The CIA Man who considered using Oswald

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The CIA Man who considered using Oswald

The pseudonym Thomas B. Casasin belongs to a largely unknown Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer. His name appeared in a memo researchers for years have discussed that supports that at least one Agency employee considered using Lee Harvey Oswald for the acquisition of foreign intelligence. While this does not definitively connect Oswald to the CIA, it does offer that possibility was quite real. While the mythical secret agent Oswald a few offer is improbable, we do have verifiable evidence dispelling past claims that Oswald would never be considered for official use.i  However, there is more to the story of Casasin than just the prior versions of this notable memo...

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Castro Plots update

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A newly updated section with additional details about the CIA assassination plots targeting Fidel Castro, seven new documents from the 2017 JFK files, and multiple detailed summaries and timelines of the organization and development of various  related plots from the official files.

A Fake Card-Carrying Member

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A Fake Card-Carrying Member

Discussions about Lee Harvey Oswald often venture to speculation when seeking to provide a feasible motive for Oswald's purported actions. With scant time to prepare, without verifiable practice, some deem his alleged associations can explain what officials failed to repeatedly. Often the Fair Play for Cuba Committee (FPCC), an organization in the United States that promoted the interests Fidel Castro and by extension his Communist regime is attributed some blame. Others assert Oswald was a loyal and active member serving the Communist or Socialist factions within the group.  This claim is followed by allegations that Oswald was a lone gunman or a creature of Cuban or Soviet intelligence. However, the FPCC was a loosely organized group that never directed Oswald to do anything...

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Pseudonyms update

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The Assassination Archives and Research Center has accepted CIA pseudonym research from C.A.A. Savastano. It can be found at the AARC's "Select CIA Pseudonyms" listing. The featured pseudonyms can also be found with additional cryptonym and alias research here in the Primary Evidence Collections.
 

RION: Manuel Ray

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A notable document supports Cuban Exile leader Manuel Ray Rivero planned to betray the CIA. It reveals despite his abundant funding and support provided by CIA officials, he attributed his group's failures to the Agency.  This document and a brief statement of his background are offered for your review.

A Fellow Traveler

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A Fellow Traveler

A "traveler" holds special meaning to people associated with intelligence and national security. This does not simply indicate a person on a journey but someone who holds unseen loyalties to group without being an official member. The Central Intelligence Agency used the term referring to Communist sympathizers during the Cold War...

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CIA Policy and Resources update

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Two new CIA Resource documents for your inspection, the first is a Finder's Aid that provides a volume-by-volume summary of some files in Lee Harvey Oswald's 201 File. The second is a collection of reference photographs contained in CIA's Cuban Mug Book Volume 4.

The Autonomous Groups

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The Autonomous Groups

Following the Cuban Revolution of 1959, formerly loyal anti-Batista forces were soon opposing Fidel Castro the new dictator of Cuba. With Raul Castro's prominent endorsement of Communist alliances and the failure of Eisenhower administration officials to capitalize on diplomatic solutions for dealing with the regime, the eventual leaders of later dissident groups would then seek Fidel Castro's government to be overthrown. Thousands of disenfranchised people throughout countries in the Western hemisphere would seek individually and using exile groups to wrest control of Cuba from its Communist government. Foreign officials, political groups, mercenaries, private donors, criminals, and agencies of the United States government supported them. Based on internal communications multiple groups were not just loosely organized passionate advocacy organizations but highly trained paramilitary groups who became legitimate domestic security concerns. The leader of one such group was Manuel Artime...

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RION: Manuel Artime Buesa

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A document which proves Agency "golden boy" Manuel Artime Buesa and his Cuban exile operations were funded nearly five million dollars by the CIA to cover operations from June 1963 to June 1964. Officials would eventually realize that autonomous groups similar to the Artime's were threats and that not all of their operational expenses were traceable by accounting.

Pseudonym and Alias update

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Two new pseudonyms and one alias revealed for your inspection. The pseudonym Oliver Altman belongs to Justin O' Donnell a CIA employee sent to the Congo shortly before the assassination of Patrice Lumumba. Cuban Intelligence officer and Cuban Consul Alfredo Mirabal Diaz used the second pseudonym Federico in some communications and CIA analyst Leo Cherne used the alias (his former legal name) Leopold Chernetsky.

Cryptonyms update

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For your review are four new cryptonyms C.A.A. Savastano assisted documenting at the Mary Ferrell Foundation (LNERGO, BKHERALD, LNAGON, QJWIN). They reveal code names used in the evidence to represent the FBI, CIA, the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, and a foreign assassination operative Jose Marie Andre Mankel.

Exiled Cuban Crusaders

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Exiled Cuban Crusaders

The United States government, its military, and intelligence agencies considered Fidel Castro's Cuban regime a preeminent threat. The Communist stronghold was located at the front lines of the Cold War and positioned far too close for the taste of American officials. Seeking to overthrow Castro led some American leaders to ignore potential blowback and engage unreliable and criminal groups to see their desires fulfilled. Hundreds of Cuban exiles of interest to the United States seemed committed to the goal of deposing Castro; among them were the Diaz Lanz brothers, Pedro and Marcos...

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CIA Policy and Resource section update

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Presenting additional Policy and Resource documents concerning the wide array of Cuban nationals investigated and cataloged by the Central Intelligence Agency. The Cuban Mug Books Vol. 2 and 3 are offered for your inspection.