The 44 questions which Tennent H. Bagley and true-defector Pyotr Deriabin drew up for the FBI, but which J. Edgar Hoover (unfortunately already under the spell of triple-agent Kulak/"Fedora" and not wanting to find out that Oswald was a possible KGB agent or that his boy, Yuri Nosenko, was a false defector, anyway) decided not to ask Nosenko.
Epstein got these questions as the result of a successful FOIA request.
False defector Yuri Nosenko had "defected" to the U.S. nine weeks after the assassination of JFK and claimed that he had handled Oswald's KGB file three times while Oswald was living in the USSR. Nosenko said that he knew for a fact that KGB had not even interviewed the former Marine Corps radar operator.
I'll be transcribing the 44 questions here from Edward J. Epstein's 1977 book
Legend: The Secret World of Lee Harvey Oswald Note: Some of my favorites are in
bold text.
KNOWLEDGEABILITY
1 ) Did you handle the Oswald case yourself? If not, to what extent were you involved in it? Did you ever see or talk with Oswald? During what period were you in touch with the case? How did you keep up with it after it was no longer in your field of responsibility?
INITIAL KGB INVOLVEMENT
2 ) When and how did Oswald first come to KGB's attention? Was his visa application in Helsinki processed by the KGB in Helsinki? In Moscow? Describe routine handling procedure of U.S. tourists to the Soviet Union. Was Oswald's trip handled any differently?
OSWALD'S CITIZENSHIP REQUEST
3 ) When and how did KGB hear about Oswald's request for Soviet citizenship? Did Oswald make a written request? Did you examine this written request? Can you describe its contents in full? (To whom addressed, how dated, text as closely to verbatim as possible -- what asked, what offered, what reasons given) How long had Oswald been in Moscow before he made his request? Was it sent immediately to the KGB? Was it ever sent to the Supreme Soviet?
PRELIMINARY KGB ASSESSMENT
4 ) What steps did the KGB take to investigate the request? At whose direction?
How was Oswald's bona fides established? How was the sincerity of his request tested? How was his operational potential investigated and evaluated? Did the KGB ever think that Oswald might be an agent of American intelligence? If so, how did it go about investigating this possibility? Describe as fully as possible the KGB elements involved, the KGB personnel involved, the progressive steps taken, the time required.
5 ) When and by whom was it decided that the KGB had no interest in Oswald? Was this the decision of the Second Chief Directorate (today's FSB) alone, or was the First Chief Directorate (today's SVR) consulted? Which element of the Second Chief Directorate was responsible for Oswald after the decision had been made to grant him a residency permit?
CITIZENSHIP DENIED
6 ) When, how, and by whom was Oswald apprised of the decision that he must go home and request citizenship from there? At what level of the government or Party was the decision reached? How much influence did the KGB have in this decision?
SUICIDE ATTEMPT
7 ) Who found Oswald bleeding to death in his room? Police, hotel employees, Intourist personnel?
8 ) To what hospital was Oswald taken? Approximately what was the date of the attempted suicide? How long did he remain in the hospital? Was he visited by KGB personnel while there? What kind of treatment was he given there?
Why was the American Embassy not informed?9 ) What action did the KGB take on discovering that Oswald had tried to commit suicide? What recommendations did it make, if any? Did the KGB consider it wise for the Soviet Union to allow Oswald to stay after this?
Why was Oswald not turned over to the American Embassy? Did Oswald's attempt tend to confirm the KGB's opinion that asking Oswald to leave had been a wise move, or did it raise the possibility of reconsideration of his case?
CONTROLS
10 ) Was Oswald's room at the Berlin Hotel bugged? At the Metropole Hotel? If so, was it a routine bug, or was it installed especially for Oswald? What "take" was there, if any? Did you personally review it?
11 ) Was Oswald's American passport held at the Metropole Hotel? If so, when and how did he get it back to take to the American Embassy and turn it in?
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
12) Did the KGB make a psychological assessment of Oswald? Describe the methods used in as much detail as possible. What were the professional qualifications of those making this assessment? Were they professional psychologists, psychiatrists, intelligence officers, or what? Were non-professional observers employed to report on the activities of Oswald and the results evaluated by psychologists, for example?
13 ) What was the Soviet's opinion of Oswald's personality?
EXPLOITATION
14 )
Was the KGB interested in Oswald's positive intelligence potential, and was he interrogated or briefed on his knowledgeability or on substantive military or other matters? Did Oswald ever offer to give information on the U.S. Marine Corps or other matters to the Soviets? If the KGB did not try to get such information from him, why not?15) Was any attempt made to exploit Oswald for propaganda purposes (Radio Moscow broadcasts, or material for them; TV interviews; lectures; public appearances?)
RESIDENCE PERMIT
16 ) How long was it before Oswald was given permission to reside in the USSR? When and by whom was he notified that permission had been granted? What did he do while awaiting the decision?
17 ) What level of the government decided that Oswald should be sent to Minsk?
KGB CONTROL IN MINSK
18 ) Did Oswald receive any money from the Soviet government at any time, other than his salary at the factory where he worked in Minsk? How much? Why? By whose decision? Is this a standard practice? From the budget of what organization would these funds be allotted?
19 ) Did the KGB actually have no further interest in Oswald after he moved to Minsk, or did it continue to monitor his activities and to access his potential from time to time?
20 ) Describe controls the KGB exercised over Oswald. Was he physically surveilled? His apartment bugged? His mail monitored, etc? Other? Compare this with controls exercised over other other defectors.
INITIAL EFFORTS TO RETURN TO U.S.
21 ) When and how did the Soviets first learn that Oswald was interested in returning to the U.S.?
Was the KGB aware of Oswald's letter to the American Embassy in February 1961 in which he indicated this wish?22 ) In a letter written in February 1961, Oswald referred to a previous letter which he claimed he had sent in December 1960.
Was such a letter ever observed by the KGB? Would such letters to a foreign embassy, in particular the American Embassy, be withdrawn from mail channels?
MARINA PRUSAKOVA
23 )
How did Oswald meet Marina Prusakova? Was the KGB involved in any way?24 )
Your statement indicated that the KGB was familiar with Marina's background and character. Was this information available before she met Oswald? If noty, when was she investigated? How extensively? What were the sources of information on Marina, in particular the information that she was "stupid and not educated." She was, after all, a graduate pharmacist.25 )
Did the KGB consider recruiting Marina as an informer on Oswald? As an agent after her arrival in the U.S.? If she was not recruited, what was the basis of this decision? Would you have been aware of a recruitment of Marina?26 )
Can you provide any biographic information on Marina and her relatives? As much detail as possible.27 )
Can you explain the fact that Marina claims not to know who father was and bears her mother's surname, thus indicating that she was born out of wedlock, yet she also bears the patronymic "Nikolayevna," indicating that her father was known?28 )
To what extent was Marina surveilled, or otherwise observed before and after her marriage to Oswald?29 )
On what grounds did the KGB consider Marina "anti-Soviet" at the time she wished to leave the USSR with Oswald? She appears to have been promoted in her job after her marriage. Why was this allowed?30 )
What was the name of Marina's uncle whom you mentioned? What was his relationship to the KGB? What details can you provide on his background, employment, etc? When, by whom, and under what circumstances was he briefed on what he should say to Oswald regarding Oswald's comments on the USSR after his return to the U.S.? What was the substance of the briefing given to the uncle?31 )
How did it happen that there were so few difficulties in the way of Marina's marriage to a foreigner and departure from the country with him? Have not similar situations in the past usually resulted in prolonged and often unsuccessful negotiations with the Soviet government? What level of the government or Party would make the final decision regarding Marina's marriage to Oswald and their departure from the country? What official briefings would Marina have received prior to her departure? Oswald?32 )
If the Soviets were glad to be rid of Oswald and Marina, why did it take so long for action on their exit visas (July - December 1961)?KGB PRESENCE AND ACTIVITIES
33 ) Was there any direct contact between Oswald and KGB officials at any time while Oswald was in the Soviet Union? Give specifics where possible, including names, reasons. Was Oswald witting that any individuals he talked to were KGB representatives? Would any KGB officials have identified themselves to Oswald as representatives of some other organ, such as TASS, MVD, etc? Can you supply the names of any KGB officials who worked on any aspect of the Oswald case?
34 )
Did the KGB consider that Oswald had retained his American citizenship while he was in the USSR? During the period in which the KGB was accessing Oswald would the KGB have considered it important that he retain U.S. citizenship until such time as the KGB had decided whether to use him? Would the KGB have taken any steps to ensure this, such as intercepting and confiscating Oswald's mail from the Embassy? Did the KGB intercept the U.S. Embassy letter of 6 November 1959 inviting him in to formalize the renunciation of his U.S. citizenship?
OSWALD'S CONTACTS
35 ) Can you give any information on Oswald's personal contacts in the Soviet Union? Were any of these people "planted" on Oswald, i.e., were they KGB employees, informants or agents?
36 ) Were all of the Intourist personnel with whom Oswald came in contact KGB agents (or employees)?
KGB PROCEDURE
37 ) In what ways, if any, was the Oswald case handled differently from other American defector cases?
38 )
Was the First Chief Directorate (note: today's SVR) given any information regarding Oswald? If so, through what channel and at what stage? Was any interset shown in Oswald or Marina by the First Chief Directorate? Would such interest have been known to the Second Chief Directorate?
OSWALD IN THE U.S.
39 ) Were you aware of any efforts by Oswald or his wife to return to the USSR in 1962 or 1963?
40 ) If so, what did the KGB do with regard to these requests?
41 ) Do you have any information on Oswald's trip to Mexico in September 1963? Whom he saw and what he said at the Soviet Embassy?
42 ) Did the KGB have any information on Oswald's contacts with Cubans in the Soviet Union? Any information regarding his contacts with Cubans or the Cuban government after his return to the U.S.?
43 ) What was the reaction of the KGB when it was learned that Oswald had killed President Kennedy? Did the KGB undertake any further investigation of Oswald's activities in the Soviet Union after the assassination? Was there a review of his file, was there an additional field investigation? Was any additional information developed?
44 ) The Soviet Embassy in Washington turned over to the U.S. government certain documents which it said were his consular file on Oswald. What other files did the Soviet government have on Oswald -- especially KGB files? Describe them. What was the KGB's role in the release of these files.
Cheers!
-- MWT
