[1]ATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |
[2]\104-10326-10077 _ |2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSIN
[4]SECRET
[6]SECRET Rp
[8]STAFF
[10]ACTION: IMS/ESG (020) INFO: CIC/CEG, CIC/CEGLA, CIC/LA, DO/IRO, IMDORECORD,
[11]LA/FIG, LA/FIGSc, LIMITED, MDSx, ODPD, ORMS/LA, FILE, C/LA (3/w)
[13]98 6457370 ASP PAGE 004 IN 0457370
[14]TOR: 061908% FEB 98 BUEN 55099
[17]SECRET 0619002 FER 98 STARF
[19]CITE BUENOS AIRES 55099
[21]TO: PRIORITY DIRECTOR.
[23]FOR: LIMITED DISSEM IMS/ESG INFO DO/IRO, CHIEF/LA, LA/FIG, LA/FIGSC,
[24]CIC/LA
[28]SUBJECT : ) CONTINUED PROTECTION OF OUR USE OF COVER
[30]REF: DIRECTOR 674771 98 0430861
[32]TEXT:
[34]1. ACTION REQUIRED: NONE, FYT ONLY /AND IN RESPONSE TO REF.
[36]2 TRE REL
[38]EASE OF INFORMATION WHICH OFFICIALLY RECOCNTZRS THE /
[39]FACT OF STATE CO} B.WIGL. BE. A.DELICATE. ISSUE ‘ACROSS.:'THE._DO.,, AND
[40]*- ALTHOUGH” DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS IN THE<gFK ASSASSINATION>RECORDS REVIEW
[41]BOARD (ARRB) ARE LIMITED TO_ONLY fFOUR COUNTRIES-- CHE WORLD-WIDE USE
[42]OF STATE COVER MEANS THE IMPLICATIONS WILL BE WIDELY FELT. IN THIS
[43]SENSE IT IS ALMOST SELF-DEFEATING TO ARGUE FROM FOUR SPECIFIC CASES |
[44](MOSCOW, PARIS, MEXICO CITY, AND BUENOS AIRES) AND EXTRAPOLATE FOR U
[46]THE WHOLE DDO. NEVERTHELESS, WE WILL ATTEMPT TO RESPOND TO REP FROM
[47]THE BA PERSPECTIVE... we ee 2 eee : * =
[50]3. OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION OF CIA USE OF STATE COVER IN ARGENTINA
[51]' (WILL PREJUDICE UNILATERAL OFFICERS’ COVER AND ACTIVITY, WHICH --AS IN
[52]} IMOST STATIONS-- IS THE COVER AND ACTIVITY WHICH MATTERS THE MOST IN
[53]: THAT THESE OFFICERS TEND TO HANDLE THE MOST SENSITIVE PENETRATIONS OF
[54]'THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. OUR UNILATERAL OFFICERS ALSO HANDLE STATION'S
[55]jNON-OFFICIAL COVER (NOC) OFFICERS. THUS BY DEFINITION THE UNILATERAL
[56]ACTIVITY CARRIED OUT BY THESE OFFICERS IS NON-COMPATIBLE, AND WOULD \
[57]iCAUSE DAMAGE TO STATION’S RELATIONS WITH OUR VARIOUS LIAISON ;
[58]1tSERVICES. CURRENTLY, STATION IS ENJOYING A PERIOD WHEREIN --AS A i
[59]RESULT OF PRESIDENT CLINTON'S VISIT HERE IN LATE 1997, AND THE CHIEF ;
[60]i
[63]OF THE PRINCIPAL LIAISON SERVICE'S VISIT TO READQUARTERS IN NOV 97--
[65]j LIAISON HAS DECIDED TO RE-ORTENT ITS ACTIVITIES AWAY FROM SMALL ,
[66]LIAISON RELATIONSHIPS IT HAS WITH VARIOUS EUROPEAN SERVICES AND MORE |
[67]TOWARDS CIA. THTS STRATEGIC SHIFT, WHICH COULD HAVE LONG-TERM p
[68]BENEFITS..POR—CIA,—WILL._BE DASHED—WHEN- LEATSON_SEES THAT WE RUN
[70]_ NON= COMPATIBLE OPERATIONS IN BUENOS AIRES. THE TRUST THAT TAKES AN
[72]SECRET re,
[75]13-00000
[79]Y erate ome F TS
[80]ENDLESS_NUMBER_OF-MRI BE GONE WITH THE
[81]PUBLICATION LOCALLY CONFIRMING OUR USE OF STATE COVER.
[83]4. MOREOVER, BILATERAL U.S.-ARGENTINE RELATIONS HAVE NEVER BEEN '
[84]CLOSER; THESE WOULD BE TARNISHED, NOT IRREPARABLY BY ANY MEANS, BUT
[85]UNNECESSARILY, BY OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION OF CIA USE OF STATE COVER.
[86]HISTORICALLY RELATIONS WITH ARGENTINA HAVE BEEN STRAINED
[88]DEMOCRATIC ORBIT. CURIOUSLY, THE CLOSE POLITICAL RELATIONS AND OUR
[89]STEADILY-IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH LIAISON MEANS THAT BOTH PARTIES
[90]| EMBASSY DIPLOMATS AND SENIOR LIAISON OFFICERS-- WONDER WHY WE NEED
[91]TO" SPY HERE IF WE CAN GET VIRTUALLY ANYTHING WE ASK FOR FROM LIAISON |
[92]OR sFROM ARGENTINE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. INDEED, IN THIS RELATIVELY \
[93]|
[96]FREE-MARKET REFORMS HAVE PUSHED ARGENTINA SQUARELY INTO THE
[97]|
[101](
[105]t
[109]OPEN, COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT, AN INDICATION THAT STATION WAS WORKING
[110]ON INCOMPATIBLE LOCAL TARGETS WOULD BE ESPECIALLY DAMAGING.
[112]5. AT THE RISK OF BORING THE READER WITH DETAIL, EMBASSY BUENOS
[113]ATRES IS SO OPEN A WORKPLACE THAT THERE IS NO REAL CLEARED ACCESS
[114]AREA (CAA), BUT RATHER A "HYBRID" CAA, TO USE THE RSO’S PHRASE. THIS
[115]MEANS THAT FSN’S HAVE LONG HAD OFFICES ON THE THIRD FLOOR, WHERE THE
[116]|» SEXECUTIVE>O#FICES AND REPORTING OFFICES (INCLUDING STATION) ARE
[117]| LOCATED. NEEDLESS TO SAY, STATION IS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE LOCAL
[118]CONFIGURATION OF OFFICES, SINCE IT TENDS TO IDENTIFY OUR UNILATERAL
[119]OFFICERS. IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, WHERE EMBASSY OFFICERS DO NOT HAVE A
[120]FULL APPRECIATION OF THE ROLE/NEED FOR INTELLIGENCE IN SUCH AN OPEN,
[121]FRIENDLY SOCIETY, OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION OF CIA’S USE OF STATE COVER
[122]WOULD ONLY REAFFIRM THEIR POINT OF VIEW. OUR FEW UNILATERAL OFFICERS
[123]WOULD ESSENTIALLY THEN BE DECLARED. STATION WOULD HAVE TO ATTEMPT TO
[124]CHANGE OUR COVER PROFILE BY OBTAINING MORE NOC OFFICERS WHILE
[125]REDUCING THE NUMBER OF UNILATERAL C/O’'S. AS HEADQUARTERS IS AWARE, "
[126]UNDER CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES THERE ARE FEW NOCS, AND THE SELECTION AND
[127]TRAINING OF NEW ONES TAKES YEARS AND IS EXPENSIVE. IN THIS SCENARIO,
[128]BUENOS AIRES WOULD NEVER RECEIVE ENOUGH PRIORITY TO WARRANT SENDING
[129]THREE NOC OFFICERS TO REPLACE THE THREE UNILATERAL SLOTS WE CURRENTLY
[130]HAVE . THE END RESULT WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD COLLECT VERY LITTLE
[131]INTELLIGENCE ON MAJOR PORTIONS OF OUR OPERATING DIRECTIVE (OD) .
[132]SPECIFICALLY, INTERNAL POLITICAL REPORTING, WHICH IS A FIRST PRIORITY !
[133]OBJECTIVE, WOULD BE ZEROED OUT, AND REPORTING ON THE WP AND ES
[134]TARGETS, BOTH SECOND PRIORITY OBJECTIVES, WOULD BE NON-EXISTENT.
[136]THIS WOULD BE A SERIOUS LOSS TO THE USG, SINCE OUR WP REPORTING HAS
[137]HISTORICALLY BEEN THE ONLY MEANS OF LEARNING TO WHAT EXTENT THE |
[138]ARGENTINES ARE RESPECTING INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND NOT REBUILDING
[139]THEIR MISSILE PROGRAM. ON THE ES TARGET, WE WOULD LOSE SIGNIFICANT
[140]REPORTING ON REGIONAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND THE IMPACT OF THE ASIAN
[141]FINANCIAL CRISIS IN THE AMERICAS. PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, HOWEVER,
[142]WE WOULD LOSE THE TRUST OF KEY HOST GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND OF SOME /
[143]SENIOR LIAISON OFFICIALS, WITH THE PREDICTABLE RESULT THAT IT WOULD |
[145]y
[149]TAKE YEARS TO REBUILD THE RELATIONSHIP.
[151]6. IN TERMS OF A SECURITY THREAT, BUENOS AIRES REMAINS THE ONLY
[152]CAPITAL IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE THAT HAS BEEN THE VICTIM OF TWO
[153]HIIZBALLAH BOMBINGS, KILLING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. A TERRORIST
[154]INFRASTRUCTURE” EXTSTS~IN-THE TRI BORDER AREA OF ARGENTINA, BRAZIL-
[155]AND PARAGUAY, WITH LTIES INTO BUERNOS..ALIRES AS WAS —PROVEN-TWICE... TWO _ }
[157]SECRET
[160]13-00000
[164]‘i SECRET
[165]PBA 088 7370 anaes Wo SSE
[167]an TT TS Se ee ee J anne ree
[168]OR THREE—TIMES PER YEAR/ STATION OBTATNS REPORTING” OF ~ANOTHER-~THREAT_
[169]ON LOCAL JEWISH OR U.S. INTERESTS, INCLUDING THTs EMBASSY. IN THIS
[171]ENVIRONMENT, PUBLICATION OF CIA USE OF OFFICTAL COVER MIGHT ENDANGER
[173]PEOPLES’ LIVES, SPECIFICALLY STATION OFFICERS’. HAMAS, GAMA‘AT AL
[174]TSLAMIYAH, AND HIZBALLAH ARE ALL ACTIVE LOCALLY. IN ADDITION,
[175]#RCENTINA HAS AN ARAB POPULATION OF OVER 700,000. IN THE DIPLOMATIC
[176]WORLD, THE CUBAN EMBASSY IS LARGE AND ACTIVE; WE ARE CERTAIN THEY
[177]WOULD SEEK TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY U.S. COVER GAPS. STATION. HAS NOT
[178]COVER GAPS IN THE PAST, AND THUS ANY ONE oF THIS
[180]HAD_ANY=CTGHT EECA
[182]MAGNITUDE WOULD HAVE A LARGE, IMPACT. ee venue
[183]. = a oe
[184]7. STATION HOPES THE ABOVE IS USEFUL IN MARSHALING ARGUMENTS
[186]AGAINST THE PUBLICATION OF THE ARRB RECORDS.
[187]DECL ON: Xl. CL REASON: L-5(C) Cy BY: 0705909
[189]SECRET
[191]END OF MESSAGE
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