SECRET (4) April/May 1963. Helms approves Harvey's meeting with Roselli as a kind of "close-out" of the Roselli relationship. FBI has Roselli under surveillance -- calls Harvey and says they must tell Hoover -- Harvey calls Helms -- Helms says no need to - brief McCone. Note: Senator Church may view this as another indi- cation of Helms acting on his own. | (5) In 1963 CIA's TSD implements a skin-diving suit with poison and proposes a scheme regarding an exploding seashell. ' Helms will say they were only wacky proposals by underlings which never got anywhere. While this may be true as to the latter, the skindiving suit/TSD must have had his approval -- TSD reports directly to DDP. | | (6) October 1963. Des Fitzgerald (now deceased) goes to Paris to meet Cuban asset Cubella. Cubella wants to assassinate Castro. Documents indicate that Helms tells Fitzgerald he may use the Attorney General's name without seeking approval from Kennedy. | | . - (7) Circa November 22, 1963. Dr. Gunn of CIA prepares poison pen which is delivered to Cubella in Paris. Documents unclear as to whether Cubella accepts it or not. (8) 7 March 1966. Helms sends memorandum to Secretary Rusk denying Agency use of Cubella in assassination scheme. While Helms may have a technical interpretation which makes the memorandum cor- rect it doesn't disclose any of the CIA's contacts with Cubella. Note: This again be used to argue no executive approval. Docld: 32423496 Page fF
FOR HELMS TESTIMONY -- PHASE II OPERATIONS UNDER HARVEY February 1962. Bissell was replaced by Helms on February 17. [prior to Helms formally becoming DDP on February 9 is the "first | recorded ‘authorization' of ZRRIFLE Project; Helms gives written “authority for Harvey to handle ZRRIFLE with unvouchered funds based on Harvey's general sign-off. | April 1962 was when Edwards recalls Harvey asking | for an VA) € +. 2 a . _— “yy Litas 7 m iy ve introduction to Roselli. This took place on April 8 or ‘9. ‘ Both Edwards and Harvey stated in 1967 that they each. independ- ently checked with Helms prior to Edwards introducing Harvey to . . Roselli. . In 1967 Harvey stated that thereafter he "regularly briefed” Helms on the status of the Castro operation. en Fe ee cae | The 1967. report states that Edwards’ statement he "verified Helms' approval to go ahead with Roselli and Harvey" is the earliest indication that Helms had been made witting of the syndicate. opera- tion against Castro. | According to Harvey (in 1967) it was at this time, in early April when Harvey briefed Helms on Roselli that he obtained Helms' approval not to brief McCone. Implementation of Phase II. Dr. Treichler's records indicate that he delivered four pills (1 capsule and three tablets) to Jim 0! Connell’ on April 18, 1962. Harvey gave the pills to Verona in Miami in late April. In late Docld: 32423496 Page &
2. ah April or early May the CIA supplied a variety of military equip- ment to Verona as part of the reward for his participation. [ AS HARVEY WAS REPORTING TO HELMS REGULARLY AS HE SAYS, IS IT LIKELY HE WOULD HAVE TOLD HELMS ABOUT THIS? ] In May , Harvey was told the pills were in Cuba at a restaurant reportedly used by Castro. (At this point Verona was still using the chef plan). June 21 Harvey was told Verona had dispatched a three-man team to Cuba, who would attempt to kill Castro if an opportunity presented itself to use the pill. In September Verona indicated he was infiltrating three more men who were former Cuba militia men who would try to penetrate ~ Castro's body-guard. (These men apparently did not actually leave Florida, but Harvey gave Verona $2700 for this three-man team's | expense.) Thereafter the arrangements were gradually broken off. old: 32423496 Page 9