Documents / FOIA release

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…
had with Ydigoras on the night of 14 December were
negative. The report of the meeting stated:
Written agreement discussed in general
terms, but not shown him [Ydigoras] as he
said he would not sign any secret pact.
Made reference to secret agreement he
signed with Castillo Armas 1953 which has
since caused him serious political prob-
lems. Expressed continued willingness
give any and all support, including re-
ceiving training personnel, short of
signing any agreement. 67/
The cable went on to request that Headquarters contact
Roberto Alejos requesting that he remain in Washington
to meet with Esterline and Robert Davis, I~ _
who would be flying up to Washington on 16 December
the thought being that discussion with Alejos might yet.
bring about a change in Ydigoras's thinking.
Esterline's remembrance of this visit to Ydigoras
is at some variance with both the cable traffic and sub-
sequent events, but it is interesting to observe the com-
ments which he did have to make on the subject:
\
I actually, myself, executed with
Ydigoras Fuentes the agreement. At the
time that I did it -- in true name -- I
thought "I suppose they'll be reading
about this someday and I'll have to save
_ that piece of paper." He [Ydigoras] said,
"that piece of paper will never be exposed,"
and it hasn't to my knowledge.
- 64 -

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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 179 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.