James Richards Posted January 25, 2005 Posted January 25, 2005 (edited) I was wondering if anyone had any background on Alberto Gallego? From what I have been able to gather, he was in charge of CIA surveillance at the embassy in Mexico City and was most likely responsible for the Mexico Oswald photographs. Gallego's full name is Alfredo Augusto Rodriguez Gallego. His photo is below. Any information at all would be appreciated. James Edited January 25, 2005 by James Richards
Tim Gratz Posted January 25, 2005 Posted January 25, 2005 What Mexico Oswald photographs? I assume you refer to the photos of Oswald that did not turn out to be Oswald. Do you gave an opinion who those photos were of, and why the mix-up, if it was a mix-up? I know several people have offered suggestions why the unidentified man is.
Jim Root Posted January 25, 2005 Posted January 25, 2005 James I don't know where this goes or even if it fits at all but: Mexico City was also a center of the Trotskyite movement that Oswald supposedly adheared to. The Socialist Workers Party and their Pro Castro organization was also Trotskyite connected. In 1960, Ramon Mercader, the assassin of Leon Trotsky had been released from prison after 20 years. During that period, Ramon, had maintained that he was Jacques Mornard and had pretending to be a Belgian businessman in love with one of Trotsky's American secretaries, Sylvia Ageloff. It was not until after his release that the truth was learned. Upon his release from prison in 1960 Mercader traveled to Cuba, then to Czechoslovakia, and from there to Moscow. He settled in Moscow, was accorded all sorts of privileges, awarded the medal of Hero of the Soviet Union, and at his death was buried in an exclusive cemetery among other "friends of the USSR". Jim Root
Shanet Clark Posted January 25, 2005 Posted January 25, 2005 (edited) Mexico City was the CIA's control center (located out of the USA) for western hemisphere (WH) activities. Howard Hunt was WH domestic (US) operations officer in 1963, and the Cuban and Caribbean efforts, Che Guevara murder, etc., emanated from Mexico City... Supposedly audio taps show Oswald in the Russian and Cuban embasssies a few weeks before JFK's murder. He was looking for KOSTIKOV, a thirteenth bureau (black ops) KGB agent. When the CIA produced the photos, which is unusual in and of itself, they only showed a bluff balding man who looks nothing like Oswald. All very murky indeed, but Gallego would have known some insider material. If Oswald was there, the CIA had reason to present a false and misleading photo. If he was not there, then someone posing as him was. If he was there, then the WATCHLIST should have kicked in and never let him near a motorcade...this is the material J. Edgar Hoover was (apparently) so furious about, that the CIA would keep information about potential defector assassins from domestic law enforcement... JAMES AND JIM: I have a scenario about the taps and photos. Say one of the 1963 US intelligence agencies, NSA/CIA, had audio of Oswald talking to Soviet and Cuban Embassy officers in Mexico City. To protect themselves after Dallas, what should they do? Another agency (MI5, certainly the KGB) would also have the evidence of Oswald at the Soviet Embassy and Cuban Embassy...and this could get out. So they look through the photos, and WHETHER OSWALD WAS IN ONE OR NOT they release pictures of another guy, throwing the whole event into question. More complicated, but plausible, counter-intelligence schemes are possible, but this is a simple, cover your &%# type release: "we were supposed to know that Oswald was looking for the KGB 13th bureau agent and reporting to the Cuban Embassy as well, but we weren't negligent in intercepting him before killing Kennedy, ....because it wasn't Oswald anyway..." Doesn't that make sense? Edited January 25, 2005 by Shanet Clark
James Richards Posted January 25, 2005 Author Posted January 25, 2005 Thanks to all for your responses. With the photographs referred to, I am of course talking about the ridiculous Oswald identification (see below). I can tell you that Gallego is still alive and living in Spain. Now this may seem like an unrelated question, but does anyone have any information or maybe have read somewhere where Oswald may have grown a moustache for a short period of time? Thanks to all. Sorry to be so cryptic. James
James Richards Posted January 25, 2005 Author Posted January 25, 2005 In 1960, Ramon Mercader, the assassin of Leon Trotsky had been released from prison after 20 years. During that period, Ramon, had maintained that he was Jacques Mornard and had pretending to be a Belgian businessman in love with one of Trotsky's American secretaries, Sylvia Ageloff. It was not until after his release that the truth was learned. (Jim Root) Thanks, Jim. I have something somewhere on Mornard which I will attempt to hunt out. Interesting. James
Shanet Clark Posted January 25, 2005 Posted January 25, 2005 James, Take a look at the theory I posted above - I think it went out after you posted. GREAT PIX! Is this inside the Soviet or Cuban compound? Or is this just a guy fooling around between the gate and the camera? He looks like he is "addressing" the camera, don't you think? So many questions... I think he looks Russian....
James Richards Posted January 25, 2005 Author Posted January 25, 2005 Hi Shanet. I believe this was the Soviet embassy. You may be right about it being as simple as ass covering. Wouldn't be the first time. Whoever the guy in the photographs is would have to be connected as I'm sure the spooks didn't want some guy putting his hand up later saying, "hey, that's me." If I were a betting man, I would put money on this guy being an Agency asset, trusted, possible covert operative. He needed to be aware of the game plan and to not surface at an inappropriate time. FWIW. I believe that Oswald was in Mexico City but in July of 1963 with Richard Case Nagell. It was at this time that Herminio Diaz Garcia and several other Cuban ghouls were defecting via Mexico City. I also think that in September of 1963, who ever was in Mexico City was not Oswald but an impersonator. If it was Oswald, then his photograph would have been released. Hard to do though when he was visiting Sylvia Odio. In my opinion of course. James
Shanet Clark Posted January 25, 2005 Posted January 25, 2005 (edited) But is he really inside the embassy grounds or just posted at the gate? In other words, we can get our guy to pose outside the gate, but we can't very well get our guy to go inside the Soviet embassy grounds just to take his picture. Why do you say the Agencies would have released the photo if it had showed Oswald? If it showed the real Lee Harvey, then the agencies would have taken heat for knowing about his approach and not doing anything. Releasing these photos just muddies the water, an Oswald photo would have been directly incriminating. Did they ever release the transcripts of the Oswald/Cuban Embassy or Oswald/Soviet embassy tapes, or bugs? I don't think so. Since for the agency to release any PHOTO is unusual the whole thing feels greatly overworked and misdirected. And yes it would be much better to use an asset for the photo, but he might also be "Joe Russia" in Mexico City.... Edited January 26, 2005 by Shanet Clark
Bernice Moore Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 (edited) I was wondering if anyone had any background on Alberto Gallego? From what I have been able to gather, he was in charge of CIA surveillance at the embassy in Mexico City and was most likely responsible for the Mexico Oswald photographs.Gallego's full name is Alfredo Augusto Rodriguez Gallego. His photo is below. Any information at all would be appreciated. James <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ********************************************************** Hi James: A very quick search revealed this..will have a more in depth..anything I will send.. BTW: His full name came up as Alfredo Augusto Cesar Rodriguez Gallego.? Alberto ? The person in charge of this CIA center was Alberto Cesar Augusto Rodriguez Gallego, of cuban origin, who pretended to be Colombian and who now lives in Spain and works at the Berlitz Language School at 80 Jose Antonio Street, Madrid. If those mechanisms existed, why does the photograph submitted to the Warren Commission show someone else and not the real Oswald? The CIA can produce from its files the negatives of all the persons that visited the Cuban consulate on September 27, 1963. Agent Rodriguez Gallego can provide details on this. It can be added that in her statement before the Warren Commission, Mrs. Silvia Odio said that on September 26, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald an two other persons visited her house in New Orleans. This contradicts the other results of the investigation which gave Oswald as traveling by bus from New Orleans to Mexico City that day. ***************************************************************** Alberto Cesar Augusto Rodriguez Gallego, who pretended to be a Colombian, but was actually born in Havana, was the CIA's main agent in the Espionage Center at No. 149 Francisco Marquez St. ___(photograph) with caption: CIA agent Rodriguez Gallego who now lives in Spain Data on Rodriguez Gallego He was born in Havana on November 6, 1922, attended grammar school in Tampa, Florida, and graduated from the University of Havana Law School. From 1941 to 1950, he worked in the legal department of the Cuban Finance Company, and later for the Cuban Telephone Company, one of the most powerful US monopolies on the Island. There, Rodriguez Gallego managed to become the president's right- hand man. He left Cuba for Mexico in 1960. There he lived at No. 800-1 Bolivar Street, Colonia Alamos, Mexico, D.F. and, in late 1961 he moved to No. 149-1 Francisco Marquez Street, Colonia Condesa, Mexico 11. D.F. (Telephone 514-74-967). Then and there, the CIA's Espionage and Surveillance Center came into existence. From a window on the third floor of the house Rodriguez Gallego watched all the visitors to the Consulate, working full time for the CIA throughout his stay in Mexico. When the CIA's LIEMBRACE group was temporarily disbanded in 1972, Rodriguez Gallego hurriedly set off for Spain to carry out missions for the Central Intelligence. There he bought apartment 7-A at No. 194 Manzanares Avenue, Madrid 26, where he now lives. He is listed as assistant director of the Berlitz English Language Academy, at No. 80 Jose Antonio Avenue, Madrid. Bugging Techniques The espionage tapping operation that Philip Agee mentions in his book was a CIA job that used the telephone network in the offices of the Cuban ambassador and his secretary, in the consulate and the consul's office and in the sentry box. Nor is this the only espionage action against the Cuban Consulate and Embassy in Mexico City. Another kind of device was discovered when the chairs in the ambassador's office were sent to be upholstered. Another time the CIA placed a bugging device in a sofa that had been sent for reupholstering, along with four chairs, to the Bucky shop, at No. 418 Coyoacan Avenue, Acc. B. Colonia del Valle, Mexico 12 D.F. It has been established that these espionage devices were installed while the furniture was in that upholstery shop. http://www.cuban-exile.com/doc_001-025/doc0010.html Edited January 26, 2005 by Bernice Moore
James Richards Posted January 26, 2005 Author Posted January 26, 2005 Fantastic, Bernice. Thank you so much for that. That information is of enormous help. So he also had the name Cesar which I think is why he didn't come up in my Google search. Now we're cooking. Cheers, James
James Richards Posted January 26, 2005 Author Posted January 26, 2005 But is he really inside the embassy grounds or just posted at the gate?In other words, we can get our guy to pose outside the gate, but we can't very well get our guy to go inside the Soviet embassy grounds just to take his picture. Why do you say the Agencies would have released the photo if it had showed Oswald? If it showed the real Lee Harvey, then the agencies would have taken heat for knowing about his approach and not doing anything. Releasing these photos just muddies the water, an Oswald photo would have been directly incriminating. Did they ever release the transcripts of the Oswald/Cuban Embassy or Oswald/Soviet embassy tapes, or bugs? I don't think so. Since for the agency to release any PHOTO is unusual the whole thing feels greatly overworked and misdirected. And yes it would be much better to use an asset for the photo, but he might also be "Joe Russia" in Mexico City.... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi Shanet, I take your point about whether or not he was just posing. Maybe he was. We do know that someone claiming to be Oswald went inside and made a scene. Whether or not it was the man photographed is a good question. In answer to your question as to why the Agency would have released Oswald's photo, I was referring to what I believe was an original attempt to tie Oswald to a Castro backed conspiracy. I didn't actually say that so I apologize for my poor writing and the confusion. Of course when the lone nut approach was adopted, things changed. Thanks for your thoughts, most interesting. James
Antti Hynonen Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 Bernice Moore Posted Today, 01:14 AM It can be added that in her statement before the Warren Commission, Mrs. Silvia Odio said that on September 26, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald an two other persons visited her house in New Orleans. This contradicts the other results of the investigation which gave Oswald as traveling by bus from New Orleans to Mexico City that day. [/ QUOTE] Hi Bernice, Just to correct you, I think Sylvia Odio was a Dallas resident in 1963 and in 1964. This is from her WC testimony: Mr. LIEBELER. Where did you come to in the United States? Mrs. ODIO. We first came to Miami, and we stayed there just a few days and left for Ponce, Puerto Rico, and we stayed there 2 years. Mr. LIEBELER. Then from Ponce, did you come to Dallas? Mrs. ODIO. From Ponce, I came straight to Dallas last year, March of last year. Mr. LIEBELER. So that you have been in Dallas since March of 1963, is that correct? Mrs. ODIO. That's right.Mr. LIEBELER. You indicated that you had gone to school in the United States. Where? Mrs. ODIO. Eden Hall Convent of The Sacred Heart, in Philadelphia. Mr. LIEBELER. How long did you go to school there? Mrs. ODIO. Three years. Mr. LIEBELER. That is what, high school? Mrs. ODIO. That's right. From 1951 to 1954. Mr. LIEBELER. Was that period of 3 years the only time you were in the United States prior to the time that you came to Dallas in March of 1963? The only time in the United States over any extended period of time? Mrs. ODIO. Excuse me, when I got married in 1957, I stayed 8 months--9 months in New Orleans. Mr. LIEBELER. So that you lived in the United States for 9 months in 1956? Mrs. ODIO. That's right.
Bernice Moore Posted January 26, 2005 Posted January 26, 2005 Hi Antti: Thanks for the info....This was copied from...The Cuban Site....below.. "It can be added that in her statement before the Warren Commission, Mrs. Silvia Odio said that on September 26, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald an two other persons visited her house in New Orleans. This contradicts the other results of the investigation which gave Oswald as traveling by bus from New Orleans to Mexico City that day." http://www.cuban-exile.com/doc_001-025/doc0010.html WC testimony.... "Mrs. ODIO. From Ponce, I came straight to Dallas last year, March of last year. Mr. LIEBELER. So that you have been in Dallas since March of 1963, is that correct? Mrs. ODIO. That's right.Mr. LIEBELER. You indicated that you had gone to school in the United States. Where? Mrs. ODIO. Eden Hall Convent of The Sacred Heart, in Philadelphia. " She was also with her sister at the time of the visit....and I believe separated from her husband, not positive...on that...... Might be worth looking into this discrepancy in dates...hmmmmm, good Catch.....Antti Thanks again, regards.....B....
Tim Gratz Posted January 27, 2005 Posted January 27, 2005 (edited) This is not really a "Odio thread" but let me offer, FWIW (I find all these abbreviations amusing so I'm going to tell a joke first. Man goes to visit his elderly aunt in a nursing home. First sees some of the residents sitting on rockers on the porch. One resident says: "Fourteen" and all the others burst out in laughter. Next resident says: "Twenty." The other residents are now almost doubled over in laughter. Goes on a few more times. Visitors asks orderly: "What in the world is that all about?" Orderly says: "They only know so many jokes and they've told them to each other so many times that they numbered them and now they only need to mention the number." Visitor finds it amusing and tries it himself. Goes up to them and says: "Seven." Deadly silence. Puzzled, he reapproaches the orderly. "What went wrong" he asked. Orderly replies: "You just don't know how to tell a joke." Oh, well. . . In any event, FWIW, I request your comments on my thoughts of the Odio incident. 1. If the visitor was an Oswald imposter, the incident is sinister and proof of a conspiracy. Someone (well at least the three men at her door) were setting up LHO as the patsy. 2. If in fact it was LHO at her door, then the story is not inconsistent with LHO as a LN. Regardless of whether LHO's companions were from FPCC or Alpha 66, LHO is a nut and has mentioned to his buddies that "if Cubans would have any guts, they would have shot JFK after the BOP" (his approximate words as I recall). So LHO is nutty and even his companions remark on his nuttiness. Later the nut LHO shoots JFK. 3. If it was indeed LHO with the two, the second alternative is that the two are indeed "setting up the patsy". LHO never made the remark but his companion calls Odio falsely attributing the remark to LHO. My point is there is at least a non-conspiratorial explanation if it was indeed LHO at the Odio door. If however it was an LHO imposter, then the whole incident almost compels a conclusion that it was part of a conspiratorial plot to frame the patsy. So the incident is in fact more "sinister" (or more probative of a conspiracy) if LHO was NOT at Odio's door. Did I make myself clear? Is my analysis correct? Next question: is it possible that two of the men were indeed Hall and Howard but when the FBI showed Odio their photos she refused to identify them because she then realized she was in a potentially life-threatening situation as a witness to a conspiracy? Edited January 27, 2005 by Tim Gratz
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