[1]DARAAN
[2]\104-10326-10049 | 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |
[6]SECRET
[7]SENSIND: EO RYBAT
[9]SECRET
[11]CONF: EUR/GA INFO: DC/EUR, EUR/LGL, EYESONLY, MDSX, OCC/OSG, ODPD,
[12]FILE, DDO (2/P)
[14]PAGE 001
[15]TOT: 0213542 MAY 96
[17]‘SECRET
[19]STAFF 021354Z DIRECTOR 758224
[20]TO: VIENNA. :
[22]FROM: LIMIT EUR/GA INFO EUR/LGL, OGC/OFLD, DC/EUR, OCC/OSG,
[25]SLUGS: WNINTEL RYBAT
[27]SUBJECT: EYES ONLY - APRIL 1996 MEETING BETWEEN JFK BOARD
[28]ATTORNEY AND JOHN WHITTEN
[30]REF: A. VIENNA 34962 96 3666955
[31]B. DIRECTOR 702048 96 3616677
[33]TEXT:
[35]1. ACTION REQUIRED: NONE, FYIO.
[37]. 2. THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTS THE MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
[38]PREPARED BY IDEN B REF B CONCERNING THE INTERVIEW WITH JOHN.
[39]WHITTEN AND IS PROVIDED FOR YOUR EDIFICATION. ;
[41]ON 22 APRIL 1996, FROM APPROXIMATELY 1000 TO 1600, IDENS REF
[42]B SPOKE WITH JOHN WHITTEN AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN VIENNA. IDEN A
[43]CONDUCTED THE INTERVIEW BY’ SHOWING WHITTEN VARIOUS DOCUMENTS AND
[44]*HIS’ PRIOR TESTIMONY BEFORE THE<HSCA.> WHITTEN WAS EAGER TO HELP
[45]THE BOARD IN-ANY WAY HE COULD AND EVEN OFFERED TO COME TO THE U.S.
[46]. IF NEED BE. IDEN A CONCLUDED THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE USEFUL
[47]).° TO TAKE WHITTEN’S DEPOSITION AT A LATER DATE. ALTHOUGH WHITTEN
[48]F HAD IN GENERAL A GOOD MEMORY, IDEN A FELT HE DID NOT ADD ANYTHING
[49]*OF SIGNIFICANCE TO HIS PRIOR TESTIMONY BEFORE THE<HSCA.> AFTER THE
[50]INTERVIEW, WHITTEN TOOK IDENS TO HIS APARTMENT AND THEN LATER TO A
[51]RESTAURANT WITH HIS WIFE. IDENS LEFT WHITTEN ABOUT 1900.
[53]WHITTEN WAS. EXTREMELY WORRIED AND UPSET ABOUT THE RELEASE OF
[54]HIS NAME AND ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IN THE. INTERVIEW WAS ON THE
[55]VERGE OF TEARS. ALTHOUGH IDEN B WAS EXPECTING HIM TO BE ANGRY
[56]WITH CIA AND THE BOARD, INSTEAD, HE CLEARLY FELT HURT AND :
[57]BETRAYED. HIS OBVIOUS: PHYSICAL PROBLEMS ADD TO THIS FEELING OF
[58]BEING VULNERABLE. PHYSICALLY HE IS NOT WELL; HE IS PARALYZED ON
[59]HIS LEFT SIDE AND HAS GREAT DIFFICULTY WALKING. ON A MAP, HE
[60]POINTED OUT HIS APARTMENT AND INDICATED WHAT HE BELIEVED TO BE
[61]SERIOUS THREATS TO HIS SAFETY SHOULD HIS AFFILIATION WITH CIA
[62]BECOME KNOWN. WITHIN A BLOCK OF HIS APARTMENT HE POINTED OUT THE
[63]SECRET
[66]13-00000
[68]. : SECRET
[69]MHFNO: 96-4016553 SENSIND: EO RYBAT
[70]HEADQUARTERS OF THE KURDISH WORKERS’ PARTY (PKK), THE ANARCHIST
[72]PARTY, AND A BAR WHERE MANY MIDDLE EASTERNERS WOULD CONGREGATE.
[74]HE THEN POINTED OUT THESE PLACES TO IDENS WHEN WE WENT TO HIS
[76]APARTMENT. HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THERE WAS NO WAY HE COULD DEFEND
[78]HIMSELF FROM ANY ATTACK.
[80]WHITTEN ALSO STATED THAT HE HAS BEEN RETIRED FOR ALMOST AS
[81]LONG AS HE WORKED FOR THE CIA, AND THAT HE HAS A COMPLETELY
[82]DIFFERENT LIFE NOW IN VIENNA. HE AND HIS WIFE HAVE LIVED IN
[83]VIENNA APPROXIMATELY 25 YEARS. HE IS A MEMBER OF VARIOUS MUSICAL
[84]AND ART SOCIETIES. HE SINGS IN A PROMINENT VIENNA MEN‘S CHOIR.
[85]HE HAS PUBLISHED VARIOUS ARTICLES ON MUSIC (HIS SPECIALITY IS
[86]JOHANN STRAUSS). HE HAS RECEIVED MANY MEDALS FOR HIS WORK IN THE
[87]ARTS IN VIENNA WHICH WE SAW WHEN WE WENT TO HIS APARTMENT.
[89]WHITTEN IS ALSO GREATLY WORRIED ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE
[90]COMMITTED PERJURY WHEN APPLYING FOR AUSTRIAN RESIDENCY BY STATING
[91]HE WORKED FOR THE STATE DEPARTMENT. HE BELIEVES THIS. COULD .
[92]SUBJECT HIM TO CRIMINAL PENALTIES IN AUSTRIA. HE STATED ON
[93]SEVERAL OCCASIONS, SHOULD HIS. AFFILIATION. BECOME KNOWN, HE WOULD
[94]HAVE TO LEAVE AUSTRIA. ON OTHER OCCASIONS, HE STATED THAT HE
[95]WOULD TURN HIMSELF IN TO THE .VIENNESE AUTHORITIES AND OFFER HIS
[96]SERVICES AS. A CONSULTANT TO THE POLICE OR INTELLIGENCE SERVICE.
[98]HE OBVIOUSLY WAS EXTREMELY DISTRAUGHT AND WAS VOICING WHAT HE
[99]BELIEVED WERE HIS OPTIONS SHOULD HIS NAME BE RELEASED BY THE
[100]BOARD, ALTHOUGH HE HAD NOT DECIDED ON A PARTICULAR COURSE OF
[101]ACTION. ON THE OTHER HAND, WHITTEN WAS ADAMANT THAT NO MATTER.
[102]WHAT HAPPENS HE WOULD NEVER BETRAY THE CIA BY TELLING ANYONE ABOUT
[103]HIS WORK AS AN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER.
[105]BY THE END OF THE EVENING, WHITTEN STATED THAT HE FELT MUCH
[106]BETTER ABOUT THE STATE OF EVENTS. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, IDEN B
[107]‘HAD ASSURED HIM THAT CIA WAS DOING EVERYTHING TO PROTECT HIM AND
[108]IDEN A STATED HE WOULD ARGUE FOR HIS PROTECTION TO THE BOARD. HE
[109]CLEARLY LOOKED UPON IDENS AS HIS ALLIES IN THIS PROCESS AND EVEN
[110]STATED THAT HE HAD A "WONDERFUL" DAY TALKING TO IDENS. IDENS
[111]‘LEFT HIM, THEY BELIEVE, FEELING HAPPY AND CONFIDENT ALL WOULD TURN
[113]OUT WELL. -
[115]AFTER THE MEETING, IDENS SPOKE ABOUT HOW THIS ISSUE WOULD BE
[116]HANDLED BY THE BOARD. IDEN A BELIEVED THAT IT WAS MORE THAN ~
[117]LIKELY THAT THE BOARD. WOULD AGREE TO PROTECT HIM AND THAT HE WOULD
[118]MAKE THE STRONGEST ARGUMENT HE COULD TO THEM. THE BOARD WILL MAKE
[119]ITS DECISION IN IT’S NEXT MEETING IN MID-MAY. IDEN B DID NOT
[120]THINK IT WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR ANYONE FROM CIA TO COME DOWN TO
[122]. THAT MEETING. WE. AGREED THAT SHOULD THE BOARD MAKE THE
[123]REPREHENSIBLE DECISION OF RELEASING WHITTEN’S NAME, THAT WE COULD
[124]NOT IMAGINE A STRONGER CASE ON WHICH TO BRING AN APPEAL TO THE
[126]PRESIDENT.
[128]3. IDEN B EXTENDS HER THANKS TO THE STATION FOR ARRANGING
[129]THE INTERVIEW AND HER HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS. SHE SAID EVERYTHING
[130]WENT EXTREMELY SMOOTHLY. HOS: WILL APPRISE STATION OF BOARD‘’S
[131]DECISION REGARDING WHITTEN (PROBABLY MID-MAY). REGARDS.
[133]4. FILE: 785-120-034. INDEX: NONE. CL BY: 0666970, CL
[134]; SECRET
[137]13-00000
[139]SECRET
[140]MHFNO: 96-4016553 SENSIND: EO RYBAT . PAGE: 3
[142]REASON: 1.5C, DECL ON: X1, DRV FROM: HUM 4-82.
[144]CABLETYPE: GECO STAFF 1.0.2.>. ,
[146]RELNO: _E409396 | So,
[148]ORIG: EUR/GAEXT(HUMPHJA,45591); AUTH: EUR/GA(VOLZ) ; INFO:
[150]EUR/LGL (CRAWFORD), OGC/LD(CIPRIANI-SUB),; REL: EUR/GA(VOLZ) .
[152]END OF MESSAGE ; SECRET
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