There was genuine fear in Washington (and London) that the early Cold War with the Soviet Union might evolve into a Hot War. America’s CIA was charged with intelligence gathering to learn when the Soviet Union was about to attack the West.
There was a significant problem: CIA needed intelligence agents behind the Iron Curtain in a position to fulfill the CIA's tasks. But thousands of men had escaped from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania at the end of World War Two to Sweden, for example, who would be willing to become intelligence agents for CIA and the British Intelligence Service (SIS). Other agents were recruited in Belgium and West Germany.
CIA recruited, trained, and dispatched at least 85 agents into the Baltics, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Belorussia, and the Soviet Union. Most were killed on or shortly after landing, captured, put on trial, and sentenced to death or long prison terms.
Respective CIA units used the form below in support of the project approval requests.
FORM NO. 1
Project Cryptonym _______________ Base _____________
Roof Project ______________ Date _____________
Case Officer ___________________
IN NARRATIVE FORM, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS USING SEPARATE SHEETS OF PAPER, TYPE THE NUMBERED QUESTION, AND THEN ANSWER.
l. What wartime role is recommended for the project or operations? Include specific location
2. What actions must be taken to make the project or operation utilizable in time of war?
3. If it is recommended that the project should be suspended in time of war, what action is necessary for such suspension?
4. Add any comments that will contribute to the Headquarters' assessment analysis for a realistic conclusion as to whether the project or operation is one of which a military support requirement may be accepted.
On the assumption that the target country will be involved in the event of a general war, check (either "x" or "✓") in the "Yes," "No," or "Probably" column. Since the answers wanted are the best judgment of the responsible case officer, positive and realistic "yes" and "no" answers are preferred. If a remark is deemed necessary, enter "Remark" and attach a separate sheet appropriately keyed to the item. Whenever the item is not applicable, enter "NA" in the "No" column.
NOTE: The phrase "In Wartime" is an inherent part of each of the following questions, 5 through 34
In Wartime
Yes No Probably
5. Will the project or operation be affected?
6. Is the project specifically devised to support military operations?
7. Does
the project or operation have a potential value for support of
a. Conventional Military forces?
b. Unconventional military forces?
8. Is the project or operation (partly) (wholly) /delete one/ convertible to
support military operations?
9. Should the project or operation be (partly) (wholly) /deleted or
converted to support military operations?
10. Should the project or operation be continued with its present
objectives?
11. Will the present objectives of the project or operation Support
military operations?
12. Should the project or operation be suspended?
13. Should the project be terminated?
14. Should part of the current operations be terminated?
15. Are there any caches in place for use?
16.If the answer to 15 is "yes." have the cache records been sent to:
a. Washington?
b. London?
17. If the answer to 15 is "no," are caches required to make the
project or operation?
18. If the current operations are serviced by W/T, will such
service be available?
19. If the answer to question 18 is "no," will W/T service be available?
20. Have the personnel been instructed as to their role?
(NB: in the event some have and some have not, insert "See
Form 2" and answer for each agent.)
21. Have drop zones and landing strips been selected for use?
22. Is there a safe house that can be used by project personnel?
23. Has the cipher system been issued to project agents for use?
24. Have one-time pads been issued to project agents for use?
25. Are dead drops available for use?
26. Are couriers arranged for use?
27. Have agents been trained in fingerprint identification for the
establishment of bona fides?
28. Have recontact arrangements been made in event contact is lost?
29. Could the project personnel be directed by one-vay broadcasts?
30. Have the project personnel been instructed as to one-way
broadcast arrangements?
31. Could the agent personnel remain in place?
32. Would it be desirable and feasible to move the agent personnel
to another location in the target country?
33. Is it operationally feasible to brief the personnel on emergency
communications and/or recontact arrangements for action?
34. Have the records required by the memo with the subject of "
Operational Information for Vital Documents Repository", the
attachment to EG,w-29088 7been sent to Headquarters for use?
NB: If the answer to 34 is "yes," list the transmitting dispatches.)
