DEAR MR. RUOSS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000400100004-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 14, 2003
• Sequence Number: 4
• Content Type: LETTER

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Approved For Release 2003/12/02: 175-00001 40010000"4-9~
'talc T~ for roar rseo~t lotMr ~s~1~ tato the assaras~ e[
? a~wo~l-po: astislr in the >IIDV~TOl~1 !Oi? that !'~raseis Uasy >?~sw~srs
ha! >torsa awri~i a ~noiai ~-y eh~ V. ~. Wass~rrut.
Rhilo t>rs Gstssl Iat~rlllso~-eo Araaar Iro ?ot cvmaaoated oa
this s~osy., rea mad iw lslor~d ie ~~ tha! the mate Asanoi
Sorrieos Caea~nit~e wept lade the P~rwr~' easy ~!!~ tbora~l~r is
l~bt. As you m+.r rseall. al~ss hir roloas? >,y !hs ~orist IIaio.. a
D~r~-sd off' ie4aisr ~~ eoa~d b ~stasats~ ht~ taaAplfaaaco with the
tossu of his ~npio~ost. his isstsattions la sos~stti4a with bia ~niasloa.
a,at ~ elolipliau ~o y Ara4siesa. 't'his 1os:i ls~ tlbat h[s. Paws
seecp~toly !e'itlUe~ sll e~F his obii~tiess.
I as ssa~ rea ? earn of tlM is~to hsart~ oa the DPe~wrrss'
e~srtt, >~ ate' 1~ Do LeR~a-sast~+s~ is s #. I brr~ ~!o lst4~ss
hu s~ rooreOSNnr bo rac: i~alrrs ash #t:+~rs Lr asYthias also I ets
M ~ !Ms aaa~ss. p1w~ tal tsw to e~h yr a.o.
 Approved For Release 2003/12/02 :CIA-RDP
Dens Ms. Walrh:
I bare your recent letter concerning y'rancis l3arp Powers sad
whether the Ltaited States C'lowernment caatracts with certain indi.-iduals
to cararr~it suicide !~ threatoAed with imminent capture by as "uatrisndly
~owrnment. "
The Sexwte Armed Serrice? Cornmitte? went Into this cae quite
thoroughly in 1962. As you may recall, niter Mr. Powers Bras released
by the Sariet Ualaw, aboard of ltrquixy was coarrened to determine i#
Mr. Pawsrs corr~pliod with the terms of bin ?mploprr-ent and his obligstlaa
as ss~ Arnericac-.
AYnong other questions, the inquiry wsnt into the gaestion of why
the destruct t4ism had not been actuated by Mr. Power before hs
bailsd ont o[ the U-T airplane. The dostruct mechanism was installed to
preven! highly sensitive technical eguipment from tailing into "esniriendly
handy." It wa? to he Hard to destroy thi? equipment and~ot Mr. Powers'
late .
The issue of suicide vas raised iz~ caanectioA with the potsan
needle that Mr. Pawer? had in his poasessioa at the tirr:e of his capture.
As brought oat is the Senate bearing, be was not under instructions to
co~-rnit suicide. Tl~e poison needle was to be nred aetljl.it hs were ~nb}acted
 -' i' Approved For Release 2003/12/02 :CIA-RDP75-000018000400100004-9
~~
to torture or other circumstances which. in bii discsetion, warranted the
taking of his own life. It was hi? option wbethes he took the needle aloes
with hint on the mission.
The instructions under which Mr. Pvwsrs operated were that be
should ?urrander without resistance and cooperate with his captors. Hs
was perfectly free to tell the truth about his misstoa with the exception a[
certain specificaticas os the aircraft. The board found that Mr. Powers
lived up to the termr of his employment and tastructions in connection
with his mission.
1 am sending you a copy of the Senate heariag? o~n the Powers' case.
which I think you might be interested is resdiat. I hope this letter ha?
proved responsive to your i.aquisy; sad if there is aavthing else I can do
on this matter please feel free to call upon me.
 App
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Remarks
Attached is the letter drafted for Senator
Tower's use in responding to a constituent.
Thought you might also be interested in earlier
draft letter to Congressman John Lindsay.
FOLD HERE TO RETURN TO SENDER
ROM: NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NO.
DATE
GC/LC 6D0109
N A
14 June
F Z 6;?' 237 Use previous editions