Bret Baers Postcard Theory Doesn’t Add Up

[Gerry Down]

In episode 1 of “JFK Declassified – Tracking Oswald” former CIA agent Bret Baer highlights the fact that postcards were found among Oswalds possessions after the assassination which depict 4 landmarks in Mexico City. The issue is raised at 29 minutes in on this video:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6ci8w5

Right off the bat I would mention that Oswald had 6 postcards in total, which depict 4 landmarks. Here are the postcards:

https://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh25/pdf/WH25_CE_2190.pdf

Baer says that postcards were a way for intelligence agencies to arrange covert meetings (though this method appears to have been little used). He gives the example of a spy called Oleg Penkovsky who used such a method. One of the main books on Penkovsky “Dead Drop: TheTrue Story of Oleg Penkovsky” by Jeremy Duns however makes no mention of postcards so I’m not sure exactly what Bret Baer is talking about.

Baer thinks that in Mexico City Oswald walked into the soviet embassy on Saturday Sept 28th 1963 and offered his services to the KGB. In turn the KGB handed Oswald what is known in intelligence circles as a “walk-in package” which contained instructions for a second meeting the KGB would have with Oswald away from the soviet embassy which was under heavy CIA surveillance.

Baer says the walk-in package contained postcards depicting 4 landmarks. Of these, 3 landmarks were decoys. The fourth landmark was of a bullring which is where Oswald was to go to meet the KGB. Apparently, the whole idea of giving postcards was so that if Oswald was intercepted by the CIA and they rifled through his belongings, it would not be obvious that the postcards were part of a plan the KGB had with Oswald for a meeting. 

Make sense?

Not to me. What Baer is saying makes no sense. Why would the KGB give Oswald a postcard of a bullring in order to meet him there? Couldn’t they simply have just have told Oswald inside the soviet embassy on Saturday Sept 28th 1963 to go to the bullring the next day, Sunday Sept 29th 1963 (which is the day bull-fights are held in the ring) rather than giving him a postcard? Or written such instructions on a piece of paper and shown this to him inside the soviet embassy before then taking the piece of paper away?

Let’s look at some of the facts:

Fact #1

One point in favour of Bret Baers theory is the fact that there doesn’t appear to be any reason for Oswald to have blank postcards of Mexico City in his possession when he arrives back in Dallas. He does not seem to have given these to Marina as a present or anything like that. However the Warren Report tries to give the impression that the postcards were a gift to Marina. In the Warren Report it says on page 735:

He purchased several postcards depicting bullfights and tourist attractions, which he brought back to Marina.(1185)

The reference number 1185 leads to two commission exhibits (CE 2190; see CE 1166, p. 13.) None of these commission exhibits say that Oswald brought the postcards back to Marina. Here are CE 2190 and CE 1166 for your reference:

https://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh25/pdf/WH25_CE_2190.pdf
https://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh22/pdf/WH22_CE_1166.pdf

And Marina doesn’t mention any postcards that Oswald brought back from Mexico. She mentions a bracelet and some records that she wanted. Oswald brought her a bracelet but didn’t get any records. So arguably Baer might be on to something with these postcards (ie he doesn’t seem to have brought them back for Marina).

Fact #2

Further evidence in favour of Brets theory is that admittedly two of the postcards contains a picture of a bullring and Oswald told Marina he had visited a bullfight while in Mexico City:

Mr. RANKIN. Did you ask him what he did the rest of the time?
Mrs. OSWALD. Yes, I think he said that he visited a bull fight, that he spent most of his time in museums, and that he did some sightseeing in the city.

However the postcard is hardly a good way to meet someone as the postcards do not state the location of the bullring or the name of the bullring stadium (which admittedly might not make a difference if there was only one bullring in Mexico City).

Fact #3

In her WC testimony, Marina says that Oswald used to send her postcards from New Orleans while he was there and she was still in Dallas:

Mr. THORNE. Exhibit 68. Exhibit 68 is two postcards, and they probably need to be identified as A and B. Let's identify A.
Mrs. OSWALD. That is a letter from Lee from New Orleans to Irving--to the home of Mrs. Paine. And this is a letter from the mother, Lee's mother.
Mr. THORNE. This will be identified as Exhibit 68-B. Exhibit 69 is composed of two postcards. Exhibit 69-A----
Mrs. OSWALD. This is from Lee, from New Orleans, addressed to me, when I lived with Ruth Paine.

From this we can see Oswald was in the habit of using postcards. So in this way it would appear that Oswald might just like postcards.

In conclusion, there is evidence for and against the idea that there is something suspicious about the 6 postcards found among Oswalds possession after the assassination. However the way Bret Baer constructs his theory makes no sense. Why would the soviet officials go to all the trouble of giving Oswald postcards when they could just have told him there and then inside the soviet embassy where they would meet him the following day – Sunday at the bullring.

Can you make sense of what Bret Baer is trying to say in “JFK Declassified – Tracking Oswald”?

Answers on a postcard.

[Gerry Down]

Also, when Oswald was in Russia he sent a letter home to his mother which contained postcards inside. Apparently Oswald viewed postcards as a way to remember a location (perhaps cheaper than taking an actual photo and having it developed). This is similar to the way people buy fridge magnets of places they visit on vacation.

Therefore there is nothing unusual about Oswald bringing back postcards from his trip to Mexico city. They were simply mementos to remember his trip.

[Jon Banks]

It’s Bob (Robert) Baer, not Bret 

He’s a retired CIA officer so he’s familiar with Espionage techniques.

I thought the Declassified series was compelling. They also mentioned how Oswald stayed at a hotel in Mexico City that was known as a meeting place for Cuban spies.

At a minimum, Oswald’s Mexico City and New Orleans activities should’ve been investigated more thoroughly back in the 1960s.