Mr. BELIN. No.
What was the fact. Could you or could you not actually identify this
person as the man you saw firing the rifle?
Mr. BRENNAN. I believed I could with all fairness and sincerity. As you
asked me the question before, had I saw those pictures of Oswald prior,
which naturally I don't know whether it confused me or made me feel as
though I was taking unfair advantage or what. But with all fairness, I
could have positively identified the man.
Mr. BELIN. Now, on December 17 there appears to be another interview
that you had with an agent of the FBI in which you at that time,
according to this report, stated that you could now say that you were
sure that Lee Harvey Oswald was the person you saw in the window at
the time of the assassination, but that when you first saw him in a
lineup you felt positive identification was was not necessary, because
it was your understanding that Oswald had already been charged with the
slaying of Officer Tippit, and you also said that another factor was
that you had observed his picture on television prior to the time of
identification, and that that tended to cloud any identification you
made of Oswald at the police department.
Now, does this December 17 interview accurately record what you told
the FBI with regard to that matter of identification?
Mr. BRENNAN. I believe it does.
Mr. BELIN. Now, later we have an interview on January 7 with the FBI in
which at that time the interview records that while you were at home
and before you returned to view the lineup, which included the possible
assassin of President Kennedy, you observed Lee Harvey Oswald's picture
on television, and that you said that this, of course, did not help you
retain the original impression of the man in the window with the rifle,
but that upon seeing Lee Harvey Oswald in the police lineup, you felt
that Oswald most resembled the man whom you had seen in the window.
Now, is that what you told the man on January 7--that Oswald most
resembled the man that you had seen in the window?
Mr. BRENNAN. Yes.
Mr. BELIN. Does that mean you could not give him a positive
identification at that time, but could merely say he most resembled the
man in the window?
Mr. BRENNAN. Well, I felt that I could. But for personal reasons I
didn't feel like that at that moment it was compulsory and I did not
want to give a positive identification at that time.
Mr. BELIN. Now, this last interview was on January 7th. You still felt
these personal reasons as recently as January 7th, then?