157-10008-10149 vod JFK Assassinatio: System Date: 2/23/20! Identification orm Agency Inform ition AGENCY: SSCIA RECORD NUMBER: _ 157-10008-10149 RECORD SERIES: MEMORANDUM AGENCY FILE NUMBER : Document Info mation ORIGINATOR: SSCIA FROM: JOHNSON, LOCH TO: SENIOR STAFF TITLE: DOCUMENTS FROM LBJ RELA? ED TO COVERT ACTIONS AGAINST CUBA DATE: 07/21/1975 PAGES: 2 SUBJECTS : . CASTRO "7 LB] LIBRARY DOCUMENTS RE .ATED TO COVERT ACTIONS _ AGAINST CUBA DOCUMENT TYPE: ‘PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION :. Unclassified RESTRICTIONS: - CURRENT STATUS:  Redact DATE OF LASTREVIEW: 05/11/1994 ..... OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : Box 393-1! NW 47129) Docld:32203657 Page 1 20
SSC] COX 39 5- GOP SECKER — o) IGTIVE iol44 a - . _@i July 1975 MEMORANDUM FOR SENIOR STAFF SUBJECT: Inspection ot Classified Documents ut Lad Library Related ia Covers Aclions Aguinsi Cuda FROM: Loch Joimson Among the many documents which I examinid at the Jahnsen Library in geet Texas this past week is one that I find particutacly alarming. I wish bo draw it te your atbention. the document in anection is fram the dos ta tne Secretary of Defense, dated 30 Ocbober i964. The subject is a proposed covert ection gyuinst Cubo, with the cude nae Sta us DANCE. On 21 March 1964, the JCS -asponded tc 3. Presidentiol recuesn for me nev idcus relative to Caba by advising the Wiite Nouse that any new ov promising courses of action to undermine thi: Castro regime would be : . brouwtnt to tne President's attention. Apparcntly their first brieht | new jdea was SC UARE DANCE, sutlined in tne 3. October documens (attached). fne proposal envisioned tne destruction wl vie Cuban ceuntmy uy introe | serislly from off-shore e-surar cane slant poresite culTed - Tae program would begin with a 30 ue cent reduction of antici- pated Cuban sugar production (see page 6) en: within three-to-six fin wears the ruinstion of the sugar industry world be achieved. “The , =. economic und poiilicdl disturbances coused ob’ this altack couid be ie cxacerbuted. ond exploited," continues the JC; memo, "by such measures a 25 |m ting hoof-end-month dizerse aon de ft animals, controlling raists T by cloud secd ing, inthe caneLic? as “burning Wine, and direcu- - iru obher acts of conventional sapolage arsi:cst the cane milling and . irunsportation systems" (6, emphasis edded). In sum, SQUARE DANCE “would furnish another aplion to the United .itates in bringing about the collapse of the Castro regime" (7). . In Appendix A. of the & the approvat for Amplementa dimension into cold. war me [ARE DANCE nropo. al, the momy notes une mor the progr. m “wouid introduce 2 new $ ond would recuire @ major change in national policy.” Indeed yonld—or af. jaosti one hopes we huve not used guch methods before! kK propos? is m thing less then a variant at eens warfare which would have nad series VOUS acne Vor Thad aie Civilian populotion. Le ye At this point we do niu know what hooos.ed Lo the SuUARE DANCE ; concept. It may never nave been implemenicid at all, even partially. i (Tne covering mena written by Bowman, an NSC stuffer, Lo Bundy suseesés that the White House was skepuical towurd th idea.) To me, thoush, 5 objection t0 Fe “oxcopttot CIA HAS NO OBJECTION Ho DoD COE 402-52 DECLASSIACATION pani Myf O MWC pursuartt to P HB 9% RELEASE OF THIS DOCUMENT Vi (a/afy3 WW 47129 ‘pocla: 3220 657, Page 2
Se - ~2- . the mere writing of this «ind of propuseul oo a reprehensible Cirshl step i toward the worst kind of forcipn policy mis hief. I find it even morc repugnant than contingency plans for assuss nation. These are nol the Sat kinds of recommendations “Which should filive: up to the White House from the inlelligence community. The agencics m.st have a better sense of bec what is acceptable policy, legally and mora iy. As in the Huston Plan, phe the White House was confronted here with a .eries of illegal and un- ethical oplions. ithe result of SQUARE DANC.! would have been parasitic death for the major plant end anime] life i:. Cubs. The feeble efforts of the CIA to direct assassination attempts ogainst Castro pale by comparison with this Army proposal for cove t action.| T believe SQUARE DANCE deserves our atv ention. If assassination is unacceptable, surely too is the widespreid destruction of Piont and animal life through covert germ warfare “2 ) Somehow (probably through hearings and restrictive legislation) the Ci ngress must drive home the point that there are legal and moral Limics co American foreign policy. These Limits may not be easy to define, but we must try. Note: On the third passe of the second atlacament (a "Memorandum for Discussion of Covert Prornram Against Cuba" vritten by Bundy) reference .. is made to "nossible addilion of contaminating elements to sensitive gene Cuban imports (not food)." The cover memo irom Gordon Chase (NSC ; at staffer) indicates that this proposal received Presidential backing. ey cee . ee a le re. NW 47129. poctai$203657° _ Page 3° oe Stee