Title: BRIEFING BY MR DESMOND FITZGERALD ON CIA CUBAN OPERATIONS ANDPLANNING

Author: n/a Pages: 6 Agency: JCS

RIF#: 202-10001-10028

Subjects: CUBAN CONTINGENCY PLANNING

Source: History Matters


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JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM

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Date Page

06/02/98

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RECORD NUMBERRECORDS SERIES AGENCY FILE NUMBER

202-10001-10028

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JCS

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DOCUMENT TYPECLASSIFICATION RESTRICTIONS CURRENT STATUS

DATE OF LAST REVIEWOPENING CRITERIA

COMMENTS

WALTER M. HIGGINS, JR. THE RECORD

BRIEFING BY MR DESMOND FITZGERALD ON CIA CUBAN OPERATIONS AND PLANNING

09/25/63

4

CUBAN CONTINGENCY PLANNING

MEMORANDUM TOP SECRET OPEN IN FULL OPEN 04/17/98

Memo from Higgins for theRecordre:BriefingbyDesmond Fitzgerald onCIACuban OperationsandPlanning.

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TOPSECRETSENSITIVE

THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF

WASHINGTON 25, D.C.

TIii IOINT STA,,OFFICEOFTHESPECIALASSISTANTFORCOUNTERINSURGENCYANDSPECIALACTIVITIES

25September1963

MEMORANDUM FORTHE RECORD

Subject:BriefingbyMr.DesmondFitzGeraldonCIACubanOperationsandPlanning

  1. AttheJCSmeetingat1400on25September,Mr. DesmondFitzGeraldbriefedtheJointChiefsofStaff.
  2. ExceptforGeneralTaylorandAdmiralMcDonald, theJointChiefswerepresent,asweretheDirectors andSecretariat. ColonelHigginsfromSACSAwastheonlyotherofficerinattendance.
  3. GeneralLeMayopenedthemeetingbyreferringtopapersrecentlydiecuseedbytheJointChiefsonpolicy andactionsconcerningmilitarysupportoftheCIAfor operationeagainstCuba. GeneralLeMayexpressedtheJCSpoeitionashadbeenreflected1nthememorandato Mr.VancewhichineffectisthattheJointChiefsdo notbelievethattheoperationstodateareofasize andimportano,enoughtojustifytheueeofmilitarysup­ portforprotection.
  4. Mr.FitzOeraldthendiscussedhiepersonalfeeling astochangedconditionsinCuba. Essentially,hebe­lieves that Castro's hoid in Cuba has been seriously weakenedsincelastJuly. Hebelievesthattheminorraidsconductedby theCIAhavecontributedtothisdeterioration1nCastro'sinfluenceandstability. He isfirmlyconvincedthatCastrowillfallatsomefuture, nottoodtstant,date,andthatsuchactionsastheCIA areconducting,aswellasthoseofexiles,arecontribu­ tingtounrestanduneettlement.

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  1. Mr.F1tzOerald,incommentinguponcriteriaas

towhenthemilitarysupportehouldbeprovided,offered thefollowing.'l'hegreateetdangerfromhiepointof viewiethatthemotherehipemaybecapturedrather thanbesunk. Thiswillresultinthecapturecfcrew­menwhohavetoomuchinformationandwhichcouldresult 1ndangerouepublicityfortheUnitedStates.'l'helo­

cationortheseraidscontributestcthepossibilityof

capture.Hence,onlywhenthel"aidsareconductedintheDIONvulnerableareasfromthatpointofv1ew.,1a itlikelythattheCIAwillnqueetmilitarysupport. BefurtherstatedthatCIAhasnointentionofrequest­ ing aidforthe comingraid.

  1. GeneralLeMayquestionedthedangerorcapture

inviewofthecapabilitiesofCubansandridiculedthe ideathatsmallmotorboatsshouldhavethecapability ofcapturingsuchaship.

  1. GeneralLeMaandothersgaveopinionsconoeming auohtechnicalitiesasthecapabilityofradarbothon landand1ntheair,capabilityofshipradarofthe

U.S.andCuba,thespeedofthemothereh1p1whiehwas

o1tedas 10to12knots,andotherrelateditems.

  1. Mr.F1tzGeraldmademuchoftheCubanvolatile nature. HecitedthatmanyCubansarenowwalkingwiththeirheadsupandalertbecaueeoftherealization thattherearepoes1b111tiesofra1deandotherout­ sidesupports,suchasthelightaircraftraids. He voicedtheopinionthatCastrowouldprobablytake desperatemeaeuresaehiesituationfurtherdeteriorated

an<1.,wouldturntocreatingrevolutionsinLatinAmerica. Bestatedthateventhoughhieoperationsmaybecon­ sideredasonlyminor,hethoughttheyweredoingabout asauchascouldbe doneunderthepresentpo11c1ee.

Oneofhieproblemswasthathefelttherewasonlya totalor50logicaltargetsandifheconductedasmany as10ra1deamonth,hewouldsoonrunoutoffavorable targets,andwouldbeunabletosustainthebuild-upof

Cubanhopes.Hefurtherstatedthatthereweretimeswhencertaintypesofraideweremorefavorablethan others;forinstance,onsugarcentrals.

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  1. Inrespondingtothequestionconcerni.ngthenon­ attributal1tyotu.s.equipnent,hestatedthatall equipnenttheyuaecouldbeboughtontheopenmarket

inmanyoountr1ea,eventhoughitwaaorAmerioanorigin.

Hestatedthatintelligencewasnotaagood7etasthey wouldliketohave;however,theyarehavinggreeter successinhavingagentaenteranddepartCuba.

  1. GeneralWheelerinjectedthathesympathizes

withsuchplannersasMr.FitzGeraldbeoaueeberealized thatmanygoodideasareneveracceptedbythecautioua policymakers. However,Mr.PitzGeraldreportedthat

hebelievedhehadaclearergo-aheadontheseoperations

thanhehaaeverhadinhiapastexperience.

  1. Mr.FitzOeraldaaidthatoverthenexttwoorthreemonthahisplaneincludecriticaltargetsotthree claasesi electricalayatema,augaroentrala,and011.•Hecitedthatelectricalsystema,althoughatoppriority andakeytotheeconomy,wereverydif"ticulttargets. Thesugarcentralsareonlyoraseasonalnaturebecause unlesshitatthepeakseason,theycouldberepaired withoutditf'ioultyorloss time.Inregardtooil,the:retinerieaaremoatimportantbutwerealsothe toughesttohit.
  2. InresponsetoacommentbyGeneralShoupre:gard­

ingthesabotagebymine•Mr.FitaGeraldsaidthere

hadbeenarecentoaeeofinternalsabotagetoamine.

Hethenexplainedhowthesuccessofhieoperations

oanonlybemeasuredwheninternalsabotage1aincreased. Inresponsetoaquestion,headmittedthattherewas notanycoordinationasyetwiththeinternalsabotage program.

;13.HecommentedthattherewaBnothingnew1nthepropagandafield. However,hefeltthattherehod been greatsuccessingettingclosertomilitarypersonnel whomightbreakwithCastro,andstatedthattherewere atleasttenhigh-levelmilitarypersonnelwhoaretalk­ ingwtbhCIAbutasyetarenottalld.ngtoeachother, sincethatdegreeofconfidencehasnotyetdeveloped.

Heconsidersit as2 pa.rallelinh11StoryJ 1.e.,theplot tokillHitler;arrlthisplotisbeingstudied1ndetail todevelopanapproach.

broaacaaue..tte B"G81-ea -vnat,anHJ..1" .rurv• uu.J.ce,i;.- m1w'l!u

McElroywasavailabletotalktoMr.FitzOealdonthis matter,and Mr.F1ts0eraldacceptedthieoffer.

  1. TheconferenceoloeedwithGeneralLeMaydirect­ ingthatMr.F1tcOerald'splanneremeetwithGeneral Krulak' e people andworkout t h - details as tohow themilitary canasa1etin eupport1ng··tl).•eeoperatione.AfterMr.PitzOeralddeparted,Oeneal'IA!Maygaveadded d1reot1onetoColonelH1gg1neto1ntiateneceasary stepeforplanning.
  2. AftertheJCSmeetingAdmiralRileycalledCol­ onelHiggin.aintohisofficeandreadaletterfrom Mr.NcOeorgeBundywhichdiscueeedaeore._,,measures

necessary-relatedtoCubaCIAoperations.AdmiralRileydirectedColonelHigginstohavethenatureofthis letterputoutthroughSACSAcontroltoSACSAcontact pointstoinsureanadequatesystemtoreecrecywithin the military aenices. Admiral Riley stated hewas re­turningthelettertoMr.Gilpatricashedidnotwant writtenaommun1cationbytACSA,buttoputthisout orally. Thiewasti-anam1ttedtoColonelWymanwho

willtaketheactiontoprepareanappropriatememoran­ dum orthereooX'dtobefiledwithGeneralIngelido

inaccordancewithfurtherdirectionsbyAdmiralRiley.

  1. GeneralWheeler,ChiefofStaffoftheArmy, calledandquestionedueconcerning8AC8A'saoceeeliet fortheknowledgeofsuchoperationsaementionedin the McOeorge Bundy letter. I advised him that our Pendulumsystemwas1nbeingbutthatIwouldlook

intoitingreaterdetailtodeterminethatitmet

theletteraswellasthespiritofthememorandum.

IstatedIbelievedthiswaseobuthadnothadreason todo1tuntjlthisdateandthereforedidnotgive himapositiveansweratthattime.

vYI/VJ- II/-r

W:\LTERM.HIGGINS,JR.

Colonel, US /:.

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