478-10002-10479 v9.1 : AGENCY : RECORD NUMBER : RECORD SERIES : AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR : FROM: TO: TITLE: DATE: PAGES: SUBJECTS : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS : DATE OF LAST REVIEW : OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : JFK Assassination System Date: Identification Form Agency Information ROCKCOM 178-10002-10479 ASSASSINATION FILE ASSASSINATION MATERIALS--MISC. ROCK/CIA (7) Document Information CIA 19 JANUARY 1962 01/19/1962 5 KENNEDY, ROBERT DOD CIA CARIBBEAN SURVEY GROUP ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES MEMORANDUM Top Secret Consulted Withhold \ 07/14/1993 NO JOINT STAFF OBJEGTION 26 HW 50955 DocId: 32204636 Page 1 8/27/201
'178-10002-10479 ! HW 50955 Doold: §2204636 “ Page 2? _ Feady in any phase we should push ahead, Lansdale expressed oes pre? 19. January 1962 oe core | TUF WHALE FE Notified at 1015 of meeting in Mr. Bob Kennedy's office at 1100 attended by Lansdale, Woodward (State), Helms (CIA), Wilson (USIA), Craig (DOD) at loth anu Constitution, 1100, Mr. Kennedy's office. Personnel ‘actually attending the meeting were: Lansdale, Craig, Hand, Patchell, MeNanis, (CIA), Helms, (CIA), Wilson. State Department representative failed to report. Meeting onened with Lansdale covering 32 tasks given various departments. Reported to Mr. Kennedy that the LL project was in slow motion. We must get things off dead center. Mentioned there were many taskings, some of which may or may not work. It is high time the US Government gave this project and the tasks involved a fair trial, Itis high time the United States gets busy. Something to be generated in the form of assets, etc. around the Caribbean basin. Lansdale reported that at the Special Group meeting yesterday, General Taylor asked if the tasks had been accepted by various departments. Lansdale had replied that om AUWdGIT quod “yu aTwaas aHL Nodd most had been accepted but not all. One task was the ay “geRAL °\ on ° ( defection of top Cubans in the Castro regime. This is al Seyye baal thing CIA could handle and must. US got a MIG aircraft that way once. Lansdale will be adding tasks from time to time. Deadlines in the plan issued and distributed yesterday were developed carefully not haphazardly. As we become his concern regarding the absence of State representative at the meeting. He does not feel that State realizes the importance of this project. State should give this project more emphasis. Lansdale mentioned Interrogation Center , ‘ Opa~Locka and ask Mr, McMands to give Mr. Kennedy a brief report. Requirements have been developed and submitted ‘to J~5, Joint Staff which is considering the- support required from the military. 11 CIA people are involved.. Plan is that CIA peopic wlll absorb military personnel. The tntorragation Center will be ready on schedule, but this Meus not mean that an -underrround can be put into Cuba EXCLU [LOMA CDS “bate catireageaoc nr pacer. ome oy re
0d?) HE WHITE, HOUSELORE . *. simultancously. We must first get the mass of information ; ‘before we can develop the necessary dope for underground. Detailed information for establishment of successful under- CO ground is necessary. Mr. Wilson indicated that as the Interrogation Center gets information available, USIA ean use it for broadcasts, news items, ett. The Attorney : General asked what is being done with the people, i.e., refugees ‘who have already escaved from Cuba. McMands replied CIA trying to get people particularly who have come out since ‘October, Mr. Kennedy feels that the people who have escaped in the last 6 months are important. His view is that we must find the key Communist informers in each village and “province who back the Communist regime. We must find. out Q how the operation was conducted 6 months ago. How it is conducted now. What changes. What those changes imply. We must determine those people who are potential assets, MOL ‘Y GIVES FHL WOUd AdOOOLOHA , those unfriendly to Castro. Mr. Kennedy stated that money is no object.” McMants reported that US has a base fe of 400 Cubans with knowledge. Mr.. Kennedy referred to a Fs recent project involving plecement of 3 cperators into as FOROS | Cuba recently which were picked up within 3 days. He iz %; stated that if the United States had known the facts BS or had full information, we could have avoided this — O . failure. Mr. Kennedy indicated that people involved required for the Interrogation Center as interrogators, etc. should ee be no objection, We will get the neople no matter where ' they must come fron. We must cause castro trouble that is meaningful. Lansdale brought up necessity for military ‘. personnel operating in the Interrogation Center wearing . civilian clothes. kr. Kennedy did not comment on this. Neither did Mr. MeMants. USIA feels that Interrogation Center will be very useful to the USIA. Lansdale brought up the necessity for getting names of relatives of Cubans who have been persecuted or exccuted by the Communist and @) proporanda in Cuba. Kr. Kennedy concluded the meeting by sumeariezing the situation as follows: . - 2 a rly a BW 509545 Doacld:327204636 Page 3
HY 0955 Boctda:3 22704636 ar ne ic on eee: ae) oe b wid tis ib ect « Dot ie rad ce bdadivitbedees rer) et Page 4 ree ; » THE WHITE HOUSE He stated how the project Caribbean Survey Group got started. Immediately following the April fiasco, the US government had to lie low for obvious reasons. During this — _ interim period first. the middle class refugees and then the farmer refugees stated out. General concensus of these refugees that a strong feeling is. cropping up against Castro within Cuba but also the Cuban military is getting stronger day by day and Castro's control is drawing tighter and tighter. Time is decidedly in Cuba's behalf. With this. in mind the government decided todo something General Lansdale was told to male an appraisal at a meeting at. the White House. ‘Two week survey was made and ‘Lansdale } I avd Gdod “a aIwido AHL NOYd AdODOLOHA reported to the President in late November. Results were — that Lansdale was directed to go ahead. A major effort was definitely worthwhile. A real drive and real effort can provide meaningful results. We mast cause Castro.trouble ©. a FUR, Qe and worry regarding the retention of his control of Cuba. fs Syygr “ERAL SEERA - This will not give him time to cause-trouble in other Latin American countries, since he will be busy trying to assure his official and personal survival. When the President nad asked President Diem of South Vietnam what he wanted most from the United States, he indicated he wanted General Lansdale. This caused a competition between State, Defense, and the White House. State wanted oF Lansdale in Southeast Asia. Mr. Kennedy felt sure that State wanted Lansdale in Vietnam because Diem wanted him there ~ and for no other reason. Kr. J. F, Kennedy wanted him working onthe Caribbean Survey Group. This project has priority and General Lansdale was placed on it. Initially, Mr. Kennedy had hoped wa could get something going to harass the work of the Cubans in harvesting their We still have the problem of interfering with the | sugar. sugar harvest. This project is-first priority of all projects under way py the United States of America. Time, effort, manpower, dollars are not to be spared, The President has Indicated
Docld: 32204636 that Castro cannot be tolerated and the final chapter to tnis has not been written. Kr. Bob Kennedy indicated that. on J. F. Kennedy made this report at an NSC meeting. Mr. Y Bob Kennedy wil be watching conduct and the progress of this project. The “group will be required to make periodically reports to the 5412 Group. If it does not go, you the “members of the Caribbean Survey Group are responsible. “Imagination, ideas, thoughts and these are to be forwarded to General Lansdale. These are important to the project. Member's “of this group must not wait and react only to. Lansdale's guidance they must produce ideas and thoughts of their ow. m Phe big bird is on your shoulders, you members of 5 SHL WOUd- AdODOLOUA OQ the group.’ There is no question but that you must see that absolutely nothing stands in the way. We must do 2 “this job now. We cannot stand by and set om our w~--+ ' We must get going now. This is not a 3 or 4 year project ‘put an immediate. one that must show results now. pach of you as Senior representatives of your departrent has - KAWAGIT cao full authority. Mr. Rusk, Mr. MeCone, Mr. MeNamara all understand this. You have absolute authority in your respective agencies where this project is involved, and if you are held back on anything by blocks within the Departments @) T want you to tell me or General -Lansdale and he will tell. “ me. I will see that the blocks are moved. There will be no excuses if the project is not successfully accomplished." or After the above orientation by Mr. Bob Kennedy, ‘there is no aaa Neen ibbean Survey Group has f= doubt in my mind put that the Car the full backing of the President of the United States, Pe ee : Page 5
Prepared and dispatched memorandum Gen. Lansdale. Subject: Situation at Quantanamo. ‘see copy in Record. ° Prepared Memorandua for Record of tne conference with Hr.. Bob Kennedy. \ : . “F029 °. . ; : g | a oN : - i © ~ e 8 i & > yy i Mo 2 , By a) a?) a | : oe ‘og | O - @ ' : iw it PROPER Ty ~ a? THE ies Te oxy Ms PDIL HOUSE Op epee & j va tt a] ‘ be] 5 \ 'g + n : e . PXC.ULES PRON ODS Pom gts ' ia ‘ C t ' vy t res be te. 5 \ bP eg wi eae Oba ca HW 50955 Docld: 32204636 Page 6