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MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD:
SUBJECT: Contact and Debriefing of Henry Lee COBB on hie Meeting with
the USSR
00 hours, Sunday, the undersigned met with Henry Lee COBBattheafehouse for the purpose of debriefing COBB on histhe USSR.
COBB stated that he and his friend, COX, reft Kiev on Mondayugust, and arrived in Moscow the morning On Saturday night,ugust, COBB and COX, who were staying at the BALCHUG Hotel, wentearby movie and then walked from the theater to the MOSCOW Restaurant. After eating at the restaurant, the two friends walked through Red Souariioward MOSKVORETSKIY MOST. As they were walking on the bridge, and in the dark of theo-approached COBB and COX and stated in Russian, as on the train with you three or four nights ago from Kiev. You weretudent group in tho same caras in. There was an agent assigned to watch you. id not approach you at that time because of the presence of the agent. " Continuing along the bridge, accompaniedssTsTfXa*sse> COBB and COX listened intently as he further stated, "At oneorked in Turkey with the Soviet Embassy. ery good friend in the Am erican Embassy,ave wondered many times what has become of him. " COBB characterized tamSmjmmwWMmt as being extremely cautious and guarded in his speech and actions. The three walked around the BALCHUG Hotel area and along the Moscow River. oviet citizens passed by or approached the group,fa*ffrwould initiate conversation on innocuous subjects. Aa they were walking adong the Moscow River embankment,stated, ave tried to get in touch with other Americans but so few of them speak Russian. Iyou as intelligent Americans. ave some informationish to give directly to the American Embassy. esult of this information and our futureope some day to come to the West.ave been carrying this letter with me foronth. It is only for Mr. FREERS or the Military Attache. Do not open it and don't keep it over-night in your hotel. Go immediately to the American Embassy with this letter. Your Government will be grateful for this informationay be able to come to the West. ill not give you
APPROVED FOR RELEASE
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3. With regard to, fatVW-ut^ that it was not Bhot down at the high altitude that the Soviets claimed. According to COBB, he further said, "Our Air Force was desperate to get. They tracked it all the way Irom the frontier, and there were many attempts to bringown. We used ground-to-air and air-to-air missiles; even MIC planes were sent out to intercept. Finally the plane was shot downow altitude. In the process we destroyed one of our own MIG planes with ground-to-airnse2raan* urged COX to take this information to the Embassy by wo rd-af-mouth.
MLanansBBnanYalso stated that theas aot over Soviet tei i
when shot down. He stated that theas definitely over international waters when attacked and crippled. Thehen drifted to "land" and crashed. The walk and conversation with aaaaaaaaanaaa>lasted from0 The group broke up two or three blocks from the BALGHUG Hotel and COBB asked COX to take the letter immediately to the Embassy because he did not want to be connected with the incident. According to COX there was but one letterlain white envelope. COBB did not then know and does not know now the contents of the letter.
COBB then returned to the BALCHUG Hotel and was asleep when COX returned from the Embassy. COBB believes that COX told him he gave the information and letter to the Military Attache.
In describing aaaaaaaaassssBrT COBB was very uncertain as to his pro< Lac physical appearance and felt that he would not be able to identify him if he saw his picture. COBB described the unknown man as being reasonably well dressed,imatclynd depicted him as quite oervous. COBB thought that ^aaaaaaaaaaV lid that he was at oneommunist (orut nut now.
Even thoug^CQgB ffgs^most doubtful as to whether he would be able toeries oi Soviet personalities and asked COBB if any of these people were identical with Subject. COBB quickly leafed through the fifteen or so pictures with no apparent success. He then began to study each personality. Upon seeing5 photo oihc Btated immediately that this was the man who had approached them. He was able toositive identification.
8. COBB stated that COX had occasion to visit the Embassy onoccasions. The first time COX went toocumentsecond time he reported the JHMBsaaaa* Incident in Leningrad. Thrwas early Sunday morning, ugust, in order toat the Embassy as
Original document.
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