diplomatic reception, Colonel Erich Steitz, if at all appropriate, tried to wear his uniform, to preclude his being called “Your Excellency” and/or “Mr. Ambassador,” and the ambassador being called “Colonel.”
“A von Greiffenberg-gram, Your Excellency,” Steitz said with a smile, and held out to him two sheets of paper.
“These things drive poor Dieter up the wall, you know,” the ambassador said with a chuckle, making reference to Dieter von und zu Schaaf, the second secretary, who was in charge of administration, and liked to have two copies, preferably more, of everything.
“Yes, sir, I know,” Steitz said. “But I would rather have Schaaf angry with me for not having copies of these than von Greiffenberg angry with me for giving him one.”
“Me, too,” the ambassador said, and took the two sheets of paper and read them.
CLASSIFICATION MOST SECRET
TRANSMISSION PRIORITY ONE
FROM MINISTRY OF SECURITY BONN #65-4003
1300 BONN TIME 2 APRIL 1965
FOR ARMY ATTACHÉ
PERSONAL ATTENTION ONLY COLONEL STEITZ
WEST GERMAN EMBASSY
WASHINGTON DC
ON RECEIPT ATTACHMENT 1 WILL BE IMMEDIATELY DECRYPTED USING CODE HEINRICH SIX AND DELIVERED BY YOU PERSONALLY TO COLONEL SANFORD T. FELTER, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING, WASHINGTON. YOU WILL SHOW COLONEL FELTER THIS MESSAGE OF TRANSMITTAL, WHEREUPON HE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH A CODE WORD INDICATING ITS RECEIPT WHICH YOU WILL THEN TRANSMIT TO ME. IT IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN TO MAKE ANY COPIES OF EITHER MESSAGE OTHER THAN THE ONE COPY TO BE DELIVERED TO COLONEL FELTER.
VON GREIFFENBERG GENERALLEUTNANT DIRECTOR
ATTACHMENT 1 TO MINISTRY OF SECURITY #65- 4003 (DECRYPTED)
COPY 1 OF 1 DUPLICATION FORBIDDEN
BONN 2 APRIL 1965
MY DEAR FRIEND SANDY:
THE URUGUAYAN CITIZENS SENOR RAMÓN BENÍTEZ AND SENOR ROBERTO SUÁREZ MILÍAN ARRIVED IN PRAGUE, TOGETHER WITH SIX OF THEIR COUNTRYMEN, WHOSE NAMES I REGRETFULLY CANNOT FURNISH AT THIS TIME, AT 2205 GREENWICH 1 APRIL 1965 ABOARD AEROLINEAS CUBANA FLIGHT 9880 FROM HAVANA, WHICH STOPPED AT GANDER, NEWFOUNDLAND EN ROUTE.
THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY TAKEN UNDER UNUSUAL CONDITIONS OF SECURITY TO A HOUSE AT 407 ULBRECHTSTR, NOT FAR FROM THE AIRPORT, WHICH IS A SAFE HOUSE OPERATED BY STASI, AND HERETOFORE MADE AVAILABLE ONLY FOR EAST GERMAN AND SOVIET ACTIVITIES. I WOULD SUGGEST THIS TO BE CONFIRMATION OF SOVIET INVOLVEMENT IN THE OPERATION IN WHICH WE ARE INTERESTED.
BENÍTEZ AND MILÍAN HAVE RESERVATIONS ON CZECHOSLOVAK AIR FLIGHT 2332 PRAGUE/CAIRO/DAR ES SALAAM 2300 3 APRIL 1965.
I WILL ATTEMPT TO CONFIRM DEPARTURE, PASSAGE CAIRO AND ARRIVAL DAR ES SALAAM.
I AM SENDING THIS INFORMATION TO OUR FRIENDS IN BUENOS AIRES.
IT IS A PLEASURE FOR ME TO BE OF ASSISTANCE, AND HOPE YOU FIND THIS USEFUL. WITH THE WARMEST REGARDS TO YOU AND SHARON AND THE CHILDREN, AND OF COURSE CRAIG.
VON GREIFFENBERG
“I don’t suppose you have any idea what this is all about?” the ambassador asked.
“This is apparently another of those cases where the good Generalleutnant feels he can trust Oberst Felter with something we really don’t have to know.”
“I think one would naturally trust someone who plucked you from a Siberian labor camp more than most other people,” the ambassador said. “What I don’t really understand is why von Greiffenberg insists that I read these things.”
“Von Greiffenberg, Mr. Ambassador, like the Lord, moves in mysterious ways.”
The ambassador chuckled, and handed the sheets of paper back to Steitz.
“Thank you, Erich,” the ambassador said. “When you see Felter, give him my best regards.”
“I’ll do that, sir.”
[FOUR]
The Oval Office
The White House
Washington, D.C.
1045 2 April 1965
The President, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Chairman of the National Security Council, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were discussing what the President twice in the last ten minutes had called “the goddamned Dominican Commies” when the door opened and the President’s secretary stood waiting for the President’s attention.
“What?” the President asked, somewhat abruptly.
“Mr. Finton has a memo for you, Mr. President.”
Everyone in the room knew that Mr. Finton worked for Colonel Sanford T. Felter. The Director of the CIA also knew that Finton was a bishop of the Church of Latter-Day Saints.
The President gestured for Finton to be admitted.
“Good morning,” the President said, and held out his hand for the memorandum.
“Good morning, Mr. President,” Finton said, and handed the President a White House interoffice memorandum.
The White House
WASHINGTON, D.C.
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
CLASSIFICATION: Top Secret
DATE AND TIME: 1020 Washington Time 2 April 1965
FROM: Sanford T. Felter
TO: Eyes Only The President of the United States Eyes Only The Director, CIA
By Hand
I have good reason to believe the following should be regarded as Reliability Scale Five.
Ernesto Guevara (traveling as Ramón Benítez) and Victor Dreke, his deputy, (traveling as Roberto Suárez Milían) both using