Office of the Historian

372. Memorandum From the Chief of Operations, Operation Mongoose (Lansdale)0

Washington, August 13, 1962.

MEMORANDUM FOR

  • William Harvey, CIA
  • Robert Hurwitch, State
  • Gen. Benjamin Harris, Defense
  • Don Wilson, USIA

SUBJECT

  • Alternate Course B
[Page 925]

In compliance with the desires and guidance expressed in the 10 August policy meeting on Operation Mongoose, we will produce an outline of an alternate Course B for submission. The CIA paper “Operational Plan (Reduced Effort)”1 will be used as the starting basis.

Since this is to be a bare outline, to permit further policy guidance to be developed, I believe the paper need contain only a statement of objectives and a list of implementing activities. The list of activities will be under the headings of: Intelligence, Political, Economic, Psychological, Paramilitary, and Military.

We will hold an Operational Representatives work session in my office, at 1400 hours, Tuesday, 14 August, to complete the outline paper for submission. Each of you is to bring 5 copies of completed assigned work to this work session, to permit each of us to work from a full set of drafts.

Papers required from each of you for the Tuesday meeting:

Mr. Harvey: Intelligence, Political (splitting the regime, [less than 1 line of source text not declassified], Economic (sabotage, limited deception), and Paramilitary. Also, any suggestions for inclusion in other sections of the paper.

Mr. Hurwitch: Statement of Objectives, Political, and Economic. Also, any suggestions for inclusion in other sections of the paper.

Gen. Harris: Economic (limited deception), Paramilitary (limited deception), and Military. Also, any suggestions for inclusion in other sections of the paper.

Mr. Wilson: Psychological (including covert). Also, any suggestions for inclusion in other sections of the paper.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/8-1362. Top Secret; Noforn; Special Handling. General Benjamin Harris replaced General Craig as Department of Defense Operations Officer for Operation Mongoose following Craigʼs reassignment.↩
  2. An apparent reference to the CIA attachment to Document 367.↩