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Pseudonym: Bastear, Keith

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Definition:
Keith J. Bastear may have been a alias for Keith Botsford. He gave orders to CIA agent June Cobb, who identified Bastear as a probable alias for Botsford.
Category:
alias
Status:
Probable
Discussion:
A cable on October 4, 1963, stated that Huyette and Bastear's trip to Mexico City would have to be delayed due to the illness of the QKOPERA (Congress of Cultural Freedom) principal agent, SABA. David Phillips was presently at HQs and was advised of this.

A cable on October 16, 1963, mentioned that Keith J. Bastear was the KUWOLF (Psychological and Paramilitary Staff) QKOPERA case officer.

A cable on October 28, 1963, stated that "from 21 to 25 October, Keith J. Bastear and Geoffrey T. Huyette met with Mexican Station officers and Edward G. Tichborn (Henry Preston Lopez) to discuss the further development of the DTGODOWN (The American wing of the Congress for Cultural Freedom) Mexican program. The major focus was on the creation of a Mexican intellectual journal."

See Guillermo Sheridan's article here, who reported June Cobb identified Keith Bastear is probably one of the aliases for Keith Botsford.
Sources:

104-10100-10127: CABLE RE CHANGE IN TRAVEL PLANS

10/04/63: Cable from Director to Mexico City /Info: Paris/LCPIPIT (Orig: Walter Raymond, Jr., Unit: CA/B3): Slugline DTDORIC QKOPERA: REF: DIR 68338: "1. Request Huyette Bastear trip MEXI must be delayed this due illness QKOPERA (Congress of Cultural Freedom) principal agent SABA which has necessitated emergency flight Huyette to Europe. Will reschedule hopefully later this month. 2. Have advised Choaden (David Phillips) who presently in HQs. He requests station advise Tichborn (Henry Preston Lopez) of plan change." Releasing Officer: W. Hood for C/WH/. Coordinating Officer: (Unintelligible), WH/3. Authenticating Officer: Robert L. Fallow, C/CA/B3. - - - 2022 release: https://documents3.theblackvault.com/documents/jfkfiles/jfk2022/104-10100-10127.pdf

104-10100-10224: TDY TRAVEL TO MEXICO/POSSIBLE INTEREST IN PUBLICATION

10/16/63: Cable from Director to Mexico City (Orig: Walter Raymond, Jr., Unit: CA/B3): Slugline DTDORIC QKOPERA: REF: DIR 68338: "1. Huyette and Bastear rescheduling TDY MEXI 21 thru 24 Oct. Bastear will report Choaden (David Phillips) office morning 21 Oct. Would expect join Huyette and Tichborn (Henry Preston Lopez) for talks later in day. If not feasible advise. 2. Please make reservation single with bath for Bastear at Maria Cristina for 5 nights, 20 Oct thru 24 Oct. 3. HQs notes with considerable interest recent letter from GPBEFIT, being pouched, which refers to recent explosion in Siempre. GPBEFIT notes that editors of Revista Mexicana de Literatura appear to want to take advantage of this and make their magazine into suitable alternative to Siempre cultural section. If true that Siempre encountering problems and that Revista staff anxious to be a counter, ops possibilities are considerable. We may want to consider building on Revista rather than creating new entity. If stat in position check in advance of Huyette-Bastear arrival would be helpful. C/S Comment: *HQs proposed Huyette and KUWOLF (Psychological and Paramilitary Staff) QKOPERA case officer Keith J. Bastear TDY MEXI." Releasing Officer: C/WH. Coordaining Officer: WH/3/MEXI. Authenticating Officer: Robert L. Fallow, C/CA/B3. - - - 2022 release: https://documents3.theblackvault.com/documents/jfkfiles/jfk2022/104-10100-10224.pdf

104-10100-10236: ARRIVAL OF TWO TDYERS

10/17/63: Cable from Director to Mexico City (Orig: Walter Raymond, Jr., Unit: CA/B3): Slugline DTDORIC QKOPERA: REF: DIR 76175: "Due heavy bookings Bastear arriving American flight 57 due 1248 on 21 October. Will call Choaden (David Phillips). Huyette taking separate flight also due midday and will call Choaden. Bastear hotel reservation at Maria Cristina or equivalent should be adjusted accordingly. Both free for evening dinner meeting Choaden and Tichborn (Henry Preston Lopez) if desired." Releasing Officer: AC/WH. Coordinating Officer: (Initials), WH/3. Authenticating Officer: A. Spencer Braham, DC/CA/B3. - - - 2022 release: https://documents3.theblackvault.com/documents/jfkfiles/jfk2022/104-10100-10236.pdf

104-10093-10193: CABLE: BASTEAR RESERVATIONS

10/19/63: Cable from Mexico City to Director: Slugline DTDORIC QKOPERA: "Bastear reservations for 21 October at Hotel Geneve, Calle Londres. C/S Comment: *Bastear arriving MEXI 21 Oct."

104-10211-10045: DISPATCH: MEXICAN PROGRAM

10/28/63: Cable from COS, Mexico City to Chief, KUWOLF (Info: Chief, WHD; COS, Paris (LCPIPIT): Subject: DTDORIC/Operational QKOPERA/DTGODOWN/Mexican Program: "1. From 21 - 25 October Keith J. Bastear and Geoffrey T. Huyette met with Mexican Station officers and Edward G. Tichborn (Henry Preston Lopez) to discuss the further development of the DTGODOWN (the American wing of the Congress for Cultural Freedom) Mexican program. The major focus was on the creation of a Mexican intellectual journal. In addition, the talks included the projected DTGODOWN intellectual exchange program plus general comment on the Centro Mexicano de Sucritores and various cultural personalities in Mexico...8. This dispatch was coordinated with Bastear before his departure from Mexico City."

104-10217-10223: RICHARD GIBSON

05/10/67: Dispatch from Chief, LCPIPIT to C/WOVIEW (Info: C/WOMUSE, COS/London, C/Eur Div): Subject: DTDORIC/Operational QREBONY/QREBONY/1's Meeting with RNSLIVER: Attachment: Memorandum for the record: Subject: Ciliberti Conversation with RNSLIVER 26 April Concerning His Meeting with QREBONY/1: "1. On 25 April Bastear told me that RNSLIVER was in London and was planning to meet with QREBONY/1. Bastear accordingly suggested that RNSLIVER be debriefed by the undersigned the following morning..." - - - 2022 release, pages 85-86: https://documents3.theblackvault.com/documents/jfkfiles/jfk2022/104-10217-10223.pdf

http://www.letraslibres.com/mexico/historia/la-cia-planea-una-revista-cultural-mexicana

Guillermo Sheridan, 7/7/17, The Mexican Cultural Magazine Commissioned by the CIA: Mr. Edward Tichborn (note: true name Henry Lopez) passed for being a prosperous lawyer, executive of the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico, friend of the culture, investor in the cinema. He had arrived in 1960 and a year later had already infiltrated business environments and, in his spare time, intellectuals and academics, about whose activities he reported. I also had deals with our old friend June Cobb, the "Mysterious Gringa" and obeyed orders from one "Keith Bastear" who asked me if he would not be one of the names of the 86th super agent for cultural affairs in Latin America, Keith Botsford, whom I already referred to before. On page 4 of this document, Tichborn says that, after working on electoral issues in Latin America, he is a CIA full-time agent in Mexico since 1961, where I help Mexico Station by creating and administering the magazine [name testado] addressed to Latin American intellectuals and reporting on activities and attitudes of left-wing intellectuals (...) His file indicates that he tried to make an in-depth study of the PRI, which he abandoned in 1967 for the resistance of their contacts to discuss sensitive issues and to present it with other informants.

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