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[3]104-10106-10188] “ | 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT
[5]JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |
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[9]og : . . s
[11]Cg aE REPRODUCE
[12]SUBJECT: Sam Jaffe _ eEtRe TO CHA
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[17]1. Sam Jaffe's relationship with the Agency predates his assignment
[19]_ to Moscow as an ABC correspondent. During the period 1958-60 while in New
[20]York Jaffe was a confidential informant of the FBI on his Soviet contacts
[21]in New York. In addition, he had several meetings with the New York office
[22]of CIA's Domestic Contact Division. While in Moscow with ABC Jaffe felt he’
[24]_was the subject of a recruitment attempt by the KGB in 1962. We recounted
[25]his story to the Regional Security Officer at the American Embassy in Moscow, ~~
[26]copies of which went to both CIA and FBI. Jaffe covered the Gary Powers'
[27]trial for ABC and flew on the same plane from New York to Moscow with the
[29]Barbara Powers’ party. Prior to that trip he was briefed by a CIA psychologist
[30]on ways to observe Powers's behavior and demeanor. Jaffe was never "ordered" -
[31]to caver the Powers’ trial, but simply acted as an enterprising newspaperman ~
[32]befriending Barbara Powers while her party was enroute and in the Soviet Union.
[33]. > 22 During the latter part of his time in Moscow Jaffe was in contact -: .°
[34]_ with a KGB officer, Kuvkov, and this relationship is a matter of record with °..
[35]the FBI. There is some evidence that Jaffe was given preferential treatment
[36]- by the Soviet authorities. Somé western pressmen felt that Jaffe, as an
[37]aggressive newspaperman, was giving a little to get a story. Jaffe has Dy
[38]given his version of his dealings with the KGB in a lengthy 1969 interview Joe
[39]with the FBI. - Se CS
[40]_...- | °3. The defector Nosenko pravided information on Jaffe's relationship
[41]DBP SARI: to the KGB in 1964. However as time went on, further debriefings of Nosenko -
[42]indicated that Nosenko was, not as sure about Jaffe's relationship as he had :
[43]been originally. By 1968 Nosenko was positive only that Kuvkov had been in =.
[44]touch with daffe, but Nosenko was not certain that Jaffe was a paid and
[45]witting agent of the KGB... 2-70 Bg!
[46]7 4. During Jaffe's taur in‘Hong Kong, and subsequently in Washington, - -_./
[47]he was in touch with CIA officers. He provided good information on alcrinese 24 .
[48]news officialland he was-helpful to the Agency_in reporting on a (Canadtan]|| -~..
[49]‘ organization {The Committee of New China Policy} AN official} contact with
[50]Jaffe ended in 1971. © \ oS ORF
[51]: 5. Central to Jaffe's charges about CIA, which he has made public many
[52]times, is Jaffe's belief that the CIA passed derogatory information about
[53]him to his employers. Attached is a 24 November 1975 letter from Mr. Colby
[54]to Jaffe which states categorically that no information in the CIA files had
[55]ever been passed outside of official channels. In addition to this letter ©
[56]daffe has been reassured on this point verbally on at least four other
[57]occasions.. The CIA is positive that Jaffe's recall from Hong Kong in 1968
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[64]° and subsequent dismissal by ABC, are not related to any action taken by the
[65]CIA., mo, :
[67]had with Mr.| Ted Cowen, a British ‘intelligence official] in Hong Kong. Ob/O¥
[68]According to: affe, [Cowen] told him that he had a "security problem" but 06
[70]this problem would clear up in due course. A close check of our files can
[72]not ellucidate what Cowen |was talking about. It is possible, of course, ot
[74]that (Cowen was alluding to the Nosenko allegations as|the Britishjwere go 1
[75]given much} of the Nosenko debriefings. The record is unclear on this )
[76]point.. However, based on information available to this Agency, we feel we
[78]have tried to pacify Jaffe with the statement contained in the Colby letter
[79]that we have no evidence he has. evar been an agent of any foreign intelligence
[80]service. ae ;
[82]+ 6. In [ted coven with Jaffe he frequently recounts a conversation he
[84]7. Jaffe has submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to CIA
[85]which has resulted in the release of a large number of documents to him.
[86]Jaffe can, of course, appeal our withholding of certain documents through
[87]appropriate administrative and judicial procedures under the FOIA.
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