Oswald in Minsk

[Magda Hassan]

One reason people might be denied travel permission is that they have not yet done their required time in their occupation for which they have been trained.

Around 1967, my dad's cousin, who was born and lived in communist Poland, was in her early twenties, was married with a five-year-old son, and had just been through Polish medical school to train as an anaesthetist. She decided to try to travel to England. The Polish communist authorities refused to allow her to travel with her son and husband, and my mother, as the English citizen, had to invite and "sponsor" her visit, guaranteeing that would have a place to live and would not be a financial drain on the state. The Polish authorities were so concerned at losing their investment in a newly trained doctor that they effectively kept her son hostage in Poland as a guarantor of her return.

Exactly. That would be one of those circumstances. As one sees it is all futile in any case.

In short, I am suspicious of the ease with which Marina was allowed to leave the USSR.

I just think she was of more potential use to the USSR state out than in.

I am even more suspicious of the lack of officially disclosed debriefing of LHO and Marina, and the lack of official monitoring of this couple, after their arrival in the USA.

Oh, yes, me too on this one. Very suspicious.

The involvement of the emigre White Russain community in l'affair Oswald strongly suggests that LHO was being played. By more than one party.

Definitely.