TAPE OF INTERVIEW OF COLONEL SHEFFIELD EDWARDS, APRIL 9, 1975
Originator: ROCK
Document date: 04/09/1975
Document type: SOUND RECORDING

## Page 1

Date: 03/21/96

Page : 1

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : ROCKCOM

RECORD NUMBER

:178-10002-10352

RECORDS SERIES : ASSASSINATION FILE

AGENCY FILE NUMBER : A-II(A) CHRON--ASSASSINATIONS

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR : ROCKEFELLER COMMISSION

FROM : BELIN, DAVID

TO : THE FILE

TITLE : INTERVIEW WITH COLONEL SHEFFIELD EDWARDS

DATE : 04/09/75

PAGES

SUBJECTS : ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES

EDWARDS, SHEFFIELD

ASSASSINATIONS, FOREIGN LEADERS

CIA

ORGANIZED CRIME

MAHEU, ROBERT

ROSELLI, JOHNNY

GIANCANA, SAM

HARVEY, WILLIAM

KENNEDY, ROBERT

DOCUMENT TYPE : MEMORANDUM

CLASSIFICATION

:UNCLASSIFIED

RESTRICTIONS

: OPEN IN FULL

CURRENT STATUS

: OPEN

DATE OF LAST REVIEW

: 05/24/95

OPENING CRITERIA

COMMENTS

: Interview transcript.

initialed

copy.

See

1781000210317 for

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

---

## Page 2

Date: 05/24/95

Page: 1

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : ROCKCOM

RECORD NUMBER: 178-10002-10352

RECORDS SERIES :

ASSASSINATION FILE

AGENCY FILE NUMBER A-IT (A) CHRON -ASSASSINATIONS

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR : ROCKEFELLER COMMISSION

FROM : BELIN, DAVID

TO : THE FILI

TITLE:

INTERVIEW WITH COLONEL SHEFFIELD EDWARDS

DATE : 04/09/75

PAGES : 11

SUBJECTS:

ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES

EDWARDS, SHEFFIELD

ASSASSINATIONS, FOREIGN LEADERS

CIA

ORGANIZED CRIME

MAHEU, ROBERT

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

---

## Page 3

Date: 05/24/95

Page: 2

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

ROSELLI, JOHNNY

GIANCANA, SAM

HARVEY, WILLIAM

KENNEDY, ROBERT

DOCUMENT TYPE : MEMORANDUM

CLASSIFICATION : U

RESTRICTIONS: OPEN IN FULL

CURRENT STATUS : O

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 05/24/95

OPENING CRITERIA:

COMMENTS :

Interview transcript.

See 1781000210317 for initialed copy.

(R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

---

## Page 4

Date: 07/10/93

Page: 1

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : ROCKCOM

RECORD NUMBER: 1781000210352

RECORDS SERIES :

ASSASSINATION FILE

AGENCY FILE NUMBER : A-II(A) CHRON--ASSASSINATIONS

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR : ROCKEFELLER COMMISSION

FROM : BELIN, DAVID

TO : THE FILE

TITLE:

INTERVIEW WITH COLONEL SHEFFIELD EDWARDS

DATE: 04/09/75

PAGES : 11

SUBJECTS:

ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES

EDWARDS, SHEFFIELD

ASSASSINATIONS, FOREIGN LEADERS

CIA

ORGANIZED CRIME

MAHEU, ROBERT

ROSELLI, JOHNNY

GIANCANA, SAM

HARVEY, WILLIAM

KENNEDY, ROBERT

DOCUMENT TYPE : MEMORANDUM

CLASSIFICATION : U

RESTRICTIONS: REFERRED

CURRENT STATUS : P

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 07/10/93

OPENING CRITERIA :

opened

COMMENTS :

1789000210327/Po intanked but may contain classified information.

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

---

## Page 5

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Photocopy from Gerald

R. Ford Library

-

COMMISSION ON CIA ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES

Washington, DC 20500

April 9, 1975

MEMORANDUM

DESLAGSIFIED

E.C. 12350, 6cs. 311.

TO

: The File

MR 94-141, H2 4A Review 2FK

BY KBH N1RA, Date _5/041/95

FROM

: David W. Belin

SUBJECT

:Interview with Colonel Sheffield Edwards

Mr. Belin:

We're here in your lovely home on April 9 (1975).

We've had a brief conversation, and I have told

you what I am going to do is to have my secretary transcribe

our conversation, mail it to you for any corrections and then

keep it a part of the record. Right now I'll ask you to tell

me what your mailing address is.

Col. Edwards:

My mailing address is Route 2, Box 388, Leesburg,

Virginia.

b:

Is there a zip code on it?

E:

22075

B:

All right. Let me stop now and see if this recording

is working. Colonel Edwards, you're a graduate of

West Point, are you not?

E:

B:

E:

Yes.

In the Class of 1923?

Yes.

And during World War II you first served with the

Army Air Corps and then moved over to the regular

army in the 12th Armory Group, a command position. Is that

correct?

E:

B:

E:

B:

Yes.

Then after the war, what did you do?

After the war I joined the CIG first until it became

the CIA in about 1947.

All right. And you worked with General Vandenberg

then?

E:

Yes. I worked with General Vandenberg.

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B:

And then when you joined CIA you became head of the

Office of Security. Is that

correct?

E:

B:

E:

B:

E:.

B:

Yes.

And you stayed with CIA until you retired?

Yes.

Do you remember when that was?

1963.

originally youll. is the scourity staff was

E:

B:

E:

B:

E:

That is true. About 35.

And when you left, how large had it grown?

Io about 700.

All right. Now -- if you want to add anything,

by the way, just go ahead and feel free to ada

I asked you among other things with regard to a plan to tr

and assassinate a Cuban leader, particularly Castro. And I

think you told me that your first contact with this

was a request by Dick Bissell. Is that correct?

Yes.

B:

E:

Do you know approximately when that occurred?

I don't remember./it was about the time of the

Bay of Pigs.

B:

E:

B:

Was it before or after the Bay of Pigs, if you remember.

I don't remember exactly.

Do you know whether it was in the Eisenhower

Administration or the Kennedy Administration?

E:

B:

It was in the Kennedy Administration.

What did Dick Bissell say to you? By the way,

who was Dick Bissell?

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E:

B:

E:

B:

E:.

B:

B:

Photocopy from Gerald R. Ford Library

E:

B:

E:

B:

E:

B:

E:

B:

E:

B:

B:

E:

B:

E:

B:

E:

Bissell was the Deputy for Plans --which is now

called the Deputy for Operations.

Among other things he was in charge of the whole

Bạy of Pigs operation. Is that correct?

That is correct.

Do you remember what he said to you - and what you

said to him' about this assassination plan?

Yes, I remember that. - You had better turn off

that thing --

All right.

All right.

You wanted me to restate the question.

What did he say to you, and what did you say to

him?

Bissell asked me if I had any assets that would

be available.

Did he say to be available for what?

That would be available into the syndicate

All right. He asked you and what did you tell him?

I told him I would see.

then did

And subsequently/you determine an asset that you

might have?

Right.

And who was that?

first

It was Bob Maheu/and then afterwards it was Jöhnnie

Rosselli.

: And Johnnie Rosselli was a personthat was supposedly

involved with the syndicate?

Yes.

Was there anyone other than Rosselli!

Samue] - otherwise Sam Giancana

And who talked to Rosselli and Giancana? Was it

Maheu at first, or you?

It was Maheu.

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Photocopy from Gerald

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B:

E:

Did you ever talk to either Rosselli or Giancana?

I never met Sam Giancana.

II talked with

Johnnie (on several occasions.

B:

E:

B:

Who did you use as your case officer?

• I used James O'Connell.

You told me in a prior conversation that whatever

O'Connell did he did for you. Is that correct?

E:

That is absolutely/st there is any blath at he did,

mine. That's the way we operate.

B:

E:

B:

Now, basically, who was the target then?

The target was Castro.

And why did you feel -- or why did Bissell feel that

it was appropriate to use the syndicate?

gambling

E:

Because of the/interests of the syndicate in the

Cuban mess.

B:

They had -- there had been some question whether of

not they could continue under Castro and therefore /

you thought the syndicate might be interested in getting rid of Castr

E:

That's right.

B:

i do to to ta case which they were

E:

Yes. I know.

B:

And what was that?

E:

B:

By placing botulism pills in his food.

And supposedly there was going to be a person that

was going to get the pills over into Cuba to a

restaurant which Castro frequented.

Was that it?

E:

B:

E:

Yes.

And do you remember the name of the person who was

going to do that?

I believe it was Juan Orta.

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Photocopy from Gerald R.

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B:

And do you know if the plan was carried out -the plan

obviously didn't succeed since Castro is still

living. Do you know if the pills ever got to Cuba?

E:

No. Not of my own knowledge.

B:

Do you know what happened to Orta? As to why he

did or did not follow through with the plan?

Orta got scared.

B:

Who was to get in contact with Orta? Was that

the syndicate?

E:

B:

E:

I don't remember.

All right.

• Well, Orta got scared - was this

still in 1961 when he

got scared? The Bay of Pigs,

by the way, was in the Spring of 1961.

I believe it was '61.

B:

E:

B:

After he got scared, did you get involved with any

other plans on the

assassination or did this plan

go on the shelf, or what happened to it?

The plan, as I recall, petered out.

And did you become involved with any other person

to try to get these pills into Cuba?

E:

B:

No.

Now, who inside the Agency besides Bissell did you

have any contact with on the top echelon.

E:

Very important. The plan was approved by Alan W.

Dulles and General Cabell.

B:

E:

B:

E:

B:

E:

So there was Alan Dulles who was the DCI.

Yes.

And General Cabell was his deputy.

That's right.

And then this Richard Bissell.

That's right.

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Photocopy from Gerald

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B:

Now, at some subsequent time did you ever have

occasion to brief anyone in the Administration

or the Government about this plan?

E:

I briefed Mr. Harvey.

B:

That was inside the Agency.

E:

Yes.

B:

Do you know whether or not Harvey --.

E:

B:

E:

B:

Oh, oh, and I briefed Robert Kennedy.

Let me first talk about Mr. Harvey.

Do you know whether or not Harvey was going to

pick up the plan again at a later time or not?

I did not know.

OK. You briefed Robert Kennedy. Is that correct?

E:

Right.

B:

And who was with you at that briefing?

E:

Robert Kennedy and Larry Houston.

B:

And Larry Houston was General Counsel for the Agency.

Is that correct?

E:

B:

Correct.

Had he known about this in '61 or did he become

aware of it before the Kennedy briefing?

E:

B:

briefed him before to the best of my recollectio

•: briefed him at the same time I briefed Papich.

All right. Now,. that would have been in 1962 then.

Is that correct?

E:

B:

E:

Yeah.

It would have been shortly before you talked to

cortedy, that you briefed Houston.

Would that be

Right.

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Photocopy

Gerald R. Ford Library

B:

E:

B:

E:

B:

E:

B:

E:

B:

E:

B:

E:

B:

E:

B:

7

And when you briefed Robert Kennedy, what did you

tell him?

I told him that -- this is all on the record, or

should be --

There was a memorandum prepared of it?

Oh, yes. It should be on the record. I'd rather

have you see that because it is verbatim.

Was there anything that you knew about this plan

to assassinate Castro that you didn't tell Kennedy?

No.

I think in our discussions before we started this

taphat you said that you told him everything. Would

That's right.

Do you know approximately how long the briefing

session took?

About half an hour at least.

At least a half an hour. Do you know whether or not

Robert Kennedy had any comment to you after you briefe

him?

None to me.

He cautioned Larry Houston to the

effect that he was. to know about these things.

- Words to that effect.

He said he wanted to know about these things.

Did he tell you that you shouldn't do this at all?

NO.

Did he in any way say that he disapproved of what

had been done in the past?

E:

No.

B:

At the time that you briefed him, which I think the

record: shows was in May of 1962, did you know that

Bill Harvey was undertaking another plan along these lines? Did

you know that or --?

E:

No. I did not know.

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Photocopy from Gerald R.

Ford Library

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B:

And you didn't tell Attorney General Kennedy at

the time. Is that right?

E:

No.

Now, you mentioned these pills. Did you ever

check the pills out to see whether or not they

might dissolve or anything along that line?

E:

B:

E:

I checked the pills on some guinea pigs.

Why did you check the pills?

Because I wanted to be sure they worked..

B:

E:

B:

E:

B:

And, did they. work on the guinea pigs?

They sure did.

The first time did they dissolve at all or not?

No.

:

All right, then what did you do, send them back to

Technical Services Division?

E:

B:

Yes.

And then they got pills that -

E:

B:

Yes.

I think you told me in our conversation before

we started taping that you always like to double-

check things like that --

E:

That's right.

B:

Colonel Edwards, I asked you whether or not you knew

of any subsequent plans after these plans that were

dropped in 1961 and you said "no".

Did you know of any plans other

than the plans that involved the use/this botulism pills?

E:

B:

No.

Is there anything else that you can think of that

might in any way be relevant or related to this

matter that you would like to state for the record?

E:

B:

No.

Is there any question you can think of, whether

I've asked it or not that in any way would involve

this subject?

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Photocopy from Gerald R. Ford Library

E:

No. There is not--I mean--I would like to point out

on the tape that I've been out of the Agency--kept

away from it--for twelve years,

so if there was something, I

don't remember.

B:

E:

Do you know of any other attempt at assassination

plots other than the Castro plot?

Absolutely nothing!

Do you have any suggestions or recommendations

Americans?

E:

Bear in mind now that we are--it is all right to

talk about the rights of Americans, but the rights

of Communists is a separate subject to me.

B:

People abroad, you mean?

E:

Yes.

Colonel Edwards, I am just going to ask you one or

two more questions. In your work in the Office of

Security, were you aware of the fact that there had been some kind

of wiretapping incident out in Las Vegas involving either Dan

Rowan or Phyllis McGuire.

E:

I knew of it from hearsay.

B:

E:

Do you remember who told you about it?

I think it was Bob Maheu.

Do you know anyone else outside of the Agency that

might have known of any of these plans at the time.

that they were being undertaken to try and assassinate Castro?

E:

What plans?

• B:

The plans that were being developed, trying to

assassinate Castro. Was there anyone outside the

Agency other than the syndicate people and the people they were

getting--was there any person in the White House that you knew

E:

B:

E:

Not that I know of and I am sure there were not.

You basically believe that this was a plan that was

developed by whom then?

By Bissell--by Bissell.

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Photocopy

from Gerald R. Ford Library

. B:

And you thought this was developed in connection

with the Bay of Pigs?

E:

• B:

Right

Do you know if Mr. McCone knew about this when

he came in the Agency?

E:

I don't know, but I don't think he did.

• B:

All right. Do you know whether of not Helms

eventually knew of the plan?

E:

B:

E:

B:

Yes.

Helms did.

Yes.

I believe that's all. I'm going to turn the tape

Is there anything else you'd like to say

for the tape?

E:

B:

No, I don't think so.

By the way, Helms did have knowledge of the briefing

of Attorney General Kennedy, did he not?

E:

I'm not sure.

OK. You don't know if it was. I'm going to say

as a matter of fact I may have misled you because

I have notes that indicate that he did not know of the time you

Do you know anyone else that 'dic

know or did you just go over with Houston on that?

E:

Just Houston and myself

B:

And do you know if Attorney General Kennedy tälked

with anyone else in the Attorney General's office?

E:

I don't know.

I would imagine that he talked with

Mr. Herbert Miller.

B:

Do you know that of your own knowledge or you

just think you do?

E:

No, no.

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Photocopy from Gerald R. Ford Library

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B:

All right.

record?

Anything else you want to add for the

E:

B:

E:

No.

All right.

cooperation.

Sure.

Thank you very much, sir,

for your

B:

One last question, Mr. Edwards. Did you ever hear

anyone say that there was a need to develop what

was called an executive action capability on the part of the

Agency which was defined as an ability to liquidate foreign

leaders where it was required for American foreign policy?

'E:

No.

B:

You never heard either the phrase

"executive action

capability" used?

:

No.

B:

about

Did you ever hear the discussion/any need to develop

a capability to be able to assassinate foreign

leaders?

E:

No.

B:

And I think you said you don't know of any attempted

plans to assassinate people other than the Castro

target. Is that correct?

E:

That is correct.

B:

OK.

Thank you.

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