</s>104-10336-10034 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 17 September 1998 MEMORANDUM FOR: Ms. Laura Denk Executive Director, ARRB FROM: J. Barry Harrison JFK Project Officer, HRP/OIM SUBJECT: CIA-IR-35, Source Identified in RIF Number 104-10151-1-206 1. The following is in response to subject request. 2. Searches were made for information responsive to subject request and materials were provided for examination by the ARRB staff. of Lee that examination, staff members selecting the materials that were examined. Those documents have now been included within the Lee Harvey Oswald 201 file to be processed and released to NARA. 3. This concludes the Agency's action on this request. If you have any questions, please advise. J. Barry Harrelson

Summary:  
The documents detail CIA actions regarding the handling of information related to Lee Harvey Oswald’s activities in the Soviet Union and the protection of a classified cryptonym ("IJDECANTER") associated with a KGB source. A memorandum from J. Barry Harrison (JFK Project Officer) notes that materials responsive to a request were examined by ARRB staff and incorporated into Oswald’s 201 file for processing and release to NARA. Another memo from Michelle Combs describes CIA-IR-35, which involves a source providing information on Oswald and his Soviet connections. The source is identified as a senior KGB official in the Second Chief Directorate (internal counter-intelligence). Documents include briefing reports, audio transcripts, and portions of Oswald’s file 201, designated for inclusion in the JFK Collection at NARA.  

A classified memorandum from Lee S. Strickland (CIA) to the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) outlines concerns about releasing the cryptonym "IJDECANTER," which refers to a CIA source (Sergei PAPUSHIN). The CIA argues that disclosure could compromise counterintelligence operations, as Russian intelligence might exploit knowledge of the source’s identity. The memorandum references past cases like the Boyce/Lee espionage case, where released information led to significant intelligence losses. It emphasizes the importance of protecting "bona fides" (credibility) of sources and warns of potential damage to U.S.-Russia relations and operational security.  

Key People:  
- Lee Harvey Oswald  
- Boris ZHURAVLEV (Soviet official who provided information on Oswald)  
- Sergei PAPUSHIN (identified as IJDECANTER, a KGB source)  
- J. Barry Harrison (JFK Project Officer)  
- Michelle Combs (CIA Associate Director for Research and Review)  
- Lee S. Strickland (CIA Chief, Information Review Group)  

Key Locations:  
- Soviet Union (specifically references to KGB operations)  
- Los Angeles Times (mentioned in context of media coverage influencing declassification decisions)  
- National Archives (NARA, where JFK assassination records are housed)  

Key Events:  
- Examination and inclusion of Oswald’s 201 file materials into the JFK Collection at NARA  
- CIA’s request to protect the cryptonym "IJDECANTER" to prevent intelligence compromise  
- Discussions on counterintelligence risks, including potential Russian exploitation of source identities  
- Reference to past espionage cases (e.g., Boyce/Lee) as precedents for intelligence damage  

Key Organizations:  
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)  
- Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB)  
- KGB (Soviet Union’s intelligence service)  
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

JFK Declassified Files

104-10336-10034.pdf

Document Summary

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