OSWALD: ASSASSIN OR FALL GUY BY JOACHIM JOESTEN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R000600120027-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 6, 2006
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: August 28, 1964
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2006/12/06: CIA-RDP80B01676R0006001200~7=6
28 Augwt 1964
MEMO"14DUM FOR: The Executive Director/Comptroller
SUBJECT: Oswald: Assassin Or Fall Guy? by Joachim Joesten
1. This memorandum is for information only to call your
attention to a new book entitled Oswald: Assassin Or Fall Guy? by
Joachim Joesten. This is one of a group of several recent books which
"prove" that Lee Harvey Oswald could not, and did net, assassinate
President Kennedy. While the author states that he does not know who
did kill the President, he feels certain that it was a deep conspiracy in
which CIA, the FBI. the Dallas police and extreme tight-wing circles
were involved. Considerable emphasis to paid to the CIA role in
Chapters 13 and 14, the latter entitled Oswald and the CIA.
2. There are several interesting factors concerning this book.
First. it is published (1964) by the New York fires. of Marsani and
Munsell, a firm which puts heavy emphasis on Communist or extreme
left-wing authors. Carl Marsani worked for GCI. 055 and subsequently
the Department of State. He was convicted in 1947 for making false
official statements to the Department to denying his membership in
the Communist Party and was sentenced to one to three years in prison.
Following his release, Marsani established this publishing firm whose
publications include one entitled Cuba Versus CIA (1961). of which he
was also the co-author. The dust jacket of theJossten book announces
the publication of a book entitled The Oswald Case by Carl Marsani,
and states that his wartime U. S. intelligence and State Department
experience qualifies him well "to analyse the hidden aspects of the
Oswald case, particularly as related to the CIA. " We are advised that
Marsant's book on the Oswald case will not be published until after the
publication of the Warren Commission's report.
3. Joachim Joesten was born In Germany In 1907. and throughout
his career he has been a free-lance writer and news correspondent in
Europe and the U. S. Jossten is now a naturalised U. S. citisen. living
in New York. He edits his own mimeographed publication. entitled
New Germany Reports, which he describes as a "series of exclusive
monographs. "
[vj0R1/QQF/HRP 4404111
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the Agency's activities from public sources, containing the usual mix-
tare of fact. extrav*gances. and misinformation. The second part of
the boo Is devoted almost entf ly to the case of Colonel Abel and the
Soviet spy ring around Jack Soble One of Joestenn's main themes, is
that the necessary secrecy of intelligence operations creates an unchecked
ceatsr of power. In the U. S. Crovesnrnent which poses a potential threat
to western democracy.
ritten in Journalistic style, Fart I of this book purports to describe
for his employment, several associates alleged that Joestsa was a member
of the German Communist Party, and that the Swedish police bad a dossier
on him. These allegations could not be substantiated.
5. in 1938,, Joestea published a book in Munich entitled C. I. A.
not employed because be was considered neither tennperrrnentally saint!
nor physically qualified for intelligence work. During the investigation
4. Joeaten w#af consider" for OSS employment in 1943: he w&*
the book. In his acknowledgment. Joesten characterises Carl Marsani
as "a shrewd and hard-hitting editor and publisbe r in the finest American
tradition ... "; for Mr. Hoover he suggests dismissal.
cribes as brilliant and courageous. " In his dedication, Joesten states`
that Lane's brief 'will go-down in history as one of the groat libertarian
documents?' and characterizes the work of the FaI (1F`ederal Bungled
Investigations) as "police state tactics, " a theme which runs throughout
8. Joesten dedicates his book on the Oswald case to Mark Lane,
(the attorney who originally represented Oswald's mother). whom he des-
cuntacw with enemy personnel. _ Jossten se"rely attacks the important
testimony of the Nast German defector, Gun er Msennel. Captain
Kauffman's conviction for espionage was subsequently reversed but the
rest of the conviction stood.
7. In 1963, Joestan published, as the SeptemberfOetober issue of
Now Clerrr-ar-y Its
Ports,
a monograph entitled The Trams-up of Cats
Ka : How a tuneless American Officer Was 'I'ts d b a Sclreenia
Rod. In this piece be comes to the defense of Captain Kauffman, an Air
Force officer convicted by court martial of espionage and failure to report
to CIA and another devoted to the Day of Pigs,
6. Is 1963. Joesten wrote a .bunk entitled ',Thar Call It Intelligence.
which the reviewer in CIA's Studies,i*lIe1ligeato describes as a "sisaay
potboiler." a Characterisation which could also probably be applied to his
1964 book. Irn Ilisaste des biisstrauens, which includes a section devoted
SEMI-,
 0
9. Joesten states his beliefs' . *Li: de* 44 "was picked as a
fall guy precisely because, as a petty. &ad p Pe discarded, agent of
the- CIA. and later of the FHI. he was as ideal scapegoat ... ",
10. In Chapter 16 of this book, Joestea again states his belief that
some officials of the CIA and the FHI, as well as figures such as General
nalker and H. L. Haut. were involved in the Conspiracy. and states that
many readers would resist the suggestion that the CIA and the FBI could
participate. "fto very id - seems unpatriotic. " (p. 146) looston states."
But to support his contentions he cites "a conservative newspaper .
W. Richard Starnes, " and Starnes' statement that be questioned ",whether
President Kennedy himself has and affective control over this monstrous
bureaucracy. "' (p. 146). Joesten wonders whether Starnes' For Eastern
informant at this view of CIA might not have been Ambassador Lodge.
11. Joesten also cites another Starnes piece attacking the FBI and
states further that "there are men both in the FRI and the CIA who are
capable of anything, given the proper motlvS And one of the most power-
ful of bureaucratic motives was operating: survival. " (p. 147). Another
of Joesten's conclusions is that CIA disliked Kennedy's attempts to ease
the Cold War because this would mean the dismantling of part of CIA and
bringing the Agency under Preside*tial control. "I are sure there are
men in CIA, just as there are General Walkers In the army, who simply
couldn't accept this situation and who thought of Kennedy as a traitor.
And traitors are executed.'* (p. 152). Neither does it escape Joestan's
notice that Allen Dulles is a m, ember of the Warren Commission.
roved For Release 2006/12/06: CIA-RDP80B01676R000600120027-6
Walter Pforsbeimer
Distribution
Orig & 1 w/boek - Addressee
- DD/I
- DD/P (Attt
- DD/ S (Att : Mr. Bannerman)
- NIPE Staff (Ate: Mr. 'Bros.)
- IyG~M/~
? 00C
1 yr/book C ci staff p tt: Mr. Rocca)
1 w/book D/Security (Att. Mr. Gaynor)
I - CA/Prop (Att:
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Approved For Release 2006/12/06: CIA-RDP80BO1676R000600120027-6