationship
to the KGB in 1964_ However as time went 0n, further debriefings of Nosenko
indicated that Nosenko was_ not as sure about Jaffe s relationship as he had
been originally_ By 1968 Nosenko was positive oly that Kuvkov had been in
touch with Jaffe, but Nosenko was not certain that Jaffe wa $ a paid and
witting agent of the KGB .
4 _ During Jaffe's tour in Hong and subsequently in Washinaton,
he was in touch with CIA officers_ He provided information
on a chigese24
news Officia]l he was- helpfu] to the Agency_ in reporting on a
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organization
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The Committee of New China Pol Al1 @fficia]lcontact with
Jaffe ended in 7971 OX
5. Central to Jaffe's charges about CIA, which he has made public Inany
times, is Jaffe' s bel ief that the CIA passed derogatory information about
him to his employers_ Attached is a
24 November 1975 letter from Mr _ Colby
to Jaffe which states categorically that no informa tion in the CIA files had
ever
been passed outside oF official channels_ In addjtion to this Tetter
Jaffe has been reassured on this point verbally on at Ieast four other
occasions_ The CIA is positive that Jaffe's recal] from in 1968
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and subsequent dismissa] by ABC , are not related to any action taken by the
CIA.
6 In discussions with Jaffe he frequently recounts a conversation he
had with Mr. Ted Cowen, a British intelligence officia]] in 0676y
According to Jaffe, [Cowen} told him that he had a "security problem" but 06
this Iem would Qear_up in due course_ A close check 0f our files can
not ellucidate what [Cowen was talking about. It is possible of course, 0L
that (Cowen was a]uding to the Nosenko a]legations as the Britishe were 0l
given much of the Nosenko debriefings _ The record is unclear on tthis
point_ However, based on information available' to this Agency , we feel we
have tried to fy Jaffe with the statement contained in the Colby Ietter
that we have no evidence he has_ ever been an agent of foreign intelligence
service.
7 _ Jaffe has submitted a Freedom 0f Information Act request to CIA
which has resulted in the release of a arge number of documents to him.
Jaffe can, of course, appea] our withholding 0f certain documents through
appropriate administrative and judicial procedures under the FOIA_
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