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MEMORANDUM FOH:
Director (Plani) Oleg V. Penkovskiy
1. There huot of speculation In foreixa und U. Si press na to th* fact that Penkovskiy nay hsvoouble agent and that th* docuaentarymight hav* boon disinformation.
4* In tho event that this conns up in your brlefina of tho Vinsonou night find th* attached helpfuln sending -it along for inclusion in your package which Elizabeth is holding for you for this purpose.
Howard J. Osborn Chi.f,ivision
Attachment
msE
Ne have no reason to believe that Penkovskiyouble agent or that any information he' supplied us was wittingly provided to hin as deception material by Soviet authorities.
Throughout this extraordinary operation, aquestion for us, and one also In the minds of analysts trying to cope with tho resultant flood of classified Soviet documents, has been the possibility of Soviet This possibility was given serious consideration each time we received new material from Penkovskiy. During the numerous long personal meetings wo had with hin wo used nubtrlo and varied tests of his loyalty and hiswcchecked tho Intelligence provided ngalnxt nil other 'inforsation available to the intelligence community, lie always passed all of the tests which could be levied on hla personally and his information has stood thof tine and comparative intelligence.
On tho basis of these checks and counterchecks together with our faaillarity with the methods and purposes of Soviet deception operations, we have concluded that there is no possibility that this case represents planned deception, build-up for deception, fabrication, or double agent activity. Rather it rirprosonts the most serious penetration of Soviet officialdom ever accomplished and one that will hurt thea for years to cone.
Original document.
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