"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 ATTACHe.

PERSONAL ATTENTION ONLY COLONEL STEITZ.

WEST GERMAN EMBASSY.

WASHINGTON DCON 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 DIRECTORATTACHMENT 1 TO MINISTRY OF SECURITY #65- 4003 (DECRYPTED)COPY 1 OF 1 DUPLICATION FORBIDDENBONN 2 APRIL 1965MY DEAR FRIEND SANDY:THE URUGUAYAN CITIZENS SENOR RAMoN BENiTEZ AND SENOR ROBERTO SUaREZ MILiAN 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.BENiTEZ AND MILiAN 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 HouseWASHINGTON, D.C.INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUMCLASSIFICATION: Top Secret Top SecretDATE AND TIME: 1020 Washington Time 2 April 1965 1020 Washington Time 2 April 1965FROM: Sanford T. Felter Sanford T. FelterTO: Eyes Only The President of the United States Eyes Only The Director, CIA Eyes Only The President of the United States Eyes Only The Director, CIABy HandI have good reason to believe the following should be regarded as Reliability Scale Five.Ernesto Guevara (traveling as Ramon Benitez) and Victor Dreke, his deputy, (traveling as Roberto Suarez Milian) both using Uruguayan passports, arrived in Prague, together with six other Cubans, names not presently known, at 2205 Zulu 1 April 1965 aboard Aerolineas Cubana flight 9880 from Havana, via Gander, Newfoundland.They were immediately taken under unusual conditions of security to a house at 407 Ulbrechtstr, not far from the airport. This is known to be a safe house operated by STASI, the East German State Security Service, and heretofore has been made available only for East German and Soviet activities. This would tend to confirm Soviet involvement in Guevara's operation.Guevara and Dreke, traveling as Benitez and Milian, have reservations on Czechoslovak Air flight 2332 Prague/Cairo/Dar es Salaam 2300 3 April 1965.Respectfully submitted, Sanford T. Felter SANFORD T. FELTER.

COLONEL, GSC, U.S. ARMY.

As the President was reading it, Mr. Finton reached into his pocket and handed a carbon copy of the memorandum to the Director of the CIA.

"Thank you," the President said to Mr. Finton when he had finished reading the memorandum. "And thank Colonel Felter."

"Yes, Mr. President," Mr. Finton said.

"You got anything for Felter?" the President asked when he saw that the Director of the CIA had finished reading his copy of the memorandum.

"No, sir," the director said.

"Thank you," the President said to Finton, dismissing him.

The President waited until the door closed.

"Well, do you still have doubts that Guevara is going to the Congo?" he asked.

"This would seem to suggest, if this can be relied on, Mr. President, that Guevara is going at least to Dar es Salaam," the Director said.

"Maybe you know something I don't," the President said. "Why do you think, since he's already been to Dar es Salaam as Che Guevara, that he's going back there with a phony name, on a phony passport, via Prague?"

"I just don't know, Mr. President," the Director said.

"Yeah," the President said. "That's what I thought."

[ FIVE ].

SECRET.

URGENT.

FROM: CIA LANGLEY 2 APRIL 1965 1310 GMT.

TO: STATION CHIEFS:.

ALGIERS, ALGERIA.

BERLIN, GERMANY.

CAIRO, EGYPT.

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA.

MONTREAL, CANADA.

PARIS, FRANCE.

PRAGUE, CZECHOSLOVAKIA.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA.

SUBJECT: POSSIBLE MOVEMENT OF ERNESTO "CHE" GUEVERA AND OTHERS REFERENCE MY 03/5788 SUBJECT AS ABOVE.

INASMUCH AS THERE HAS BEEN ZERO RESPONSE TO REFERENCED MESSAGE, THE DIRECTOR PERSONALLY SENDS THE FOLLOWING FOR THE GENERAL INFORMATION OF ALL CONCERNED:.

GUEVERA AND DREKE AND OTHERS ARE IN PRAGUE, SPECIFICALLY AT 407 ULBRECHTSTR.

THEREFORE, ATTEMPTED SURVEILLANCE AT GANDER, BERLIN, ALGIERS AND VIENNA MAY BE DISCONTINUED.

IT IS STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT STATION CHIEF PRAGUE OBTAIN PASSAGE ABOARD CZECHOSLAVAK AIR FLIGHT 2332 DEPARTING PRAGUE 2300 3 MARCH 1965, ON WHICH GUEVERA, DREKE, AND POSSIBLY OTHERS WILL TRAVEL TO DAR ES SALAAM ON URUGUAYAN PASSPORTS. STATION CHIEF CAIRO SIMILARLY SHOULD SURVEILLE CAIRO/DAR ES SALAAM LEG OF THIS FLIGHT.

IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT STATION CHIEF DAR ES SALAAM MEET THE AIRCRAFT AND, PRESUMING PRAGUE AND CAIRO PERSONNEL ARE ABOARD, WITH THEIR ASSISTANCE ATTEMPT TO KEEP GUEVERA, DREKE, AND POSSIBLY OTHERS UNDER SURVEILLANCE.

ALL CONCERNED ARE REMINDED IT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE AGENCY TO DEVELOP AND DELIVER INTELLIGENCE OF THIS NATURE, NOT RECEIVE IT FROM OTHERS.

CONFIRMING OR DISPROVING REPORTS PLUS ANY OTHER INTEL THAT CAN BE GENERATED IN RE MOVEMENT OR LOCATION OF GUEVARA AND/DREKE WILL BE TRANSMITTED BY THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS MEANS, INCLUDING SATELLITE, TO CIA LANGLEY EYES ONLY DIRECTOR CIA AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR /ADMIN.

FOR THE DIRECTOR.

O'CONNOR ASST DIR/ADMIN SECRET.

[ SIX ].

TOP SECRET TOP SECRETCentral Intelligence Agency Langley, VirginiaFROM: Assistant Director For Administration Assistant Director For AdministrationFROM: 4 April 1965 1530 GMT 4 April 1965 1530 GMTSUBJECT: Guevara, Ernesto (Memorandum #69.) Guevara, Ernesto (Memorandum #69.)TO: The President The President Copy TO: TO: Mr. Sanford T. Felter Mr. Sanford T. Felter Counselor To The President Room 637, The Executive Office Building Washington, D.C.By Officer CourierThe Director believed The President would find the CIA generated intelligence reported herein of interest. In compliance with Presidential Memorandum to The Director, Subject: "Ernesto 'Che' Guevara," dated 14 December 1964, the following information is being furnished to Colonel Felter. (Reliability Scale Five).Follows verbatim satellite transmitted message from James M. Foster, CIA Station Chief, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania:TOP SECRET1445 GREENWICH 4 APRIL 1965FROM STATION CHIEF, DAR ES SALAAMTO (EYES ONLY) DIRECTOR, CIA, LANGLEY (EYES ONLY) DEPDIR ADMIN, CIA LANGLEYTWO INDIVIDUALS BEARING URUGUAYAN PASSPORTS AND MEETING DESCRIPTION OF GUEVERA/BENiTEZ AND DREKE/MILiAN (YOUR 03/5788) ARRIVED DAR ES SALAAM ABOARD CZECHOSLOVAK AIR FLIGHT 2332 1550 4 APRIL 1965. TOGETHER WITH SIX OTHERS THEY WERE OFFLOADED UNDER CONDITIONS OF UNUSUAL SECURITY AND TRUCKED TO A FARM IN THE VICINITY OF MOROGORO, APPROXIMATELY 75 MILES WEST OF DAR ES SALAAM.THE SITE IS UNDER SURVEILLANCE. INITIAL INFORMATION INDICATES THE NOW DESERTED FARM, OWNED BY WHITES WHO HAVE LEFT THE COUNTRY, WAS RENTED BY AN EAST GERMAN FIRM BELIEVED TO BE CONTROLLED BY STASI. PROVINCIAL TANZANIAN POLICE HAVE ESTABLISHED ROAD BLOCKS ON NATIONAL ROUTE A7.INASMUCH AS THIS STATION IS PREPARED TO MAINTAIN AROUND THE CLOCK SURVEILLANCE OF THE SITE, ASSISTANCE OF PERSONNEL FROM OTHER STATIONS IS NOT REQUIRED, AND IN THE ABSENCE OF SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CONTRARY, THEY WILL DEPART THE COUNTRY NLT 7 APRIL 1965.

JAMES M. FOSTER.

STATION CHIEF DAR ES SALAAMTOP SECRETEND CIA Dar es Salaam MessageAdditional intelligence generated by CIA Dar es Salaam will be furnished immediately on receipt.

Howard W. O'Connor HOWARD W. O'CONNORTOP SECRET [SEVEN].

The Hotel du Lac Costermansville, Kivu Province Republic of the Congo 0900 5 April 1965 "I was worried sick about you," Mrs. Marjorie B. Portet greeted her husband when he, Major George W. Lunsford, Spec7 William Peters (in the uniforms of a Congolese lieutenant colonel and captain, respectively), and Lieutenant Geoffrey Craig walked into the dining room of the hotel.

"The weather was lousy," Jack replied. "We had to spend the night."

"You could have sent word," Marjorie said.

"That's what we were doing, baby," Jack answered, a slight tone of impatience in his voice. "Setting up relay stations so we can send word when something like that happens."

"In other words, I'm being a bitch?"

"You said it, not me," Jack said.

"Children, children," Lunsford said. "If you keep that up, we will be forced to suspect the honeymoon is over."

"I forgive you," Jack said.

"Screw you," Marjorie said, but she kissed him.

A waiter appeared and took their breakfast order, and as a second waiter was pouring coffee, two Congolese paratroop officers, who had come to the Congo as Master Sergeant Thomas and Sergeant First Class DeGrew, appeared and sat down at the table.

"This came in last night, boss," Doubting Thomas said, and handed Lunsford a sheet of paper from the encryption machine.

Lunsford read it, then handed it to Geoff Craig, with a gesture meaning he wanted it passed around to the others. The way they were sitting, Jack got it last.

"Can I show this to my bride?" he asked.

"Who do you think ran the tape machines?" Marjorie asked. "I know what it says."

TOP SECRET.

EARN0023 WASH DC 1740 ZULU 4 APRIL 1965.

VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY.

FROM: EARNEST SIX.

TO: HELPER SIX1-COMPLETELY RELIABLE SOURCE STATES GUEVARA, DREKE, AND SIX OTHERS ARRIVED IN DAR ES SALAAM 1530 ZULU 4 APRIL.2-JAMES M. FOSTER, CIA STATION CHIEF DAR ES SALAAM, APPARENTLY CONFIRMS WITH REPORT CIA HAS GUEVARA, DREKE, AND SIX OTHERS UNDER SURVEILLANCE ON FARM IN VICINITY OF MOROGORO, 75 MILES WEST OF DAR ES SALAAM.3-REFERENCE PREVIOUSLY FURNISHED MANIFEST, SUPPLY FLIGHT FOUR WILL NOT REPEAT NOT HAVE TWO JEEPS ABOARD INASMUCH AS LeOPOLDVILLE MOTORPOOL NOW AVAILABLE. TWO L19 AIRCRAFT; EQUIVALENT OF $25,000 IN GOLD SWISS COINS; TWO ASA TECHNICIANS; AND ONE L19/L20/H13 MECHANIC WILL BE ABOARD. ETA WILL BE FURNISHED WHEN AVAILABLE.FINTON FOR EARNEST SIXSECRET.