[1]14-00000
[3]104-10119-10040),
[4]a, a
[6].| 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
[8]22 November 1968
[10]MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Security
[12]SUBJECT : Herbert Itkin/Mario Brod et.al.
[14]l. Reference is made to your instructions concerning this
[15]case and my attached memorandum concerning research on whether af
[16]or not Itkin was ever, in fact, utilized by this Agency prior to his
[17]contacts with Brod. ,
[19]2. All available sources in the Agency reflect no record of
[20]Itkin or of Philip Harbin, who was allegedly his case officer. Harbin
[21]has been checked both as a true name and as an alias. Although the
[22]name is not registered in the Agency, this of course does not mean
[23]that some Agency representative did not make this up and use it
[24]without telling anyone.
[26]3. My visceral reaction is that Itkin is lying about his
[27]contacts with Mr. Dulles and Philip Harbin. However, since there
[28]appears to be a possibility of an extreme "flap" if Itkin gives the same
[29]story to the.-newspapers that he gave to Mr. Houston, I would recommend
[30]that, with the concurrence of Mr. Helms, Mr. Dulles be interviewed and
[31]asked if he remembers anything about this case. es
[32]ms
[34]4. LIalso spoke with Harry Mason, x5231, in Finance who
[35]handles OS budgetary matters and is a personal acquaintance, Without
[36]giving him any names I asked him if it would be possible to track down
[37]the receipt that Itkin claims he gave Harbin for the $5000.00. Harry
[38]says if the case was handled properly and the account is still outstanding
[39]it will be fairly easy to find the receipt. I have done nothing further on
[40]this, pending your instructions.
[42]Ward K. eene
[43]SA/EPD
[44]Attachment
[46]RETURN To CHA
[47]Background (las - 4
[48]* Do Net Foor. :
[51]". 22 November 1968
[53]ITKIN, Herbert |
[55]Subject States:
[57]When he was first admitted to the bar in 1953
[58]he was employed by the firm of Delson, Levin & Gordon
[59]in New York City. (Now Delson and Gordon.) Itkin
[60]alleges that one partner, Levin, had close ties with
[61]Alger Hiss, Cyrus Eaton and other of similar persuasion.
[62]Because of the viewpoint of the law firm, Subject states
[63]that he began passing information to Senator Joseph
[64]McCarthy. However, in the Spring of 1954, Senator
[65]McCarthy told Itkin that he was getting into trouble and
[66]allegedly reported that he had passed Itkin's reports to
[67]CIA, Itkin then states that a meeting was set up for
[68]him either in June/July/or August of 1954 with Mr. Allen
[69]Dulles. This meeting was at the Bellewe Stratford in
[70]Philadelphia. His contact was reportedly a man known
[71]as Philip Harbin.
[73]At this time, Itkin says he was able to report on
[74]matters affecting U Nu, then the Premier of Burma, the
[75]Indonesian Foreign Minister; and the owner or editor
[76]of the New Delhi Times. Itkin also claims to have had
[77]personal contacts with Luis Gutierrez, Consul General
[78]of El Salvador, and with a number of other people who
[79]had Guatemalan contacts. Itkin says the only money he
[80]received from Harbin was $5,000.00, which was supposed
[81]to be repayable and for which he gave a receipt, he believes
[82]sometime in 1957. He said the money was notsrepaid.
[84]Itkin states that he met Mario Brod in 1961 and
[85]that Brod was represented to him as a former Colonel
[86]in the OSS who had intelligence connections. From then
[87]on his contact was Brod and apparently Harbin dropped
[88]out of the picture.
[91]"EM
[93]No record of Herbert Itkin in Office of Security
[94]records, other than newspaper clippings.
[96]No record of Herbert Itkin in RI files.
[97]No record of Philip Harbin in Office of Security.
[98]No record of Philip Harbin as a DCS alias.
[100]No record of Philip Harbin in OS pseudo files.
[102]No record of Philip Harbin as either a pseudo or
[103]a registered alias in RI/CRYPTO.
[105]No record of Philip Harbin in RI files.
[107]The {lle of Mario Brod reflects no information concerning his
[108]contacts with Herbert Itkin and reflects no information concerning a
[109]Philip Harbin.
[111]During Itkin's meeting with Mr. Houston he mentioned that the
[112]law firm had a negro lawyer named Thomas L. Roberts, #193026, who
[113]had very useful contacts with the United Nations. Itkin stated that
[114]Roberts was a very presentable and intelligent negro who left the firm
[115]and now had a law practice in Dakar.
[117]The Office of Security file concerning Roberts reflects'that:
[120]‘. Mr. Roberts lis a current employee of this Agency
[121]under deep cover in Dakar} In January of 1968 Roberts
[122]furnished this Office with an extensive summary of his
[123]past association with Herbert Itkin. He also mentioned
[124]that he and Itken had associated with Mario Brod at a dinner
[125]party in 1965 and had had lunch with Brod in 1967. There is
[126]no indication, however, that Roberts is aware of any use of
[127]Itken as a CIA informant during the 1950's.
[133]EYCS ONLY