UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. M-2015-14753 Doc No.

C06096883 Date: 09/19/2016

[RELEASE IN PART B1[

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

BRIEFING MEMORANDUM

TO

e Project (4i-1996tao3o
i
)-U.S. De
ent of Sta
Release
Deny
Declass
tion(s)
: The Deputy Se i retary

FROM

: ARA - Viron P. Vakyat

SUBJECT : Letelier/Moffitt InVestigation

REVIEW AUTHORITY: Marvin Russell, Senior Reviewer

I have approved George Landau's request by secure

phone to return here for a few days' consultations
on Friday, August 18. The Chilean lawyer for the
USG comes here Sunday, August 20, for conferences
with Justice on the final preparations for submission of the extradition request, and both Justice
and we believe it is necessary for George to be
present at these final strategy sessions in which,
among other things, we must:Trepare our lawyer - - -against what Contreras will.try to do to beat-the.
rap.
Contreras' defense lawyer has begun the expected
effort to paint the assassination as a CIA plot,
claiming Townley, the Cubans, and perhaps even George
himself were CIA agents (Tab 1 for latest.CIA report).
w, Townley approached the agency in 1973
s you
;.but they told us the contact was never

Contreras' lawyer, now in the States, has dropped

dark hints to the press about the involvement of a
foreign ambassador in the matter of the issuance of
visas to Townley and Fernandez (as "Williams" and
"Romeral"). George ordered the visas issued after
Stroessner's private secretary called to say that
two Chileans had an appointment with General Walters

an 6
////7 r
1--? (7/77

UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. M-2015-14753 Doc No. C06096883 Date: 09/19/2016

B1

UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. M-2015-14753 Doc No. C06096883 Date: 09/19/2016

and asked George to have visas issued to them. Ge

,befOre
Walters had visited Paraguay just two weeks.

ral

imultanecusly, George sent a message

enera
a ters, who replied that he had just
retired and knew nothing of the Chileans. George
informed State and the eventually successful effort
to get the visas back began. In the event Townley
and Fernandez used other identities when they came
up to the U.S., the "Williams"' and 7.Romerol"
identities, however, were subsequently used by
other DINA agents travelling on Chilean passports
I
to the U.S.
General Walters' statement, taken by the FBI at
the request of the Chilean Government, is at Tab.2.
He point ut he had retired, knew nothing of the
Chileans e7iTge.
efiitreag",&4
Dg
?:! 71t*!L!
- 1975'or rom his 1976 trip td Paraguay.. To back
that conclusively, it may be necessary to declassify
the exchange of cables between Georg rd General .
Walters. We informed Propper and---Barcelia who agreed
that State should inform the CIA. We hive done so,
and asked for copies of the Landau/Walters cable
exchange. Justice contemplates a meeting with CIA
and State (.including Landau). early next week and
plans on having George make a statement to be used
as evidence before the Chilean Supreme Court giving
the details about the visa issuance not .dealt with in
Walters' deposition.

L.

So far as press guidance is concerned, we would

plan
an to say on an "if asked" basis that Landau is
coming up for' routine consultations (including his .
annual physical) and that among other things he will
consult on the diplomatic preparations for submission
f the extradition requests.
ro
Attachments:
Tab. 1 - Cable from CIA to FBI (CIA 273508 dated 8/11/78)
Tab 2 - General Walters' 6/14/78 statement to FBI.
'Drafted: ARA:FMLN, d5 t;8/15/78;ext 24754
Clearance: Department of Justice: Eugene. opper
f
A SENSITIVE
SECT

UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. M-2015-14753 Doc No. C06096883 Date: 09/19/2016