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Official History of the Bay of Pigs Operation- Volume 2- Part 1

Central Intelligence Agency · 179 pages · text from the file's own layer

This is Volume II, Part 1 of the CIA History Staff's Official History of the Bay of Pigs Operation, a Top Secret history dated October 1979 and approved for release in July 2011. It looks at how the Agency took part in shaping US foreign policy toward Guatemala and Nicaragua during the anti-Castro program. It covers dealings with President Ydigoras Fuentes and Roberto Alejos, training sites such as Retalhuleu, cover stories, and negotiations with the Somoza brothers for an air base and port. It contains no UFO material.

  • p. 71 …formalized (16 November 1960), then J. C. King, Chief, Western Hemisphere Division, prepared a memorandum for…
  • p. 76 …C. King, "J. C., this kind of ... " "No, no," he said. "I don't think I…
  • p. 88 …however, was prepared by Colonel J. C. King, Chief, WH Division, not by Thomas A. Parrott…
  • p. 89 …King must have ignored Esterline's warning; but the DCI failed to support King's Plan…
  • p. 117 …of State of the trip and Col. King had informed Thomas Mann. 9/*. In a meeting…
  • p. 120 …to Chief, WH Division (Col. J. C. King) that Robertson be brought into the JMARC program…
  • p. 138 …discuss Project JMATE with President Somoza. Col. King, in speaking of Whelan r~marked as follows…
  • p. 160 …2. Memo for DCI from J. C. King, 29 Feb 60, sub: What We Are Doing…
  • p. 163 …35. Memo for DCI from J. C. King, 21 Oct 60, sub: Observations on Briefing of…
  • p. 167 …TRAV. Memo for DDP from J. C. King, 28 Oct 60, sub: Employment of U.S…
  • p. 169 …10 Jan 61. MR from J. C. King, 11 Jan 61, sub: Meeting to Discuss Proposed…
  • p. 173 …Irving G. CADICK (P) from J. C. King, 2 Dec 60, sub: Letter of Instruction. Ibid…
  • p. 175 …IN 1797). 42. Memo from J. C. King for DCI, 19 Jan 61, sub: Visit of…
that would be used in the overflight. 18/* The pros-
pect of utilizing Guatemalan,personnel in addition
to the Cubans appeared attractive to Agency personnel
in the field, but it created negative responses from
Headquarters.
Sounding in one instance Very much like a reply
originated from the Department of State, the Head-
quarters response to a c==Jrequest that a Guatemalan
cadre be infiltrated with the Cuban teams read: "Neg-
ative Possibility adverse political repercussions
too great to justify this action." 19/ The enthusiasm
in Guatemala also went beyond those immediately in
charge of the government. In October 1960 pending
a Guatemalan congressional investigation of activities
* An odd feature about the cable from 1 __
to Headquarters with Ydigoras's request was the fol-
lowing query: "Do you have Cuban crew selected? Would
they come from air group already in Guatemala?" This
would appear to be the long way around to get an
answer to the question and may reflect the incipient
antipathy between the WH/4 contingent at JMTRAV and
the DPD elements at the air base at Retalhuleu which
would later lead to harsh words and bitter recrimina-
tions that would only be solved -- and then in part --
by th€ DDP, Richard M. Bissell. As nearly as can be
determined, Carl Jenkins was the first COB at JMTRAV,
serving from early September until 9-10 December 1960. 18a/
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 179 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.