</s>180-10143-102727 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 Classification: SECRET 1 of 9 pages (This form is to be used for material extracted from controlled documents.) INTERVIEW OF THOMAS CASASIN AUGUST 17, 1978 AMERICAN EMBASSY/ PARIS, FRANCE By Surell Brady Cassassin stated that he retired from the Central Intelligence Agency in 1973. At the time of the assassination of President Kennedy in November, 1963 he was stationed in Paris; he was working in the area in Soviet operations, but had no official cover. He arrived in Paris in September, 1962. 24 as Branch 6 Chief. He worked for two years in Section d. Cassassin said that in September. 1960 he was assigned defense cover? Cassassin Said that during his assignment in Paris he had not infrequent contact with the CIA station in Paris. He estimated that the contact occurred every two and a half weeks. The contact was made on the contact occurred by telephone and personal information. He was said he never outside by telephoning and station. Cassassin explained that the function of Section 6 was operations in support of the Soviet Russia Division of the CIA. He said the he said the work consisted of assessing information in support to the SR Division; he characterized that he worked as a classical espionage work against the ussr. He Said that involved penetration for the purpose and experts in the of the science and political science. He stated that the section of the Soviet government was involved in the operation of the situation. was in a "down" phase when he entered and that the stated that this consisted of only 2020-25 persons. Cassassin worked in Japan from February 1955 to June 1960. He served as Chief of the USSR Base from North Asia Command. He asked his unit of Soviet Base in the Eastern Command of the Armed Forces. He explained that his unit was one of four bases: Soviet, Japan, North Korea and Red China. Each of those geographical areas was a target. He The Soviet Base was assigned head, that therefore was against the Soviet Union. He has assigned head that was 1955. He said that operations cut out of psychological base was included espionage. The control of the operations was conducted by the psychological warfare and radio transmission to internal Soviet audiences. He had the espionage also included spying against Soviet naval and industrial targets in Soviet ports, using mainly Japanese operatives who had access to the ports. CassassinSaid that his base had extremely limited work with the Classification : <loc_331><loc_885>SECRET RETURN TO CIA Background Use Only 26-0306: <loc_169><loc_908>Do Not Reproduction Classified by derivation:

Summary:  
Thomas Casasín, a former CIA officer, recounts his assignments in Japan (1955–1960) and Paris (1962–1963), detailing his role in Soviet operations under the North Asia Command. He describes working on espionage against the USSR, including penetration of Soviet naval and industrial targets via Japanese operatives. Casasín notes limited CIA collaboration with U.S. military units, citing the Navy’s provision of cover for operations but skepticism about military involvement in clandestine projects. He references a 1963 memo (CIA Document 435-173-A) authored by Thomas B. Cassin (likely a pseudonym) regarding Lee Harvey Oswald, noting that Oswald’s marriage to a Soviet citizen and his activities in the USSR raised suspicions of KGB contact. Casasín discusses the Legal Travellers Program, which used defectors and scientists with legitimate presence in the USSR for intelligence gathering. He also mentions the U-2 program and its oversight, though he does not confirm direct involvement. The interview includes details about CIA internal structures, such as the SR Division’s REDWOOD project and Counterintelligence operations, but no direct link to JFK’s assassination is provided.  

Key People:  
- Thomas Casasín (former CIA officer)  
- Lee Harvey Oswald (subject of the 1963 memo)  
- Walter Haltingan (pseudonym for a CIA official)  
- Robert G. Campbell (CIA official referenced in the memo)  
- Alexander Sokoloff (head of the Legal Travellers Program)  

Key Locations:  
- Paris, France (CIA station where Casasín worked in 1962–1963)  
- Japan (Casasín’s assignment from 1955 to 1960)  
- Minsk, USSR (mentioned as a location of interest for special design plants)  

Key Events:  
- Casasín’s work on Soviet espionage operations in Japan and Paris  
- The 1963 CIA memo referencing Lee Harvey Oswald’s activities and potential KGB contact  
- Discussions about the Legal Travellers Program and its use of defectors  
- Casasín’s testimony about CIA internal structures, including the SR Division and Counterintelligence  

Key Organizations:  
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)  
- Soviet Union (KGB operations and targets)  
- North Asia Command (U.S. military unit referenced in Casasín’s testimony)  
- Legal Travellers Program (CIA initiative for intelligence gathering via defectors)

JFK Declassified Files

180-10143-10227.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search