Page 394 of 703

MORI DocID: 1451843

OPERATIONS CENTER
NEWS ANALYSIS SERVICE

DATE: 24 May
TIME: 10:24
REF: 30.

DISTRIBUTION:
DCI
DDCI         UPI155
DCI/IC        (CIA)
DDI          WASHINGTON (UPI) -- CIA OFFICIALS TESTIFIED WEDNESDAY THEY FORGOT
D/DMS TO TELL CONGRESS ON THE SUBJECT OF JAMES SCHLESINGER, ABOUT
DDO (2 ANONYMOUS WARNINGS THEY RECEIVED THAT THE WHITE HOUSE WAS TRYING TO
D/S/D      FIX BLAME ON THE AGENCY FOR THE WATERGATE SCANDAL.
D/DCI         REP. LUCIEN NEDZI, D-MICH., CALLED THESE OFFICIALS OF THE CIA TO
ONE      EXPLAIN WHY THE LETTERS -- WHICH HAVE BEEN TRACED TO WATERGATE
OSR      CONSPIRATOR JAMES McCORD -- DID NOT SURFACE UNTIL TWO DAYS AGO.
OSI (2      "ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY GAVE WAS THE FAMILIAR 'I FORGOT,' NEDZI
Ch/Ops: SAID.  THEY ALSO SAID IT WAS A MATTER OF TURNING IT OVER TO SOMEONE
       ELSE AND ASSURING HE WOULD PASS IT ON."
INDICO      THE SIX LETTERS -- ONE OF THEM SIGNED "JIM" AND THE OTHERS
DDO/DO ANONYMOUS -- WERE SENT TO FORMER CIA DIRECTOR RICHARD HELMS BETWEEN
       JULY 1972 AND LAST FEBRUARY.
       NEDZI SAID IT HAD BEEN "PRETTY DEFINITELY ESTABLISHED" THAT
OSD    RECORD, A FORMER CIA AGENT, WAS THE AUTHOR OF ALL THE LETTERS. NEDZI
mea    BELIEVED TO SAY WHAT HAS AT THEM, BUT REP. WILLIAM BRAY, R-IND., SAID
fe     THEY WERE "CONFUSED" AND "DISJOINTED" WARNINGS THAT THE WHITE HOUSE
wh     WAS TRYING TO MAKE THE WATERGATE BREAK-IN AS A CIA PLOT.
our        BOTH NEDZI AND BRAY SAID THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT CIA WAS IN ANY
       WAY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WATERGATE BREAK-IN.
       TESTIFYING AT THE SESSION WERE PAUL GAYNOR, HOWARD OSBORNE AND
shuermez WILLIAM BRAUN, ALL CIA OFFICIALS WHO HAD CUSTODY OF THE McCORD
segco  LETTERS AT VARIOUS STAGES AFTER THEY WERE SENT.
houseco       NEDZI INITIALLY SPELLED BRAUN'S NAME AS BRODE AND SAID HE DID NOT
osborne  KNOW IF IT WAS THE SAME MAN WHO TOLD THE SENATE COMMITTEE ABOUT
brce     MEETINGS HE HAD WITH HIT PRESIDENT HAROLD GENEEN TO DISCUSS THE
Gaynor   CREATION OF INTERNAL ECONOMIC STRIKE IN CHILE.
       "UPI 25-24 25:12 PED

Comment:

00392

These comments represent the initial and tentative reaction of
the Office of Current Intelligence to the attached item from the
news services.

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