Wednesday, June 27, 2007

CIA family jewels

Everyone should take a peek at the documents posted at the National Security Archive, which filed a Freedom of Information request for the so-called “family jewels,” some of the more sensitive CIA documents from the Cold War, which were released yesterday. They censored them to death, of course, but they are worth a browse for the rampant disregard for the law they represent.

They also include reports on the efforts to kill Fidel Castro, and although the U.S. government-Mafia ties are infamous, it is still rather jarring to read things like the following (this is from Part I, page 12 of the file):

“In August 1960, Mr. Richard M. Bissell approached Colonel Sheffield Edwards to determine if the Office of Security had assets that may assist in a sensitive mission requiring gangster-type action. The mission target was Fidel Castro.”

“Gangster-type action”? Who writes like that? It goes on further:

“Mr. Maheu advised that he had met one Johnny Roselli on several occasions while visiting Las Vegas. He only knew him casually through clients, but was given to understand that he was a high-ranking member of the “syndicate” and controlled all of the ice-making machines on the Strip.”

So the U.S. government, looking for gangster action, found the guy who controlled ice making in Vegas, and eventually concocted a plan to produce 6 lethal pills, which would be put into Castro’s drink. The plan was later shelved after the Bay of Pigs.

Yes. This is U.S. foreign policy toward Cuba.

4 comments:

Chris Lawrence 3:42 PM  

Well, it's US foreign policy towards Cuba 50 years ago, as implemented by people who are dead and buried. I'll grant that the current policy is counterproductive and silly, but CIA assassination plots involving the mob are pretty much off the table these days.

Greg Weeks 7:22 PM  

It may be 50 years old, but we've had no new ideas since then, and come up with ideas that are equally stupid (if not always quite as criminal).

Boli-Nica 11:37 AM  

Too bad they failed. Every now and then I go through the obituaries in the Miami Herald. Each days tally is invariably full of older Cubans, forced to leave by Castro's stupidity, who died in exile after waiting for 50 years for something to change in the island. Some are as distinguished as this gentelman others are a lot of Miamians parents and grandparents.

Castro was not "forced" into his Banana Leninistic rule by US policy, and given how stubborn the guy is, doubt he would have "changed" in any way to allow for an opening, at least while the Soviets were around.

At the time the CIA was plotting to kill and overthrow Fidel, people who originally sympathized with the revolution and commited democrats like the late Mr. Ochoa. were leaving in droves. Non-communists were being purged from the army, civil society was being shut down, prisons were filling up.

Killing Castro in 61 or 62 might have changed the internal dynamics of the revolution, which in the long run has depended on the charisma, leadership, and strategic vision of one person. We will never know now. But things might have been a lot different, and older Cubans in Miami might have the confort of living the last days in their country of birth -- under a democratic government.

I repeat it, should have killed the SOB.

Camilo Pino 6:25 PM  

Foreign Affairs carried an essay on targeted killing at the begining of the year.
YOu may want to check it Boli-nica

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20060301faessay85208/daniel-byman/do-targeted-killings-work.html

  © Blogger templates The Professional Template by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP