por ¥ Folder im -¢- \ 15 Aw Co 12 August 1960 | MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD © | SUBJECT: Minutes of Special Group Meeting - 1 August 1960 PRESENT: Messrs. Merchant, Gray, Dulles, and Bissell J ‘ “2, Budget for Cuban Operations: Mr, Bissell summarized the budget which had been prepared as a basis for seeking a release trom the Reserve to finance Cuban. operations “for the balance of the fiscal year, The budget for the year totals appr oximately auiigte Ongancgekouenter roillion dollars, not including provision for the replacement of material. with an estimated value of ] sao n dollars to be withdrawn from Agency inventory. Since @isemillion dollars of budgeted and Reserve: funds nave mm .. + been made available for this program by an earlier action, the balance gee Mageagaag lion ¢ dollars, Mr, Dulles required is about tg stated that a release RO: there is inevitably a wide margin. of uncertainty as to what the actual costs will turn out to be. Mr. Bissell stated the amounts required by major sub-headings as follows: wot Political Action pee oo Propaganda : 'Paramilitary Intelligence Collection Counter Intelligence ‘Communications Support Support PROPEL THE WHITE HOUSC VI FICE HW 53244 Docld:32202023 Page 2
‘much later date--about mid-1962. ‘Gambling S:mdicate The first seriously-pursued CIA plan to assassinate Castro had © its inception in August 1960. It involved the use of members: of | the criminal underworld with contacts inside Cuba. The operation had two phases: the first ran from August 1960 until late April or early May 1961, when it was called off following the Bay of Pigs; the second ran from April 1962 until February 1963 and was merely | 4 revival of the first phase which had been inactive since about May 1961. . Gamblirg Syndicate - Phase 1’ August 1960 Richard Bissell, Deputy Director for Plans, asked Sheffield Edwards, Director of Security, if Edwards could establish contact with the U.S. gambling syndicate that was active in Cuba. The objective clearly was the assassination of Castro although Edwards claims that there was a studied avoidance of the term in his conversation with Bissell. Bissell recalls that the idea originated with J. C. King, then Chief of WH Division, although King now recalls having had only limited knowledge of such a plan and ata A HAS NO OBJECTION TO OECLASSIFICATION AND/OR RELEASE OF THIS DOCUMENT - 14 - RIi-b-14 Le
HW 535244. s Mr. Douglas said that in any case he would be prepared to have i the Department of Defense investigate the availability of specific : locations that would be suitable. i Finally, Mr. Merchant asked whether any real planning has been a, done for taking direct positive action against Fidel, Raul and Che Guevara. / “He said that without these three the Cuban Government would be 4 leaderless and probably brainless. He conceded that it would be an) necessary to act against all three simultaneously. Gen. Cabell pointed 74 out that action of this kind is uncertain of results and highly dangerous in conception and execution, because the instruments must be Cubans. He felt that, particularly because of the neces sity of simultaneous action, it would have to be conclucec that Mr. Merchant's suggestion t 1 \ t i fa .t . 1 1 i ja hevond aur canahilities. — NO OBJECTION T0 DELS ASE ; RELEM? ad PROPERTY THE WHITE HOUSE Ure ivi DocId:32202023 Page 4