REVIEW OF OPERATION MONGOOSE
Agency: JCS
Originator: OSD
Document date: 07/25/1962
Document type: MEMORANDUM

## Page 1

Date

Page

08/28/98

1

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : JCS

RECORD NUMBER: 202-10001-10168

RECORDS

SERIES: FOIA SERIES

AGENCY FILE NUMBER : DOC 169

Released

under

the John

F. Kennedy

Assassination Records

Collection Act of 1992

144 USC 2107 Notel.

Case#:NW 54214 Date:

19-13-2017

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR : OSD

FROM

TO

TITLE : REVIEW OF OPERATION MONGOOSE

DATE: 07/25/62

PAGES : 25

SUBJECTS : MONGOOSE

DOCUMENT TYPE : MEMORANDUM

CLASSIFICATION

:TOP SECRET

RESTRICTIONS : 1C

CURRENT STATUS : RELEASED WITH DELETIONS

DATE OF LAST REVIEW

:07/30/98

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS : Reviewed by JCS, OSD, CIA and State.

EXEMPT PER E.O. 13526

SEC 3.3(b)_5QxS

MAR 2016

DATE EXEMPTED

IS RE-REVIEW DATE: 31SCL 203>

OKAY TO TRELEASE AS REDATE S W/CIA CONCURRENCE

[R]

- ITEM IS RESTRICTED

HH 54214 DocId: 32424899 Page 1

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TOP SECRET

11+3

(c)

They are given open U.S. assistance to remain in this country, yet

are participating in covert actions in a limited way. Only a fractional

opening has been made to release the frustrated energy of these refugees

in freeing their homeland and in creating a favorable political climate in

Latin America for the liberation of Cuba. Policy limitations of "audibility"

and "visibility" apply directly in considering the handling and use of this

dynamic refugee potential.

As a working document for U.S. operational guidance, State

developed a definition of a political program for a free Cuba, with the

understanding that any real political program must be developed by the

Cubans themselves.

Psychological. Psychological activities for Operation Mongoose

make use of existing assignments of responsibilities within the U. S.

government: State, having the policy role, chairs an inter-agency Cuba

Psychological Operations Group which meets weekly; USIA disseminates

any U.S. government information (VOA and Press Service) And generates

"gray" or non-official information (5 million cartoon books and thousands

of Spanish books on Cuba disseminated in Latin America); CIA passes

information appropriate for "gray" and covert psychological channels

(radio, mailings to Cuba, and dissemination inside Cuba). |

Conditions and events in Cuba have provided many effective themes,

which have been promptly and sharply exploited by available means in the

Western Hemisphere. However, the U.S. still lacks the capability of

effectively getting information to the majority of the Cuban people. Our

short-wave broadcasts are highly regarded by the Cuban people, but short-

wave receiver sets are limited inside Cuba.. Our medium-wave broadcasts

compete against stronger Cuban signals; it was felt that greater U.S.

competition in medium-wave broadcasts could lead to Cuban interference

of U.S. commercial brpadcasts over a faily wide area of the U.S.

Clandestine broadcasts Tom a submarinellappearing as broadcasts by

Cuban guerrillas inside Cüba) have been Initiated; they are in their infancy,

and have a long way to develop before their messages are believed and

get passed among Cubans by word-of-mouth. •Dissemination of leaflets

and propaganda inside Cuba by balloon of aircraft has not received policy

approval.

Economic. State has the main responsibility for developing economic

actions. State has chaired an inter-agency working group, which generated

4

TOP SECRET

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B1+3

TOP SECRET

They are given open U.S. assistance to remain in this country, yet

are participating in covert actions in a limited way. Only a fractional

opening has been made to release the frustrated energy of these refugees

in freeing their homeland and in creating a favorable political climate in

Latin America for the liberation of Cuba. Policy limitations of "audibility"

and "visibility" apply directly in considering the handling and use of this

dynamic refugee potential.

As a working document for U.S. operational guidance, State

developed a definition of a political program for a free Cuba, with the

understanding that any real political program must be developed by the

Cubans themselves.

Psychological. Psychological activities for Operation Mongoose

make use of existing assignments of responsibilities within the U. S.

government: State, having the policy role, chairs an inter-agency Cuba

Psychological Operations Group which meets weekly; USIA disseminates

any U,S. government information (VOA and Press Service) and generates

"gray" or non-official information (5 million cartoon books and thousands

of Spanish books on Cuba disseminated in Latin America); CIA passes

information appropriate for "gray" and covert psychological channels

(radio, mailings to Cuba, and dissemination inside Cuba). |

Conditions and events in Cuba have provided many effective themes,

which have been promptly and sharply exploited by available means in the

Western Hemisphere.

However, the U.S. still lacks the capability of

effectively getting information to the majority of the Cuban people. Our

short-wave broadcasts are highly regarded by the Cuban people, but short-

wave receiver sets are limited inside Cuba. Our medium-wave broadcasts

compete against stronger Cuban signals; it was felt that greater U.S.

competition in medium-wave broadcasts could lead to Cuban interference

o1 U.s. commercial brascasts over a floly wide area of the U.S.

Clandestine broadcasts

appearing as broadcasts by

Cuban guerrillas inside Cuba) have beer imitiated; they are in their infancy,

and have a long way to develop before their messages are believed and

get passed among Cubans by word-of-mouth. Dissemination of leaflets

and propaganda inside Cuba by balloon or aircraft has not received policy

approval.

Economic. State has the main responsibility for developing economic

actions. State has chaired an inter-agency working group, which generated

TOP SECRET

HH 54214 DocId: 32424899 Page 3

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