C061B5413 Approved for Release: 2014/09/29 C06185413 •' •' , S&GRIH'!JNOFORN Death of a President (U) DCI John McCone and the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy David Robarge (U) In recognition ofthe .50th anniversary ofthe assassination ofPresident John F. Kennedy on 22 November 1963, Studies in Intelligence reprints the below, which originally appeared as a chajJter in ChiefHistorian Da\tld Robarge:S bookJohn McCone as Director ofCentral Intelligence, 1961-1?65, published by the Center for the Study ofIntelligence in 200.5. (U) Misconceptions abound regarding CIA~ connection to the assas· sination and its role in subsequent investigations, contributing to the foct that, according to a recent polltalrm by the History Chan· (U) Walter Elder dashed nel, 71 percent ofthe American public still believes that Kennedy's in and cried'' out, 'The del:lth reniltedfrom a conspiracy. president's been shot/' ·(U) Robarge tells a very different story about Cl.A!! immediDte response to the assassination, ils interaction wilh the FBI and War­ ren Commission, the surprise appearance ofKGB defector Htri Nosenko with troubling information about Lee Harvey Oswald, and DC/ McCone's involvement with later inquiries about Kennedy's '' murder. Nothing in tlie numerous books and articles about the ass~sination that have appeared since the publication ofMcCone has materially changed any ofRobarge~ conclusions. (S) Jolut McCone and Lyman K.irk7 leaving, over hu1th, wanted to talk patrick, the Agency's Executive about the PFIAB meeting with his Director-Comptroller, met with Presi· senior deputies. They were eating in dent's Foreign Intelligence Advisory the French Room, a smaJI space next Boanl (PFIAB) through the morning .to the director•s office, when of22 November 1963. The main McCone•s executive assistant, Walter topic of ~iscussion was CIA's image Elder, dashed in and cried out, "''be problem, which McCone attributed tO president's been shotl., • hostile journalists. The DCI planned ' to fly to California that afternoon for {U) McCone turned on the televi­ the Thanksgiving holiday and, before sion. watched the news bulletins, • (U) Source notes ror this aniele c:an be round in the original publbhccl vcnions or the book on line In CIALink and lnleUnk. ) All statements of fad, opinion, or analysis expressed In this article are those of the (b)(3) author. Nothing In the article should be constnled .as asserting or Implying US govern­ ment endotSement of Its factual statements and lnterptetations. Studies In lnteHigence Vol. 5l, No. 3 (SBplember 2013) SEEAR'HN8F8AN t Approved for Release: 2014/09/29 C06185413 C06185413 .. Approved for Release: 2014/09/29 C06185413 SEERB/IN8PORN Death ofa President · (U) The Immediate reaction at Langley, as elsewhere In the US government. was to suspect that a foreign, probably commu­ nist-directed, effort to destabilize the United States might be underway. phoned the attorney general at his (U) KeMedy wanted to fly there nearby home. and said, "I'm going to right away, but McCone said that Hickory Hill to be with Bobby!'• The would take too long and suggested DCI made his call before the over­ instead that the slain president's body loaded Washington-area telephone be brought to Washington as soon as system went down 30 minutes after possible. Air Force One landed at the first news ftom Dallas. He Andrews Air Force Base that eve­ remembered wondering on the short ning. and John K.eMedy's body was drive to the K.eMedy house "who taken to Bethesda Naval Medical could be responsible for a thing like Center for an autopsy. Meanwhile, this. Was it the result of bigotry and the controversy over who had killed hatred that was expressed in certain him, and why, had already begun. areas ofthe country, ofwhich Dallas (U) Lee Hltvey Oswald was one? Was this an international Photo: UPI/BeUman (U) lnitiill Fears of11 Conspiracy plot?" (U) McCone returned to Headquar­ cate that a conspiracy had been (S) While McCone was with Rob­ ters at around 1530, summoned the funned t9 kill the President of the crt and Ethel Kennedy in their sec- CIA Executive Committee, asked the United States-and then what was to .ond floor library, the attorney general 'Intelligence Community's Wau:h come next" One of the first cables answered the phone. listened briefly, Committee to convene at the Penta­ was the following message Helms and then said, "He's dead., McCone gon, issued orders for all stations and sent to all CIA stations overseas: recalled feeling shock. disbelief, pro­ bases to report any signs ofa conspir­ Tragic de<zth ofPresident fotmd sadness, and great concern for acy and to ~hall Soviet person­ Kennedy ff!IJUires all ofus to the country. A few minutes later, he nel, especially intelligence officers, any and Robert left the house and walked look sharp for unusual for indications that the Soviet Union intelligence developments. arotmd the lawn, spcaldng privately. was trying to take advantage ofthe Although we have no reason dismay in Washington. (S) One ofthe numerous phone to expect anything ofa partic­ ular military nature, all hands calls to interrupt them was ftom Vice (U) The immediate reaction at should be on the quick alert President Lyndon Johnson in Dallas. Langley, as elsewhere in the US gov­ After expressing his condolences, at least for the neitfew days ernment, was to sUspect that a for­ while new president takes Johnson told Robert that the assassi~ eign. probably communist-directed, over reins. nation might be part of a worldwide effort to destabilize the United States plot and indicated that he probably might be underway. Richard Helms (S) In addition, McCone directed should be sworn in right away. The recalled that "[w]e all went to baUie that a special cable channel be estab­ attorney general was initially taken stations over the possibility that this lished so that all traffic related to Lee aback but then agreed. found out the might be a plot-and who was pull­ Harvey Oswald-vrested in Dallas appropriate procedure from the ing the strings. We were very busy soon after the shooting-went~ Department ofJustice, and infonned sending messages all over the world central repository, and he sent~ (b)(1) the pn:sidential entourage in Dallas.· to pick up anything that might indi- • (U) Robert Kennedy was holdina •luncheon meetl113 onorpniud crime with two Depuvnent ofJustice officllllslllhen FBI Dircdor J. Edpr Hoover ailed 10 !ell him that the president had been shoL 2 !II!C!!R!'fHN8F8RN studies in Intelligence Vol. 57, No. 3 (September2013) Approved for Release: 2014/09/29 C06185413 C06185413 Approved for Release: 2014/09/29. C06185413 5EERB'f/N8f8ftN Death ofa President r (b)(1) I L__ to Parkland (S) For some time after the ~ssass/natlon, and particularly fol­ L....;-;H,.-osp-=-· ,..,.ital...... .- w......h- ere----..J ...,.hll-1o Kennedy had lowing Oswald's murder on the 24th, Agency leaders would not been taken for emergency treatment, rule out a domestic or foreign conspiracy. to coordinate activities with the Secret Service and the FBI. After the the Soviet embassy in Mexico City. shocked their leaders and made them ·secret Service obtained a graphic Headquarters officers speculated .on fear US retaliation.c film of the assassination taken by an 24 November that "[a]lthough it amateur photographer named Abra­ appear.; that he [Oswald] was then (S) For some rime after the assassi­ ham Zapruder, McCone had the thinking only about a peaceful nation, and particularly following National Photographic Interpretation change ofresidence to the Soviet Oswald's murder on the 24th, Center (NPIC) oftkeJs analyze the Union, it is also possible that he was Agency leaders would not rule out a footage (particularly the time getting documented to make a quick domestic or foreign conspiracy-the between shots) and prepare briefing escape after assassinating the Presi- · latter possibly involving ·the Soviet boards for the service.• dent"b Union or Cuba. A Headquarters cable on the 28th stated that "[w]e have by (U) Some senior CIA officers (S) The_Agency's inability to locate no means excluded the possibility looked into possible KGB involve­ Nikita Khrushchev right after the that other as yet unlatown persons ment. The chief ofthe Soviet-Russia assassination especially alanned may have been involved or even that (SR) Division of the Deputy Direc­ McCone and his deputies. The Soviet other powers may have played a torate for Plans (DDP), David Mur­ premier's apparent absence from role:" On I Dec:ember, the station in phy, framed the essential question the Moscow could have meant that he Mexico City, where Oswald had vis­ day after: "[W]as OsWald, wittingly was in a secret command center, ited the Soviet and Cuban consulates or unwittingly, part ofa plot to mur­ either hunkering down for an Ameri­ a few weeks before the ~ination, der President Kennedy in Dallas as an can reprisal, or possibly preparing to was told tQ "continue to follow all attempt to further exacerbate sec­ strike at the Umted States. "We were leadS and tips. 'l1ie question of · tiOnal strife and renderthC US gov­ very high in tension about any indica­ whether Oswald acted solely on his ernment less capable ofdealing with tors which would support such a own has still not been finally Soviet initiatives over the next yeatl'' theme," Helms said. "It bec:ame man­ res0lved."1\vo weeks later, Head­ Also on the 23rd, Mexico City sta­ ifest within 24 or 48 hours owever: quarters told the station to "continue tion reported that 'tess than two that this was not the case.' to watch for ...evidence oftheir months earlier, Oswald had met with ,____ (b)(1 )-----li [Soviet or -~uban] complicity ..." a KGB officer possibly ftom the Thirteenth Directorato-respnsible ws ofthe assassination deeply (S) McCone suggested two possi­ for assassination and sabotage-at ble culprits ifOswald had not acted • (S) NPIC had dlllleulty computlna &he CUd lime ofexpiiSIII'CI of the fiames on Zapnadu's film because the camaa he used wu spring-wound, which caused lhe limina ofthe hmes to vary slighdy liom lhe standard or I Bpc1 second.