[First brackets and underline in original]
Thus, this SECRET EYES ONLY document proves that in November 1959 Lee Harvey Oswald joined a select set of 300 people whose mail was opened by a highly sensitive, and very illegal, CIA program: HT/LINGUAL
What is more, this piece of evidence proves Oswald's status and makes the late 201 issue all the more controversial. The talk about needing a "trigger" for a 201 on Oswald is silly because of his presence on the Watch List. The absence of a 201 file was a deliberate act, not an oversight. Moreover, this particular configuration of being on the Watch List without a 201 is another anomaly that encourages speculation about whether Lee Harvey Oswald's defection could have been designed as part of a U.S. operation from the beginning, or if an operation was built around his defection after the fact.
While the Warren Commission never knew about the mail intercept program or Oswald's entry on the HI/Lingual list, the House Select Committee on Assassinations did find out. Naturally, the HSCA wanted to know who put Oswald on it. On August 15, 1978, the CIA responded to the HSCA's request.
The CIA had much to explain. To begin with, on the top righthand corner of the notecard is typed "CI/PROJECT/RE." Under this is a date-November 9, 1959-which is also typed, and underneath the date is handwritten "7-305." Finally, underneath that number is handwritten "N/R-RI 20 Nov. 59." The CIA explained these notations in this way:
The office within the CIA staff responsible for the exploitation of the material produced by mail intercept in New York was known as the "CI/Project," a cover title to hide the true nature of its functions....
"RE" represents the initials of a CIA employee now retired under cover. The presence of the initials indicates that on 9 November 1959, RE placed Oswald's name on the "Watch List" for the reason given on the card, to wit, "Recent defector to the USSR-Former Marine."
The number 7-305 indicates the communication (not necessarily written) to the Office of Security informing the latter of the Staff s interest in seeing any mail either coming from or going to Lee Harvey Oswald in the Soviet Union.
N/R-RI, 20 Nov. 59-this notation indicates that a name trace run in central files resulted in a no record on 20 November 1959.
This response, in the CIA's view, was sufficient to explain both the significance of "Cl/PROJECT/RE" and the handwritten notations on the November 9, 1959, Watch List card.
A closer analysis of the two handwritten entries is fascinating. The "N/R-RI," upon further reflection, would appear to mean "No Record, Records Integration Division." This is suitably close to the Agency's explanation, and so there seems no need to focus on semantic differences between "central files" and "Records Integration Division." The number 7-305, however, is worth a closer pass. The Agency says it is only a reference to a communication between the counterintelligence staff and the Office of Security.
According to the Agency's 1978 explanation of how the HT LINGUAL program worked, the Office of Security played an important role:
From the beginning until its end, the Agency's Office of Security controlled and operated the mechanics of procurement with members of the Post Office. The Counterintelligence Staff assumed the responsibility for the translation and analysis of the material both as consumer and for dissemination to selected officers in the Agency.15
Thus, it would make sense for the person working in CUPROJECT who filled out the opening Lingual index card to enter some number or designator-such as 7-305-right on the card which referred to a communication with the Office of Security.
What is fascinating about the number 7-305 is what the Agency did not say about it. It would appear that this number has two parts. Moreover, it is possible that the number "7" refers to the communication, perhaps a request, written or verbal, while the number "305" is the date. It
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