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T [20+132820017]
2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F_ KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
MHFNO 98- 0457370 SECRET
SENSTND
PAGE
SECRET ERP
STAFF
ACTION IMS ESG (020) INFO : CIC /CEG _ CIC/ CEGLA , LA/FIG , LA/FIGSC _ LIMITED , MDSX _
CIC/ LA DO / IRO , IMDORECORD _
ODPD ORMS_ LA FILE C/ LA (3 / W)
98 0457370 ASP PAGE 001 IN 04573 70
TOR 0619082 FEB 98 BUEN 55099
S E C R E T 0619002 FEB 98 STAFF
CITE BUENOS AIRES 55099
TO PRIORITY DIRECTOR
FOR LIMITED DISSEM IMS ESG INFO DO/ IRO , CHIEF LA _ CIC/LA LA/FIG , LA/FIGSC ,
~SEUGS: WNINTEL
SUBJECT CONTINUED PROTECTION OF OUR USE OF COVER
RER DIRECTOR 674771 98 0430861
TEXT :
1 ACTION REQUIRED : NONE _ FYI ONLY AND IN RESPONSE TO REF
TTE RELEASE OF INFORMATION WHICH OFFICIALLY RECOCN FACT OF STATE CQVER_ WILL BE:A_DELICATE IZES THE
ALTHOUGH" DAMAGE ISSUE ACROSS: THE_ AND
BOARD
ASSESSMENTS IN THE<JFK ASSASSINATIONZRECORDS REVIEW (ARRB) ARE_LIMITED TQ_ONLY JFOUR COUNTRIES IHE WORLD-WIDE OF STATE COVER MEANS THE IMPLICATIONS WILL
USE
SENSE IT IS ALMOST SELF
BE W 'IDELY FELT IN THIS
(MOSCOW
DEFEATING To' ARGUE FROM FOUR SPECIFIC CASES PARIS MEXICO CITY AND BUENOS AIRES ) AND EXTRAPOLATE THE WHOLE DDO NEVERTHELESS WE WILL ATTEMPT
FOR
THE BA PERSPECTIVE TO RESPOND TO REF FROM
3 OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION OF CIA USE OF STATE COVER WWILL PREJUDICE UNILATERAL OFFICERS IN ARGENTINA
JMOST STATIONS _ IS THE
COVER AND ACTIVITY _ WHICH As IN
THAT THESE OFF
COVER AND ACTIVITY WHICH MATTERS THE MOST IN ICERS TEND TO HANDLE THE MOST SENSITIVE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OUR UNILATERAL
PENETRATIONS OF
jNON- OFFICIAL COVER (NOC )
OFFICERS ALSO HANDLE STATION' S
ACTIVITY
OFFICERS THUS BY DEFINITION THE UNILATERAL CARRIED OUT BY THESE OFFICERS IS NON- COMPATIBLE AND CAUSE DAMAGE TO STATION S RELATIONS WITH OUR
WOULD
SERVICES CURRENTLY VAR IOUS LIAISON
RESULT OF
STATION IS ENJOYING A PERIOD WHEREIN -As A_
OF THE
PRESIDENT CLINTON S VISIT HERE IN LATE 1997 _ AND THE CHIEF PRINCIPAL LIAISON SERVICE S VISIT TO HEADQUARTERS IN NOV 97_ LIAISON HAs DECIDED TO RE-ORIENT ITS ACTIVITIES LIAISON RELATIONSHIPS IT HAS WITH
AWAY FROM SMALL
TOWARDS CIA THIS STRA
VAR IOUS EUROPEAN SERVICES AND MORE
BENEFITS
TEGIC SHIFT_ WHICH COULD HAVE LONG TERM FOR_CIA,_WILL_ BE_DASHED_WHEN-bEAESON_SEES
NON CQMBATIBLE OPERATIONS IN
THAT WE RUN
BUENOS AIRES THE TRUST THAT TAKES AN
SECRET
DO ,
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13-00000
SECRET MHFNO 98 - 04573 70 SENS IND
PAGE
ENDLESS_NUMBER_OF 'MEETINGS TO BUILD WILL BE GONE WITH THE PUBLICATION LOCALLY CONF IRMING OUR USE OF STATE COVER
FIRST
4 MOREOVER _ BILATERAL U_ S ARGENTINE RELATIONS CLOSER THESE WOULD BE TARNISHED
HAVE NEVER BEEN
UNNECESSARILY NOT IRREPARABLY BY ANY MEANS _ BUT BY OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION OF CIA USE OF STATE COVER HISTORICALLY RELATIONS WITH ARGENTINA HAVE BEEN STRAINED AND It IS ONLY DUR ING THE PAST FEW YEARS THAT A NEW PRESIDENT FREE MARKET REFORMS HAVE PUSHED
AND HIS BOLD
DEMOCRATIC
ARGENTINA SQUARELY INTO THE ORBIT _ CURIOUSLY _ THE CLOSE POLITICAL RELATIONS AND OUR STEADILY- IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH LIAISON MEANS THAT BOTH PARTIES EMBASSY DIPLOMATS AND SENIOR LIAISON OFFICERS WONDER WHY WE TQ SPY HERE IF WE CAN GET VIRTUALLY ANYTHING
NEED
OR FROM ARGENTINE WE ASK FOR FROM LIAISON GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS INDEED IN THIS RELATIVELY OPEN COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT AN INDICATION THAT STATION WAS ON INCOMPATIBLE LOCAL TARGETS WOULD BE ESPECIALLY
WORKING
DAMAGING _
5 AT THE RISK OF BORING THE READER WITH DETAIL AIRES IS SO OPEN A WORKPLACE THAT THERE
EMBASSY BUENOS
AREA (CAA)
IS NO REAL CLEARED ACCESS
BUT RATHER A HYBRID" CAA _ TO USE THE RSO' S PHRASE THIS MEANS THAT FSN S HAVE LONG HAD OFFICES ON THE THIRD FLOOR EXECUTIVE OFFICES AND REPORTING OFFICES INCLUDING
WHERE THE
LOCATED NEEDLESS TO SAY _ STATION IS NOT
STATION ARE
CONFIGURATION OF OFFICES SINCE
COMFORTABLE WITH THE LOCAL
IT TENDS TO IDENTIFY OUR UNILATERAL OFFICERS IN THIS ENVIRONMENT WHERE EMBASSY OFFICERS DO NOT HAVE A FULL APPRECIATION OF THE ROLE NEED FOR INTELLIGENCE IN SUCH AN OPEN _ FRIENDLY SOCIETY_ OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION OF CIA S USE OF STATE COVER WOULD ONLY REAFFIRM THEIR POINT OF VIEW OUR FEW UNILATERAL WOULD ESSENTIALLY THEN BE DECLARED STATION WOULD HAVE TO
OFFICERS
CHANGE OUR COVER PROFILE BY OBTAINING MORE NOC
ATTEMPT TO
REDUCING THE NUMBER OF UNILATERAL c/o' s_ As
OFFICERS WHILE
TNDER CURRENT
HEADQUARTERS IS AWARE CIRCUMSTANCES THERE ARE FEW NOCS AND THE SELECTION AND TRAINING OF NEW ONES TAKES YEARS AND IS EXPENSIVE IN THIS SCENARIO _ BUENOS AIRES WOULD NEVER RECEIVE ENOUGH PRIORITY TO WARRANT SENDING THREE NOC OFFICERS TO REPLACE THE THREE UNILATERAL SLOTS WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE END RESULT WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD COLLECT VERY LITTLE INTELLIGENCE ON MAJOR PORTIONS OF OUR OPERATING DIRECTIVE (OD) SPECIFICALLY _ INTERNAL POLITICAL REPORTING _ WHICH IS A FIRST PRIORITY OBJECTIVE WOULD BE ZEROED OUT AND REPORTING ON THE WP AND ES FARGETS BOTH SECOND PRIORITY OBJECTIVES _ WOULD BE NON-EXISTENT_ THIS WOULD BE A SERIOUS LOSS TO THE USG _ SINCE OUR WP REPORTING AISTORICALLY BEEN THE ONLY MEANS OF LEARNING TO WHAT EXTENT THE
HAS
ARGENTINES ARE RESPECTING INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND NOT REBUILDING THEIR MISSILE PROGRAM ON THE ES TARGET _ WE WOULD LOSE SIGNIFICANT
REPORTING ON REGIONAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND THE IMPACT OF THE ASIAN FINANCIAL CRISIS IN THE AMERICAS PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY ,
WE WOULD LOSE THE TRUST OF KEY HOST GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
HOWEVER _
SENIOR LIAISON OFFICIALS AND OF SOME
WITH THE PREDICTABLE RESULT THAT IT WOULD TAKE YEARS TO REBUILD THE RELATIONSHIP_
IN TERMS OF A SECURITY THREAT BUENOS AIRES REMAINS THE ONLY CAPITAL IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE THAT HAS BEEN THE VICTIM OF TWO HZBALLAH BOMBINGS KILLING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE A TERRORIST INFRASTRUCTURE EXTSTS- IN_THE TRI BORDER"AREATOF ARGENTINA BRAZIL ,
AND PARAGUAY WITH TIES INTQ_BUENOS_AIRES 4S WAS PROVEN_TWICE TWO
SECRET
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OR THREEE_TIMES PER YEAR STATION OBTAINS REPORTING-OF -
ON LOCAL JEWISH OR U . S INTERESTS
ANOTHER--THREAT
ENVIRONMENT
INCLUDING THIS EMBASSY IN THIS PUBLICATION OF CIA USE OF OFFICIAL COVER MIGHT ENDANGER PEOPLES - LIVES SPECIFICALLY STATION OFFICERS HAMAS GAMA ISLAMIYAH AND HIZBALLAH ARE ALL ACTIVE
AT AL
LOCALLY IN ADDITION ARGENTINA HAS AN ARAB POPULATION OF OVER 700 000 IN THE DIPLOMATIC WORLD THE CUBAN EMBASSY IS LARGE AND ACTIVE ; WE ARE CERTAIN WOULD SEEK TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY U,S COVER GAPS
THEY
HAD_ANY-STGNTFTCANT COVER GAPS IN THE PAST
STATION HAS_NOT
MAGNITUDE WOULD
AND THUS ANY ONE OF THIS HAVE A LARGE IMPACT
STATION HOPES THE ABOVE IS USEFUL IN MARSHALING ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE PUBLICATION OF THE ARRB RECORDS
FILE: NONE DECL ON X1 CL REASON 1.5 (C) CL BY : 0 70590 {DRV HUM 4 82
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