104-103332-10014 1 SUMMARY OF AUGUST 1996 REVIEW BOARD ACTIONS ON SECURITY CLASSIFIED HSCA TESTIMONY OF JOHN SCELSO (180-10131-1030) SOCURITY CLASSIFIED HCSA TESTimony OF (180)-10131.1030] pages line Board Action Modifiction detall Inter/sub.hans. 19,9, 11, 22 P. Review 05/1997, "CIA Employee." 52,5-6 M Protect first four 10/2017", "Operational words of line 5; Details." release rest of line. 52,11 R (see release on release rest Of line. Details." 52,21 & 23 p.141) 52,6 R & R R 53,6 R 55,25 P 10/17/2017 "Describes technical operation." 56,4-7 Release line 4: 10/20/17 "Describe M release lines 6 & 7 10/27/17" Describes intelligence operation in release lines 7 & 7 Mexico City." 56; 19-23 M postpost from 4th 10/01/17",Describes word in line 19 intelligence operation In through the third Mexico City". word inline 21: release rest off lines 21.1-23 Mexico City" 56; 25 P release rest on lines 10/201/17 ("Describes 57:2 P 10/207"Describes technical operation. " 57; 4-7- individuals." P 10/017"Describeres technical operation".

Summary  
The document details a 1996 review by the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) regarding the classification of John Scelsso’s House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) testimony and related CIA materials. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) requested that specific phrases, such as references to a "Mexican Political Action Program" and details about surveillance operations in Mexico City, be withheld from public release due to risks to U.S.-Mexico relations and ongoing intelligence activities. The CIA argued that releasing these details could harm current liaison efforts with Mexican authorities, provoke adverse reactions from the Mexican government, or compromise classified information. The memo also addresses concerns about Phillip Agee’s book, which allegedly exposed CIA operations, and Scelsso’s testimony confirming some of its claims. The CIA sought to substitute sensitive language with less revealing alternatives while preserving the narrative of joint U.S.-Mexican operations. Additional materials include discussions of CIA intercepts in Cuba (1964–1966), surveillance of Cuban and Soviet embassies in Mexico City, and internal agency procedures. A section references the handling of Lee Harvey Oswald’s case by the CIA Mexico City Station, noting that information about his activities was not reported to Headquarters. The document also includes fragmented cables regarding the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act, interviews with John Whitten (a former CIA operative), and administrative notes on document classification and distribution.  

Key People  
- **John F. Kennedy** – Subject of assassination investigation.  
- **John Scelsso** – Former CIA officer who testified before the HSCA.  
- **Phillip Agee** – Author whose book allegedly exposed CIA activities.  
- **J. Edgar Hoover** – Former FBI director, referenced in context of tapping American Communists.  
- **Louis Stokes** – Chairman of the CIA, mentioned in correspondence.  
- **J. Barry Harrison** – ARRB staff member involved in reviewing release requests.  
- **Thomas Karamessinas** – CIA officer discussing Sylvia Deran’s arrest and U.S. actions.  
- **Sylvia Deran** – Individual whose arrest was discussed in CIA cables.  
- **Walter J. Kauphan** – Chief of Mexico branch of Western Hemisphere Division.  
- **Donald Vogel, Paul Dillard, Ann Goodpasture, Herbert Manelli, Barbara Manelli** – CIA officers and technicians involved in Latin American operations.  
- **John Whitten** – Former CIA operative who expressed concerns about exposure, perjury, and threats to his safety.  
- **Jeremy Gunn** – General Counsel of the JFK Review Board, conducted interviews with Whitten.  
- **Linda C. Cipriani** – DCI/OGC/LD involved in handling classified materials and interviews.  
- **Bert Milli** – Individual claiming connections to intelligence agencies and alleging misconduct by CIA officials.  
- **James Angleton** – CIA official accused of unauthorized communications with the Warren Commission.  
- **Richard Helms** – CIA Director who interacted with Angleton during the JFK investigation.  
- **Yuri Nosenko** – Soviet defector who claimed Oswald was not a Soviet agent.  

Key Locations  
- **Mexico City** – Central to political action programs, surveillance operations, and CIA station activities.  
- **Washington, D.C.** – Headquarters for the CIA and ARRB.  
- **Cuban Embassy** – Target of telephone tapping and intercepts in Mexico City.  
- **Soviet Embassy** – Various locations including Chancery, Military Attache, Commercial Office, Film Representative.  
- **Vienna, Austria** – Where John Whitten resided; mentioned as a location for potential threats from Islamic groups.  
- **Panama** – International Police Academy referenced in CIA documents.  
- **National Archives** – Mentioned in context of missing documentation affecting verification of surveillance coverage.  

Key Events  
- **1962–1963**: CIA’s joint operation with Mexican authorities to monitor leftist influences in Mexico, including surveillance of political figures and foreign embassies.  
- **1978**: Scelsso’s testimony to the HSCA about telephone intercepts and political action programs in Mexico City.  
- **1996**: ARRB review of classified materials from Scelsso’s testimony and Lopez Report, with CIA requesting delays on specific releases.  
- **Surveillance and interception operations** at Cuban and Soviet embassies in Mexico City (1964–1966).  
- **Discussion of the arrest of Sylvia Deran** and its implications for U.S. actions.  
- **Establishment and operation of a listening post** with Mexican Army officers and an American technician, including routine transmission of transcripts to CIA headquarters.  
- **Handling of Lee Harvey Oswald’s case** by the CIA Mexico City Station, with information not reported to Headquarters.  
- **Interviews with John Whitten** regarding his fears of exposure, perjury, and threats to his safety.  
- **Fragmented references** to the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act and British declassified reports.  
- **Allegations of CIA misconduct** during the Kennedy assassination investigation, including unauthorized communications with the Warren Commission and bureaucratic delays in intelligence sharing.  

Key Organizations  
- **Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)** – Conducted surveillance and political operations in Mexico, Cuba, and Latin America; involved in handling Oswald’s case and managing classified materials.  
- **Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB)** – Reviewed classification status of documents related to JFK assassination.  
- **House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)** – Body that commissioned Scelsso’s testimony.  
- **JFK Review Board** – Involved in reviewing Whitten’s case for protection.  
- **British intelligence** – Mentioned in context of declassified reports (e.g., ADI reports).  
- **International Federation of Petroleum and Chemical Workers (F(R)E)** – Referenced in CIA documents.  
- **International Police Academy (School of Panama)** – Mentioned as a location for training.  
- **LADO Committee for Democracy Action** – Latin American organization controlled or influenced by CIA agents.  
- **Soviet/satellite operations unit under CIA Mexico City station** – Conducted intercepts and surveillance in Cuba and other regions.

JFK Declassified Files

104-10332-10014.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search