104 10119 10040

14-00000 104-10119-10040 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

22 November 1968

MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Security SUBJECT : Herbert Itkin/Mario Brod et. al.

  1. Reference is made to your instructions concerning this case and my attached memorandum concerning research on whether or not Itkin was ever, in fact, utilized by this Agency prior to his contacts with Brod.

  2. All available sources in the Agency reflect no record of Itkin or of Philip Harbin, who was allegedly his case officer. Harbin has been checked both as a true name and as an alias. Although the name is not registered in the Agency, this of course does not mean that some Agency representative did not make this up and use it without telling anyone.

  3. My visceral reaction is that Itkin is lying about his contacts with Mr. Dulles and Philip Harbin. However, since there appears to be a possibility of an extreme "flap" if Itkin gives the same story to the newspapers that he gave to Mr. Houston, I would recommend that, with the concurrence of Mr. Helms, Mr. Dulles be interviewed and asked if he remembers anything about this case.

  4. I also spoke with Harry Mason, x5231, in Finance who handles OS budgetary matters and is a personal acquaintance. Without giving him any names I asked him if it would be possible to track down the receipt that Itkin claims he gave Harbin for the $5000.00. Harry says if the case was handled properly and the account is still outstanding it will be fairly easy to find the receipt. I have done nothing further on this, pending your instructions.

Ward K. Greene SA/EPD

Attachment

RETURN TO CIA Background Use

Do Not Reproduce

EYES ONLY

14-00000

22 November 1968

ITKIN, Herbert

Subject States: When he was first admitted to the bar in 1953 he was employed by the firm of Delson, Levin & Gordon in New York City. (Now Delson and Gordon.) Itkin alleges that one partner, Levin, had close ties with Alger Hiss, Cyrus Eaton and other of similar persuasion. Because of the viewpoint of the law firm, Subject states that he began passing information to Senator Joseph McCarthy. However, in the Spring of 1954, Senator McCarthy told Itkin that he was getting into trouble and allegedly reported that he had passed Itkin's reports to CIA. Itkin then states that a meeting was set up for him either in June/July/or August of 1954 with Mr. Allen Dulles. This meeting was at the Bellevue Stratford in Philadelphia. His contact was reportedly a man known as Philip Harbin.

At this time, Itkin says he was able to report on matters affecting U Nu, then the Premier of Burma, the Indonesian Foreign Minister; and the owner or editor of the New Delhi Times. Itkin also claims to have had personal contacts with Luis Gutierrez, Consul General of El Salvador, and with a number of other people who had Guatemalan contacts. Itkin says the only money he received from Harbin was $5,000.00, which was supposed to be repayable and for which he gave a receipt, he believes sometime in 1957. He said the money was not repaid.

Itkin states that he met Mario Brod in 1961 and that Brod was represented to him as a former Colonel in the OSS who had intelligence connections. From then on his contact was Brod and apparently Harbin dropped out of the picture.

SECLET EYES ONLY

14-00000

Agency Files reflect:

No record of Herbert Itkin in Office of Security records, other than newspaper clippings.

No record of Herbert Itkin in RI files.

No record of Philip Harbin in Office of Security.

No record of Philip Harbin as a DCS alias.

No record of Philip Harbin in OS pseudo files.

No record of Philip Harbin as either a pseudo or a registered alias in RI/CRYPTO.

No record of Philip Harbin in RI files.

The file of Mario Brod reflects no information concerning his contacts with Herbert Itkin and reflects no information concerning a Philip Harbin.

During Itkin's meeting with Mr. Houston he mentioned that the law firm had a negro lawyer named Thomas L. Roberts, #193026, who had very useful contacts with the United Nations. Itkin stated that Roberts was a very presentable and intelligent negro who left the firm and now had a law practice in Dakar.

The Office of Security file concerning Roberts reflects that:

Mr. Roberts is a current employee of this Agency under deep cover in Dakar. In January of 1968 Roberts furnished this Office with an extensive summary of his past association with Herbert Itkin. He also mentioned that he and Itken had associated with Mario Brod at a dinner party in 1965 and had had lunch with Brod in 1967. There is no indication, however, that Roberts is aware of any use of Itkon as a CIA informant during the 1950's.

FOODET EYES ONLY