Office of the Historian

309. Memorandum From the Secretary of the Army’s Special Assistant (Califano) to the Secretary of the Army (Vance)0

Washington, April 9, 1963.

SUBJECT

  • Presidential Action on Special Group Items Concerning Cuba
1.
The President rejected the balloon item on the recommendation of Ed Murrow.
2.
The President approved the propaganda item (inciting Cubans to harass, attack and sabotage Soviet military personnel in Cuba) provided every precaution is taken to prevent attribution.
3.
The President approved the sabotage of cargoes on Cuban ships and the crippling of ships (through sand in the gears, etc.).
4.
With respect to Russian language broadcasts, the President (a) rejected such broadcasts by exile groups over Radio Caribe in the Dominican Republic, (b) rejected black intrusion on Radio Moscow Russian language broadcasts, and (c) withheld a decision on the use of such broadcasts on Radio Liberty from North Carolina, pending consultation with Llewelyn Thompson.
5.
Pursuant to Special Group approval of the use of DoD facilities to support training of CIA agents, General Rosson and I met with CIA [Page 755] representatives yesterday and agreed to provide certain weapons training on a military reservation, under such circumstances that the trainees would not know they were being trained by military personnel and would not know they were on a military reservation. Such training will probably commence within the next several days. Parachute jump training under comparable circumstances will commence at a later date but within the next few weeks.
6.
We have also agreed with CIA that we would spot about 20 inductees now in training at Fort Jackson whom we consider to have the necessary characteristics for CIA operationsinside Cuba. These personnel, along with those given jump training under 5 above, would also be used in advance of the introduction of Special Forces, should there be a decision to invade Cuba.
7.
It now appears virtually certain that Dr. Cardona will resign within the next day or two.
JACJr1
  1. Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files:FRC 77-0131, Sabotage/Destruction. Top Secret; Eyes Only.↩
  2. Printed from a copy that bears these type initials.↩