TAPE OF CONVERSATION WITH MC GEORGE BUNDY, APRIL 8, 1975 (W/BELIN)
Originator: ROCK
Document date: 04/08/1975
Document type: SOUND RECORDING

## Page 1

Date : 03/21/96

Page

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : ROCKCOM

RECORD NUMBER: 178-10002-10356

RECORDS SERIES : ASSASSINATION FILE

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

..

A-II (A) CHRON--ASSASSINATIONS

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR :

ROCKEFELLER COMMISSION

FROM

BUNDY, MC GEORGE

TITLE : TESTIMONY OF MC GEORGE BUNDY

DATE: 04/08/75

PAGES

SUBJECTS : ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES

HARVEY, WILLIAM

OPERATION MONGOOSE

EXECUTIVE ACTION CAPABILITY

DOCUMENT TYPE : TESTIMONY

CLASSIFICATION : UNCLASSIFIED

RESTRICTIONS: OPEN IN FULL

CURRENT STATUS :

OPEN

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 01/30/96

OPENING CRITERIA

COMMENTS :

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

---

## Page 2

Date: 07/10/93

Page: 1

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : ROCKCOM

RECORD NUMBER : 1781000210356

RECORDS SERIES :

ASSASSINATION FILE

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

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR : ROCKEFELLER COMMISSION

FROM : BUNDY, MC GEORGE

TO :

TITLE:

TESTIMONY OF MC GEORGE BUNDY

DATE : 04/08/75

PAGES : 4

SUBJECTS

ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES

HARVEY, WILLIAM

OPERATION MONGOOSE

EXECUTIVE ACTION CAPABILITY

DOCUMENT TYPE : TESTIMONY

CLASSIFICATION : U

RESTRICTIONS : REFERRED

CURRENT STATUS : PD

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 07/10/93

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS:

Unmarked but contains classified information.

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

---

## Page 3

rais

STATE OF NEW YORK

COUNTY OF NEW YORK: SS

I, McGeorge Bundy, being first duly sworn, do upon oath

depose and state:

B. FORO

On April 7, 1975 I testified as a witness before the

Commission

on CIA Activities Within the United States

(Commission). As I reflected overnight about my answers

to certain questions, my recollection was refreshed and

the next morning I contacted the Executive Director of the

Commission, David W. Belin, and stated that I wished to

make some additions to the record. I conferred with

Mr. Belin at the offices of the Commission at 712 Jackson

Place, N.W., Washington, D.C. / and then Mr. Belin asked

me a number of questions to which I gave answers which

were recorded on tape.

After receiving a transcript of

the tapa, I made certain additional corrections.

following

are the questions and my answers, as

corrected them.

There is one question and answer that

I have stricken because it is a matter of pure speculation.)

HOTOCOPY FROM THE GERALD R.

Mr. Belin: This a memorandum of a conference with McGeorge

Bundy on April 8, 1975.

Mr. Bundy has refreshed

his recollection following his testimony before the Commission

on April 7 and wishes to make some additions to the record.

Mr. Bundy: You asked me yesterday whether I had any recollection

of hearing the word "poison", or something to.

to that effect--whether I had any recollection of that kind

of activity or proposal in relation to the Castro regime

and I think I said I did not, and I did not as of yesterday.

But overnight I have had a vague recollection, which I cannot

pinpoint in time, that there was discussion that I knew about

at some time of

a proposal or scheme or project that did

involve poison, and the characteristic that sticks in my

memory is that it would have involved a rather large-scale

use of poison and, as I recollect it, it never came anywhere

near approval. Proposals under the MONGOOSE scheme which

did come from time to time (mostly not with respect to

assassination) were reviewed in the first instance for

practicability

and only after that for wisdom or political

rightness,

and I recall NO proposal for liquidation that

ever got past the first stage to the second.

BATLEGSMIND

:.0 Assaso. Lice. Gelestion Act of 1992

-_CA and NLF Resilv

NailA date /30la6 By K3I*

---

## Page 4

- 2-

Mr. Belin: I also talked to you, Mr. Bundy, about whether

or not there might have been any discussion in

early 1961 or any other time with regard to a reguest from

the White House to the CIA for the CIA to develop what was

called an executive action capability, which was defined

as a general stand-by capability to carry out assassinations

when required. Do you ever remember any discussions

those lines?

along

ҐF0?0

Mr. Bundy: Well, I recall the words "executive action capa-

bility" more clearly today than I dia yesterday,

and I think I said yesterday that they rang some sort of

bell. But I do NOT have any recollection as to when I

knew about that or who requested it or how much was done

under it.

I don't recall having any continuing interest

in or information about that particular activity.

Mr. Belin: Do you recall that executive action capability

was in substance discussed as a general stand-by

13, capability to carry out assassinations at that time--I'm

→ not saying there was direction to undertake a plan but at

Vleast the development of the stand-by capability?

Mr. Bundy: I think it was something like that--a plan to

have some kind of stand-by capability for action

against individuals.

Mr. Belin: Now, I'm going to turn to the Summer of 1962.

Before we started this transcribing of your

remarks you indicated that you don't remember any specific

plan pertaining to the attempted poisoning of any Cuban

leader during 1961, but that you do remember some dis-

cussions that may have developed into this area sometime

in 1962. Is that accurate?

Mr. Bundy: Well, I think perhaps a slightly more precise

way of saying it is that you have described to

me a broad outline of plans as you understand them that

existed in January or February 1961 and I simply have no

recollection of plans that meet that description. I believe

my memory tells me in a more general way that my knowledge

of a scheme or idea of using poison probably relates to

the year 1962.

Mr. Belin: Do you remember any discussions at any meeting

of the MONGOOSE group where this might have been

discussed?

Either the general plan of possible liquidation

or the particular plan of poison?

PHOTOCOPY FROM THE GERALD R. FORD LIBPARY

---

## Page 5

-3-

MI. Bundy: I don't have any recollection of where or how

I heard about the poisoning possibility:

know that I never knew of any approval of such a plan.

My recollection is the opposite--that it was a hairbrained

scheme that did not receive approval even on the ground

of practicability as distinct from the question of whether

you would make a final

decision to go ahead.

Now, as to

meetings where such things might have been discussed, the

only one I have any recollection of--and it is a refreshed

recollection--I would not have known about it a month ago--

is the one which we discussed yesterday on August 10, 1962

and

was

said in that meeting.

Mr. Belin: Do you have any recollection that there was any.

direction NOT to undertake any such plans?

Mr. Bundy: I think there was a general attitude toward

this matter in which those working on covert

operations were sometimes permitted to produce proposals,

although I recall nobody encouraging them to do so. As

I said yesterday, I draw a sharp distinction between con-.

sidering contingencies of this sort and actually giving

them approval.

That I think is the way in which the Kennedy

Administration approached the matter.

I do not think there

was a flat general ban on considering such possibilities.

Mr. Belin: Earlier, before ve started taping, You said

that if there had been any specific discussion

of that, that you were not a party to it and that it might

have--

Mr. Bundy: A discussion of what?

Mr. Belin: --of a direction to carry out a plan, that you

certainly were not a party to such a discussion.

Is that what you said?

MI. Bundy: I am absolutely certain that I never knew of

or believed that there was any authorization

to go ahead with an effort to liquidate Castro, or any

other Cuban leader.

Next question and answer deleted

Mr. Belin: Is there anything else that you want to add

so far as clarifying or correcting your

testimony of April 7 before the Commission?

FROM THE GERALD

FORD LIBPARY

---

## Page 6

?.

-1-

MI. Bundy: You asked me yesterday whether I had met Mr. William

Harvey--I think that's his name--

Mr. Belin: Yes

Mr. Bundy: --and I said I recollected the name and that

I thought I had seen him in large meetings.

I can check my appointment calendar which is the only

official document of record that I have from my Washington

days and see whether I met him in smaller meetings or alone

if that would be helpful to you.

Mr. Belin: It would. I'd like to have. you do it, please.

Mr. Bundy: Fine.

Mr. Belin: OK. Well, thank you very much.

(END OF TAPE)

Following my return to New York I checked my appointment

calendar and there is no entry of William Harvey's name.

We did not make a habit of listing all the participants

in large meetings, but the calendar would ordinarily show

his name if he had come to see me alone or with only one

or two others.

to nay testimony be chaee c corrections to make with regard

Dated this

day of

, 1975

PHOTOCOPY

FROM THE GERALD R.

FORD LIBPARY

McGeorge Bundy

Subscribed and sworn to before me

this

_day of _

• 1975

Notary Public in and for New York, New York

My commission expires on

•19_

Is pile

---