Cryptonym: INANITION
Mystery figures passing on information about Richard Gibson and Lee Harvey Oswald.
Inanition is defined in the dictionary as the absence or loss of social, moral, or intellectual vitality or vigor. It also refers to the state of being "empty", or lacking food and water.
104-10172-10111: HALPERIN, MAURICE HYMAN.
11/28/58 dispatch from Chief of Station, Bern to Chief, WS, slugline INK/INANITIONS/Operations; Maurice Halperin: "Attached is the final summary report of the INANITIONS on the stay in Switzerland of Maurice Halperin and wife, who departed for Prague on 11/10/58..."
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/104-10217-10208.pdf
8/10/63 cable from Bern to Director, slugline LCHARVEST INK KUWOLF, ref ESGW 1059: "ESBA 12659 en route DIR and Geneva transmits INANITION query same subject as ref and requests traces Gibson. Request obtain (FBI) clearance pass ref report INANITION in response their query. Geneva: Please await ESBA 12659 before taking action on ref."
104-10217-10209: DISPATCH: RICHARD THOMAS GIBSON, TRACE REQUEST
This 8/8/63 dispatch is ESBA 12659 itself. It is from Chief of Station, Bern to Chief, FE, slugline INANITION/LCHARVEST/Operational: "In a memorandum dated 26 July 1963...on RICHARD THOMAS GIBSON...it is requested that Headquarters and the info addressees provide traces...attention (is called tp) Fredy Gilbert Nils Andersson, whose contact with LO Chun was reported...Gibson and his wife are employed by Andersson, i.e. the Paris publishing firm, and they are responsible for translation, proof-reading, etc. of the English language edition (of) 'African Revolution'."
https://app.luminpdf.com/viewer/kPkAtMzf7WrkN4My7
9/1/63 memo asking the INITATIONS to determine Gibson's locstion, and the source and channels of the funding for his magazine.
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/104-10217-10202.pdf
10/7/63 cable from Paris to Director, slugline KOBIRD LCHARVEST INANITION: "Station carding 1956 memo (not available) cites R ichard Thomas Gibson...as cable desk editor English language service Agence France Press. No derog indicated. No trace wife. Okay pass. Index." Also see 104-10075-10241 - 11/20/63, Chief of Station of JMWAVE suggested passage of information from QUOTA to INANITION regarding Fernando Maria Alvarez, who had been a foreign minister for Fidel Castro before he was discharged in August 1960.
11/26/63:cable BERN 2492 from Bern to Director, slugline RYBAT KUDESK INK: "Afternoon 26 November INANITION passed to FBI ref Bern INANITION report...FBI rep immediately notified ELMARD and after discussion report content it agreed that ELMARD would contact INANITION soonest. In absence INANITION-20 matter discussed by phone with INANITION-6. ELMARD emphaized utmost importance...subject is RICHARD THOMAS GIBSON...active New York chapter Fair Play for Cuba Committee since its organization in 60...we just learn from a delicate (illegible) GIBSON was acquainted with Lee Harvey Oswald...owing to the delicacy of the source of information, we must insist that the contents be limited in circulation to the strictest minimum and should not be incorporated in any court records."
104-10433-10027: RICHARD GIBSON IN LAUSANNE
11/26/63 cable BERN 2493 from Bern to Director, slugline RYBAT KUDESK INK..this document is prefaced with a note stating: "The information is the product of a sensitive operation conducted by a foreign intelligence service. This is another instance of activity which took place prior to the assassination which ultimately proved to be unrelated to the assassination...the cable reads in part: "Delicate source referred to is tap of Gibson phone in Lausanne apparently conducted by Lausanne police/ptt at INANITION request. Existence tap not previously known to Station. Appears likely it undertaken in response to station request for info re Gibson...appears clear Gibson reference throughout conversation is to activities of Fair Play for Cuba Committee with which he and Oswald associated...possibility other conversation partner is Jacques Verges, Communist, former director of La Revolucion Africaine, now based Paris."
11/26/63 cable BERN 2494 from Bern to Director, slugline RYBAT KUDESK INK..this document is prefaced with marginalia stating: "FBI interest in: Oswald in Paris and Switzerland REDACTED in 1960/61 also indications of possible contact of a Congressman Jim Wright..." Text states: "Following is complete text of second memo re Lee Harvey Oswald received FBI rep Bern...Oswald Lee Harvey born 18 October 1939 at New Orleans/USA. In view of the recent and tragic developments we have again contacted the 'Albert Schweitzer College' at Churwalden for possible additional information...(CIA) ony; Exam of (FBI) and INANITION memo reference data indicated (FBI) rep Bern queried INANITION re Lee Harvey Oswald first on 16 June 60, then again 28 July 61, that INANITION replied 29 Sept 60, then again 20 October 60. When ELMARD noted above and queried (FBI) rep Bern latter replied that original query re Oswald originated from (FBI) rep Paris..."
104-10406-10077: CABLE: MORNING 27 NOVEMBER MEETING
11/27/63 BERN 2507 slugline RYBAT KUDESK INK: ..."At Elmard request INANITION-20 made quick phone check (probably with I-25) re Albert Schweitzer College, Churwalden cited (note: BERN 2494, see above). Check indicated college is regular Swiss secondary school run by clergyman who friend of Swiss Attorney General and who enjoys good reputation." See last page: "C/S (Chief of Station) comment: Dissemination applicable to GPFLOOR cables."
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/104-10217-10199.pdf
List of sensitive INITATION files includes four from 11/26 and one from 11/30. These cables are referred to as "from sensitive source, filed INITIATION operations".
104-10408-10322: CABLE: FOLLOWING ODENVY REP AND STATION VIEWS RE POSSIBLE CONTACT
11/30/63 cable BERN 2519 from Bern to Director, RYBAT is crossed out, GPFLOOR is not: - - - 104-10408-10327: 12/2/63 cable BERN 2525 from Bern to Director, RYBAT is crossed out, GPFLOOR is not: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=6200#relPageId=2
file:///C:/Users/Dynabook/Downloads/knuselswisscounterintelligenceacceptedmanuscript.pdf
Manuscript by Arlane Knusel: Titled: Swiss Counterintelligence and Chinese Espionage in the Cold War: "In 1967, a report by the Swiss Federal Police deplored that Switzerland was often described by the international press as a hub for Chinese espionage. The report argued that counterintelligence measures against China were 'particularly difficult' because of the high number of Chinese diplomatic staff... In Switzerland, the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) was in charge of taking measures against people and organizations that threatended Swiss internal and external security. This included espionage, subversion, and immigration matters. Swiss counterintelligence was organised at the national, provincial, and local levels. On the national level, the OAG’s own police force, the Federal Police (Bundespolizei), was in charge of collecting evidence for the prosecution of people and organizations who threatened Swiss security, organising surveillance activities, and issuing nationwide wanted lists with surveillance orders. 6 What made the Federal Police unique among intelligence agencies in the West was that it was a centralised organization. Intelligence agencies in most other Western countries, by contrast, were fragmented and decentralized. 7...According to Georg Kreis, Jean-Daniel Delley and Otto K. Kaufmann, the Federal Police carried out 303 successful counterintelligence cases between 1948 and 1989, 206 of which involved Eastern European agents. However, these numbers have been described as the 'tip of the iceberg'.15...Switzerland did not seem to collaborate with the CIA to as great an extent as most other Western European countries. The lack of CIA influence could explain why the Federal Police only used basic counterintelligence measures against the Chinese, like surveillance and wiretapping, and not more advanced technology, for instance the Federal Police files mention no attempts at installing listening devices in the Chinese missions..."