Francesco/who-killed-jfk huggingface dataset:
[104-10221-10022.pdf — page 67]
2suddenly growa bigger. And to be more specific about this, when I say that. Ican tell you that it is a fact that last Thursday night the new Ambassador fremthe Bahamas in Washington got Congressman Andrew Young to one side at a receptionand they discussed this matter with grave seriousness. OK, now, therefore I ampositive that within certain circles in Washington this matter is being discussedat this moment. Now I also learned that last week the whole group of the Warbellsand their associates were in Washington and I'll give you the names that I know :for sure: Mike Oliver, who is a key figure in this. He represents several wealthyAmericans and Britishers who have long had a dream of having their own island acestablishing their own country. Now this sounds like something right out of cheapfiction; however, it is a fact. I have met Mike Oliver. And there are about sixwealthy individuais, one of whom I think lives in tise Bahamas, I believe two arein England, one of then I think is Lord Bellhaven who is a member of Parliament.He has been over to the farm recently and In Washington a few weeks ago with this.About three wealthy Americans, all older fellows with many millions. Now thisthing came up once before about eight years ago when they bought a boat and Oliverwent out into the Pacific and laid claim to the cocal reef in the Samoan Islands Ithink it was and planted a flag on it and established the free soverign state ofMenerva, Life Magazine had a spread on this. And that lasted for about a weekuntil the King of Samos, or somebody, nose Tribal King sent. [end of side of tapejputting aside a piece of Nicaraguan soil and giving it extra territorial rightsand I know they have money. To make a long story short, Oliver is involved inthis. He came in, I understand, two weeks after the Bahamas got their independenceand said we've got the money for the Abaco operation. Now I have it on gocisource from an informant in their organization that a south or so ago a U-Haul truckcame up from Fort Lauderdale in the middle of the nigin and loaded up a bunch ofguns and explosives and took them to Fort Lauderdale. The name of the man whedrove the truck was Wally Gillis. He is a freelancer soldier of fortune type anda bout - you know, a good sized cruiser, can go to the Bahamas or wherever.Supposedly this materialbeing involved down there it !!to narcoties people he ispitet artis aired everes and t...
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Weck was Mike Oliver, Mitchell Verbell, III, retired Colonel Robert Bayard, USArmy who also lives in this area and is associated with Worbell and a fellownaced Chuck Hall who is a resident of the Bahamas in Nassau, who is a key partof this operation. And I don't know who else but they were staying for severaldays at the Gramercy Inn, Washington. It is my understanding that they madecontact there with a former agent of your organization, with an offer ofsubstantial amounts of money for him to recruit covert types, para-militarytypes, technicians in effect, mercenaries. And I have reason to believe tha:he is reporting this information. I certainly hope so. So again, what I amshowing you is that I think stuff is coming into Washington right fast. NowWerbell has been known to drop Mr. Colby's name to me and to many other peoplebecause he wangled Werbell originally was in the OSS you know. So he has alot of old friends who are OSS Lypes in those days and I understand one of these..old boys did Ad have dinner with Colby and Werbell wangled his way into it a coupleof months ago In Washington, So, that is all he needs to start dropping nameslike mad. He does know some people in and former people. Now I understand thatthey have also made contacts in Miami recently with two companies who manufactureelectronic equipment and used the name of another former Agency man who is nowwith the DS DEA in Washington. Again, I have an informant in the organization wheis about ready to break with them and he has told me all this. He was in theoffice when calls were made to these people, talking about buying electronicequipment which is illegal and using the name of this former Agency man in theDEA and indicating that they would like to see the equipment, that he'll probablyarrange to buy some, that type of thing. And I know for a fact that that individualknows about this now and he in a good man and in good standing with everybody.But to summarize this, the point is this the whole thing is idiotic scheme bya bunch of fools. It Is financed by some wealthy idiots, you know, who havemoney and are behind the scenes and these fools in other words, if someone camewouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole because it is totally against the interestsof hori bovaromonts inywed. Even the silightest leak on it can cause a sericasdiplomatte probles, you lood, regardless of how cray it is, the fact is aninvolveont of this top levalving Americans, anything that comes out, the firstcolug that is gelo, to be to an Agency Luvolveks this the land ofit
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is that it?] Yes. You see the Bahamas - I don't know how familiar you are with them, but they don't have an army or anything. They have a small police force and they have some small police boats, little 30 foot jobs that run around the Islands, and they are talking about establishing ... [Aren't they still under the British protection for foreign troops?] I would certainly think so, but there are no troops stationed there; you follow me? But what I am trying to say is the implications of this thing which I know now are known in Washington by people. When you have the Bahamian Ambassador, the new Ambassador, getting a black American congressman from Georgia aside - you see these people talk a lot, that is another reason - anybody involved with them is crazy. They have all kinds of these mercenary types and they make calls all over in Miami and all over the world and talk about their schemes and it has broken somewhere, you know, along the line; probably in the Bahamas or Miami. [Well do we know now what the essence of the conversation was between the Ambassador and Young?] I think it expressed grave concern about this situation. I think some names were given of the people. You see they know who Werbell is because Pendling, in fact, one time made a very tough speech about this type of thing with the American intervention in the affairs of the Bahamas and the name Werbell is an international soldier of fortune. I am concerned about one thing: No. 1, I know it isn't going to get off the ground, now. I knew it never would. It might have got off the ground but the thing is it's one of these things that could be so messy and opponents, let's say people on the other side would love something like this so they could capitalize on it forever - you know, reports hinting at secret involvement of an American intelligence agency and attempts to establish a base in the Bahamas. A good propagandist could just have a field day with this. So I have a feeling that unless I am really crazy I think people in your organization are aware at this moment of this thing surfacing in Washington. And that is why I am calling this office because I have given information here before on these people and I think that it's important that if somebody says - Hey, have you guys heard anything about them and you fellows say no, we haven't heard anything - you know. [Well you real in your own mind that this is something that will come about in the very near future, this attempt?] No, I would have to say I have a feeling now the attempt will not come about at all. If enough people in Washington start asking questions and they do know the names of these people and if the former agent up there goes in and gives information to somebody naming the people, you come to ask, what's the amount of money they offered.
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him to recruit people for this. That's why they were in Washington last week.This fellow lives up there and he is now in the function of a private investigatorbut he is a former agent of your organization. So I just want to be sure that iffellows down here, you know, if someone asks a question, or if they don't then atleast you throw a report in indicating that an informant here, namely me, and bname, has given you this information. Because there is another factor involvedtoo. Werbell - see Bill knows about my relationship with him. I was forced totake Werbell to Argentina last year for a private client of mine. One of theBoard of Directors thought he was the greatest international thing in the worldand he was the biggest millstone I have ever had around my neck. I was down theredefending against the ERP terrorist group and Werbell was running all over BuenosAires with smugglers and prostitutes and everybody and dropping our names andgetting drunk and hinting that we were big American secret agents. He stayed onafter I left and nearly got picked up by the Federal police. They were friendsof mine I might add, so I got every situation cleared down there. But he loves totalk to me. I do international security work for corporations and he wanted toget involved with me in business and I refused to have anything to do with himyou know. But he loves to get drunk and call me and brag. And he called reseveral months ago and told me he was working with a group in Bolivia and I saidI hope it is the government. And he said Oh no, it's the other guys And Iwell Mitch, you're crazy. It's not up to any private citizen or private organizatito go anywhere in the world and get involved with people against the government.It just is trouble, that's all there is to it. And I forgot about that and hecalled me the morning after the attempted coup (ph) down there and named hissource there as Lt. Colonel Gary Prado and as it turns out Prado was one of thetwo leaders of the attempted coup and he had shipped guns down there throughNew Orleans, through an intermediary named Phillips, and here again - wellfrankly, Bonzaire his General, Hugo Bonzaire, the strong man of Bolivia, and Idon't think we have bad relations with them. In fact, he is getting closer to5strong men down there and it is a known fact that he hates communist and hesenas the troops out to kill them so what should anybody be doing trying tooverthrow an anti-communist government. I'm an old country boy but that justdoesn't make sense to me. Furthermore a private individual. So because I guesswhen they break up...
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they, round up everybody and Interrogate then and say where did you got the gunsthey, find Ingrams and Ingrams only come from Werbell and then you have StateDepartment you know, saying what is thin, do you know who, down here trying tooverthrow our government. And since Prado, by the way was leader of the troppsthat captured Shay Dravarro (ph) than once again you get into a good left-singJournalist can really weave a nice little story of that big bad Agency down theredoing things again. So he is like a mosquito in that he doesn't accomplishanything but he is very dangerous in my opinion to our relations. Bad enough tomess up good things. [I will pass this on to Bill.] Well tell him this, thatI was in Washington last week and let me emphasize again that I would be the cos:surprised person in the world if Senior Officers at Langley aren't aware as ofthe Friday, of this situation and through the Washington surfacing there, youfollow me? And really I like Bill and what I'm trying to do, I'm putting ayselein his position and this is his area and I know that reports, because I havetalked to him before about them and I am sure that this has been made a matterof record. And I just think it would be nice for Bill to be able to say yes, yInformatit has given me information this information. Because it will all tiein. You might mention too that within the last two months Werbell has visitedVesco in Costa Rica and after that visit a Vesco associate named Marino came uphere from Panama and stayed at Werbell's. So he is dealing now with Vesco too andall of this is just nothing but bad. And he is implying, he talks to newspaperpeople and writers and he does Imply and use names that he is not authorized touse and shouldn't use. I know that he is not an official or unofficial or anythingelse connected with your Agency but this is the way he is surviving. People aredealing with him thinking that really he is there are enough problems happeningas it is but all we need is one good left-wing newspaper om to get hold of thistype of thing and get it in Jack Anderson's coluen or some place like that andhave an official blast from the government of the Bahamas and then everybody inthe world is going to think that the. Agency was behind this and got caught. TheAppreciateしい CHES, LHASん。 JBL LInk he end of nextweek is going to be a little bit late because there night even be sobe publicsurfacing of this. So I think it is important that they are that this officedes have access to front. I can be reached at av Bucher here which is254 7593 or at my home, which is 217-2474.
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14-0000012-77-00CONFIDENTIAL 351345Z MAR 24 STAFFCITE DCD/31491 12494DCD/WASHINGTONATTN: SUPPORT BRANCH/OSS (GRANT) A 182014SUBJ: STEVEN VAN CLEAVE, INTELLIGENCE SERVICES, LTD., ATLANTA, GEORGIAREF: GRANT/HENNESSEY TELLCON, 25 FEBRUARY, SAME SUBJECT1. DURING THE AFTERNOON OF 21 JANUARY 1974 WE RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM ANSELMO ALLEGRO, 3551 FOCKERMAN ROAD, MIAMI, FLORIDA, (A CONTACT OF THE MIAMI FIELD OFFICE) WHO ADVISED US THAT AN ACQUAINTANCE OF HIS IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA, STEVEN VAN CLEAVE, WANTED TO SPEAK WITH US IN CONNECTION WITH INTELLIGENCE MATTERS CONCERNING LATIN AMERICA. WE TOLD ALLEGRO THAT VAN CLEAVE SHOULD CONTACT OUR OFFICE IN ATLANTA; HOWEVER, ALLEGRO SAID THAT VAN CLEAVE DIDN'T WANT TO DEAL WITH "RECRUITERS", RATHER HE WANTED TO SPEAK WITH A CIA OFFICER "IN THE BUSINESS OF INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION". WE TOLD ALLEGRO THAT OUR ATLANTA OFFICE HAS THE SAME STATURE AS THE MIAMI FIELD OFFICE, AND THAT HE SHOULD URGE VAN CLEAVE TO CONTACT OUR REPRESENTATIVE IN ATLANTA. ALLEGRO WOULDN'T ACCEPT THIS RESPONSE ON OUR PART AND INSISTED THAT WE AT LEAST HEAR WHAT VAN CLEAVE HAD TO SAY. FINALLY, WE AGREED TO ACCEPT A CALL FROM VAN CLEAVE SO THAT WE COULD TELL HIM TO CONTACT OUR ATLANTA REPRESENTATIVE.4.36
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PAGE 2 DCD/MIAMI 12494 CONFIDENTIAL2. VAH CLEAVE CALLED US AT HIS EXPENSE FROM ATLANTA AEOUT   FIVE MINUTES LATEK. WE ADVISED HIM AT THE CUTSET THAT HE   SHOULD SPEAK WITH BILL PANGEURN IN THE ATLANTA PESIDENT OFFICE   AT FIS EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. WE EXPLAINED THAT OUR WORK FORCE   IS DIVIDED GEOGRAPHICALLY RATHER THAN FLACTICALLY, AND THAT   SINCE DHE LIVES IN ATLANTA, HE MUST DEAL WITH THE ATLANTA RO.   PROVIDED HIM WITH THE TELEPHONE NUMEER FOR THE MILANTA EO, AND   HE INDICATED THAT HE WOULD CONTACT PANELEN THE SAME DAY. WE   CALLED PANSEUAN TO ADVISE HIM OF VAN CLEAVE'S INTENTION TO   CONTACT FIS. VE LATER LEARNED FROM ECTH PANGPUEN AND VAN CLEVE   THAT THE COSTICT WAS MADE.3. WE PRESUMED THAT WE HOLLD HAVE NO FURTHEP CONTACT WITH   VAN CLEAVE. POWEVER, WE WERE MISTAKEN. VAN CLEAVE PLACED T   LEAST TWO MORE TELEPHONE CALSS TO US FROM ATLANTA CAT MIS   EXPENSE), AND ONE FROM SADE COUNTY, FLORITA. EACH TIME WE   ADVISED HIM TO CALL FANGELEM FATHER THAN US. RIS RESPONSE 08   THESE OCCASIONS WAS THAT HE ALSZASY FAD OR INTENDED TO YOEF   PANGBURN ADVISED BUT THAT KE WANTED TO KEEP LO INFORMED ALSO.   THE LOCAL CADE COUNTY CALL WAS MADE TO ADVISE US THAT VAN   CLEAVE WAS IN MIAMI IN THE COMPANY OF THE RECENTINE POLICE   OFFICIALS, WHOM WE COULD DEELIEF IF WE 50 0251.10. WE AGAIN   TOLD HIM THAT HE COULD REPORT TO SILENTA.4.36
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PAGE 5 DCD/MIAMI J2494 CONFIDENTIAL A127900A1644. VAN CLEAVE TOLD US DURING ONE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED CONVERSATIONS THAT HE IS ACQUAINTED WITH MITCHELL VEREFILPOWDER SPRINGS, GEORGIA, AND THAT HE HAD BEEN *"PRESHORED"*INTO TAKING WEREELL TO ARGENTIRE WITH HIM IN LATE JANUARY 1974 BY OFFICIALS IN THE COCA COLA COMPANY, CORAL GALLES, FLORIDA, WITH WHICH VAN CLEAVE HAD (OR HAS) A CONSULTING CONTRACT IN CORRECTION WITH COCA COLA'S SECURITY SYSTEM IN ASGENTINA. VAN CLEAVE ADVISED US THAT HE NEVER AGAIN WOULD HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH MEREELL BECAUSE THE LATTER HAD ACIED SO BADLY DURING THIS TRIP. HE TOLD US THAT WEFEELL HAD COMMENTED TO ASGENTINE OFFICIALS THAT HE (VEREELL) WAS SOME-HOW CONNECTED WITH THE CEATEAM TELLINGENCE AGENCY, AND ON A FIRST GAME LASIS WITH *"EILL"* COLEY, DCI. VAN CLEAVE TOLD US THAT MATTERS HAD DEGENERATED TO SUCH A DEGREE THAT HE RETURNED TO THE US WITHOUT FEREELL. (OUR MEMORY IS A FIT FUZZY ON THE CONTENTS OF THIS DISCUSSION, BUT WE RECALL SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT YEAR.LL WAS INVOLVED WITH WINE, WOMEN, AND SONG, AND VAN CLEATE HAD AFRAID THAT VERTEIL MIGHT BE ARRESTED BY ARGENTINE POLICIAS VAN CLEAVE TOLD US THAT HE PERSONALLY COVER HAS SO MUCH AS IMPLIED A RELATIONSHIP WITH TOY TO LAY CLESIDER.41.34
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PAGE 4 DCD/MIAMI 12494 CONFIDENTIAL5. ALTHOUGH WE FAVE NOT MET 649. CLEAVE IN PERSON, PASED UPON OUR TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS 2017 FIN HE APPEARED TO DE AN INTELLIGENT AND CASONABLE WE ARE SORRY THAT NG CANNOT PROVIDE A MORE DETAILED ACCOUNT OF OUR CONVERSATIONS. WITH VAN CLEAVE, EUT AS WE MENTIONED IN REFERENCED TELECON WE DID NOT HAVE NOTCE DURING THE CONVERSATIONS NOR DID VE FEEL IT RECESSARY AT THE TIME TO CRITE A NEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD SINCE WE BELIEVED THAT IT BAS A NORMAL, ALFEIT COMPLEY, REFERRAL TO ANOTHER OCD OFFICE. EE IMPORT CL FY 1265/2CONFIDENTIAL4.36
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# 12-77-00Chief Domestic Collection DivisionAttn: Support Branch 'OSS(Grant)ATL-30-7428 February 1974Chief Washington Field OfficeAtlanta Resident OfficeResume of Contacts -ith Stephen Van Cleave$A-128214$ $A-127900$1. Jack Hennessy, Miami Field Office, called on 21 January 1974 to give us a source lead on Stephen Van Cleave and Mitch Verbell, both from Atlanta, Georgia. Jack briefed us isa paut Miami contacts with Van Cleave and suggested we might want to contact him concerning his activities in Argentina. At that time we were in the process of moving the office to the present location so did not contact Van Cleave until 25 January 1974. On that date he called, identified ourselves and briefly explained the reason for the call. His first question was, "Do you know Mitch Verbell and does this have anything to do with him?" We assured him e did not knoVerbell, and our interest was not related to him. Van Cleave suggested e come to his office at 1:00 that afternoon.> [Figure: handwritten note]2.  arrived shortly before 1:00 at his office in 171 W. Wieuca Rd., N.E. Atlanta, Georgia. Van Cleave has a one man office in a modern building located in a moderate to high rent district of Atlanta. After presenting credentials and a business card we asked if he felt these transactions as he resented to be absolutely cure any information he gave was reported accurately. Enclosure No. 1 is a rough draft of the first interview. The actual tape has been erased. Some of this information was reported in 00-A(S)-300/0735-74, Secret. CIA Internal Use Only.3. On 6 February 1974 we received a call from Van Cleave at home. He wanted to report in detail on a recent trip to Oakland, California, where he had supposedly met with police officials and discussed the Hearst kidnapping, the SLA, etc. He told him this was very interesting but not CIA business.4. Van Cleave called again on 25 February 1974 to fill us in on a visit to the US by Argentine police officials and an operational opportunity in the Bahamas. We prepared this information for dissemination as 00-A(S)'s. In view of recent developments to assure neither report should be disseminated. To complete your record of contacts, both reports are enclosed as Enclosures No.'s 2 and 3 (disregard the Atlanta report numbers, they will be used for future reporting or cancelled).> [Figure: Illegible text indicating file information.]4.35
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ATL-39-7428 February 19745.  In the meantime the R & Murphy kidnapping came up to occupy his time until 26 February when he called to say he had some sensitive information of definite interest to CIA. When told we could not get into his office the following day due to a lack of transportation, he said he would come to our office. We reluctantly agreed. In the morning of 27 February he came to our office and presented us with the information in Enclosure No. 4 (rough draft-the tape will be saved in case it is needed at a later date).6.  Met on the transcript but of possible interest, before leaving our office he said he was afraid he might be fired by Coca Cola on 4 March 1974. Briefly, what apparently happened (and this in his story)a. When it was learned Peg Murphy had been kidnapped, Chief John Inman of the Atlanta Police Department called Van Cleave requesting his assistance. He asked Van Cleave to come to headquarters and work with Assistant Chief Malline (we believe this is the correct name) on the Murphy kidnapping,b. Van Cleave apparently expressed concern to the Assistant Chief that prominent members of Coca Cola Company residing in the Atlanta area might be targets for the same kidnappers,c. The Assistant Chief agreed and went along with Van Cleave notifying, by phone, Coke officials,d. Van Cleave had not cleared this action with his immediate supervisor at the Coca Cola Company.e. Apparently the phone calls were made very late in the evening;f. When the Murphy kidnapping was resolved, Van Cleave was called in by his boss to account for his actions. He apparently has not been able to justify the calls and this will be discussed at the meeting on 4 March. We suspect this may be his last official action for the Coca Cola Company.
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## SECRETATL-30-7428 February 19747. Since receiving the 27 February 1974 call from OSS, we have checked with Charles Haynes and Bob Perry of the FBI. Both are familiar with Van Cleave and his operations. Perry confirmed that Van Cleave had passed the information contained in Enclosure No. 4 to the FBI. Perry had a few other things to say about Van Cleave that probably do not need to be repeated in this memorandum.8. Concerning the future, we intend to be hard to reach when Van Cleave calls; if necessary, talk to him on the phone a few times to see if he gets the idea; then if all fails simply tell him we have been told to stay out of this business.A. B. COLEYWDPengburn:nsEnclosures(as stated)E 2 EXEMT CL BY 0106504.35
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# SECRETCIA INTERNAL USE ONLYF-12-79-00MIM-008-74Chief, Domestic Collection DivisionATTH: Support Branch/OSS (Ryan/Ames)Chief, Miami Field Office11 January 1974Mitchell L. WerBell, IIIREF: 088-44-74, Dated 8 January 1974Thank you for referent. For the record, subject has made no further effort to contact anyone in this office; similarly, we plan no attempts to get in touch with him. Thus the matter rests there at this writing. Should he call again, however, we will keep the advice contained in referent in mind in dealing with him.BRUCE E. MAINWARINGB:CIA INTERNAL USE ONLYSECRET4.34E 2 IMPOST CL BY 010550