1- ' t •· I • ' • I • I • Date· -- ' - - - •' ' · - _- _· ' · 09 24 98 Page 1 JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM - - - - - -· - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - AGEl'iCY INFORMATION - - - - - -· ' --' ' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - AGENCY · PFIAB _ _ _ _RECOR -- BER - 206-1000·1-l0Ql · _ · _ · -c· · - RECORDS SERIES· · PRESIDENT ' S FOREIGN -INTELLIGENCE 'ADVISORY BOARD _ · 1 AGENCY FILE NUMBER · _ _ --·· •• ------------- -------- ----- -- ---------- ------------------------------- -- DOCUMENT·· INFORMATION ORIGINATOR PFIAB FROM · A R ASH THE FILE 'TITLE COVERT ACTION PANEL MEETING 6 5 64 SECRETARY SPECIAL QRO UP ET AL · DATE· 06 05 64 PAGES 6 SUBJECTS COVERT ACTION ro DISCus·sI0N WITH · DOCUMENT· TYPE - PAPER- TEXTUAL - DOCUMENT· CLASSIFICATION r TOP SECRET RESTRICTIONS lB lC CURRENT STATUS RELEASED WITH DELETIONS ·I I ' · DATE OF LAST REVIEW -f 9r-68r98 061 UIZL _OPENING CRITERIA Box 10 Covert Operaticins 1954-1967 COMMENTS '·•· '· ol1· -- ' ' ' ------------- ----- ----- ----- ----- ---- _______ --- --· R Page 1 ITEM IS RESTRICTED · - ----- ------ •• J• cios 10001-1001 ij · a _ 4 ' - 'ii j i•· i l · ·• f I lI I ' -1 i - • -· - · r - -- I · - · --· ___ ···--- • ' - - - - · · · · 0 - - · · - •- ·-·· _ _ _ _ __ - ' ' I · · -· · -· · _ _ - -· - - · · · - -·---- · · - ------····· 1 1 - i i l ' t t ' - ' -- ' ·c· ' ·----· - - ----·- - · ·- ·· - · o-c · · · • --· c i ' 1· ' -- c--•- _ __ _ _ _ A•••••• ·• •· • - •••• - -- ·--·- ·- - ·· ···-·- 0 • · - --• • ·-· ······ · ·-·--· ' -- - ·•-·•'1- - --- - •• -·· • _ • - -·-- · - - - - - ' l • -·· - i-- 2025 Release under the John F Kennedy ssassination Records Collection Act of 1992 _ o -ltrro I - g rt •'1 NW185 Do·cld 2504 N Arfll 1 i21 Docld 34fi71 Page 2 ------•--- - - -- - - -- - '- ro• _ _ _ _w- _' ' ' ' • a ' · '- '- '·' - r-- -- -• ' '-- ' ' ' - •'-'-• - ·-- - '-- ' '- ' ·'- ' ·· -' · · t6P SE M 1- ' ti- --- -- --•• THE WHITE HOUSE a'1 I -I WASHINGTON --v - J ' r _ ✓ - - ' JJ June 5 1964 - _____ _ MEMORANDUM FOR THE FILE SUBJECT Covert Action P el Meeting 6 5 64 Discussion With Secretary Sp cial Group et al 6 5 64 at the Board's offices Mr Murphy held a meeting of the Board's Covert Action Panel Messrs Murphy Gray and Langer also attended by General Doolittle J Patrick Coyne and A R Ash On I At the invitation of Chairman Murphy the meeting was joined by Mr Peter Jessup who since January 20 1964 has been serving a·s Secretary of the Special NSC 5412 2 Group In answer to questions asked by Panel members Mr Jessup provided a description of the Special Group and its activities as follows I The Special Group is chaired by Mr McGeorge Bundy Mr Alexis Johnson represents the State Department Mr Cyrus Vance represents the Secretary of Defense and Mr McCone the CIA These Group members are back-stopped by small staffs in their respective agencies Meetings of the Special Group are held once each week They are action meetings not talk-fests and the members have done their homework beforehand The Chairman of the JCS attends when the agenda includes subjects of particul r JCS interest since January he has attended two meetings for discussion of Cuba matters j Most of the covert actions considered by the Special Group are CIA pro-posals although other members suggest actions for example State Department brought up for discussion the matter of supplying arms in Ta gayika The State Department is considered to serve as the conscience of the Special Group in its consideratio13-0£ proposed covert actions During the current year some 23 of 39 proposals were favorably considered by the Group About 50 per cent of the covert actions coming before·the Special Group are carried out by the Joint Reconnaissance Center JRC of the JCS in the aerial reconnaissance field Since January 1 the Group has approved actions with respect to Cuba Vietnam Cambodia Laos Panama Chile Congo Angola Tibet Zanzibar and China among others For example the April 29· 1964 meeting included discussions of the Chilean elections Cuba a JRC forecast of peripheral missions and reconnaissance coverage from India of a Chinese Communist test range T6f S GREl NW18 5 Docld 2504 NW'Wl 612 Page3 r _ ' J - ' I ' Minutes of Special Group meetings are provided only to the members In·answer to a specific question from Mr Murphy Mr Jessup said that to his knowledge there has been no systematic review ·by the Special Group concer ing the results of actions taken pursuant to previous · G oup approvals I The Group follows the policy of referring to the President those proposed actions as to which Group members have_differences of opinion regarding the probability and acc ptability of noise levels which would result from the actions Since January the subject of Cuba has been taken up with' the President with a view to obtaining guidance on the level of covert action activity desired during this election year Mr Jessup concluded his visit with the Board Panel and departed the r·•·v 'b meeting· at this point 1 - -· · • ·•· f_i_ V'·'' - Next the Board Panel meeting was joined by Messrs Dick Helms and · ·•- •' Cord Meyer of CIA - · 'A ·i Mr Helms said that with regard to Cuba there ·has been an effective st - - down in externally-mounted sabotage operations since Febr ry Policy approvals have been given only to oddments of passiye··sabotage such as supplying agen ts 1 with incendiary pencils etc a mattres ···f ct f Y -and a plastic works were urned d Q __ but CIA does not consi_der that such operations are enough and they are--'iior-the wfiole program that CIA wants to conduct The Track II paper in the State Department calls for CIA support of Cuban exile group activity but no CIA direction and controlr and few results are possible from such an approach with Artime burning down a sugar mill but Manolo Ray getting· arreste d by the British ·There have been acts of sabotage performed on tractors carried b'y vessels en route to Cuba On the economic front after Castro had put out false rumors of an expected short sugar crop in order to run up the world market price the CIA countered by assembling correct information which when Jublished brought the price down again With regard to Soviet personnel in Cuba Mr Helms estimated that there are from 15 000 to 18 000 on the Island although u s intelligence community estimators place the figure at fr om 4 000 to 5 000 1 Concerning Chile Mr Helms said that the coming Presidential elections there on September 13 are vieweft with serious concern The Socialists there are more radical than the Communists and candidate Allende backed by the FRAP party may have a strong chance of winning Moreover the constitutional-minded Chileans would accept a regularly-elected COtinnunist as President and would not take coup action to put him out of office Allende is being supported by the USSR at the rate of about one-quarter miilion dollars a month and his su cess at the polls is important to the Soviets who can then point to the election as an example of a • peaceful Communist victory I CIA support of Chilean Christian emocrat candidate Frei included $750 000 in March and on May 14 another $1 25 million was added following the urgings of major business elements in Chile and the U s Some support is also being given I to anti-Communist candidate Edwards to Protestants and to poll-taking groups - 2 - NW185 Docld 2504 Nvfags 13 Page4 • r ······ 0 --···-·----··-··---··-·--------·---·--·· •··-- - -·-··· - l f - - ' i _ I Referring to Panama Mro Helms observed tha CIA appeared for the moment to · have backed the right candidate -- Rebles II With reference to Brazil Mr Helms said_ that the coup was Brazil inspired and spontaneous not a U S operation He added that Brazil had come close to being lost to the Conununists through subversion from the top Goulart Turning to the subject of Southeast Asia Mr Helms said that there have been many lengthy discuss_ions about South Vietnam and about getting the Viet Cong out of that country • This objective has been talked to death and all possibilities considered but no one seems to be preoccupied with finding a way to replace the political fabric that was lost in South Vietnam when the Diem regime was overthrown The present government is all a military show Mr Helms added that the Bhuddists are a political group but not cohesive As for prospects of effecting intelligence infiltration of North Vietnam Mr Helms said that CIA had be1en trying but the target country is small and there is not much intelli gence to obtain there At present MACV is in charge of sabotage efforts against 1 North Vietnam In r Helms' opinion there is a clear need to create a new political structure in South Vietnam or else there will be little use in striking against the North I In Laos Mr Helms said the Pathet Lao can take over at will He noted that the Meo's are still intact only one battalion and are being supplied by CIA air drops from Thailand of weapons food and medicines · I I Mr Cord Meyer referred to the crisis of the AQoula government in the Congo There are 200 men in Brazzaville with Chicom support ready to assassinate cabinet officers When the UN forces leave on June 30 the 30 000-man Congolese National A y will have a big job to do Mobutu and officers of the Army are wary of providing much training down to the pla_toon level because they distrust these troops in a s Mean hile CL has supplied the Army with 6 airplanes and pilots and authority-·has now been received by CIA to deuble this support Regarding'Cyprus Mr Helms said that the Turks are threatening to go onto the island with troops within 24 hours Messrs Helms and Meyer left the Panel meeting at this pointo The Board Panel meeting was next Joined by Mr Alexis Johnson of the· State Department He filled the Panel members in on the latest Cyprus development including the President's message to the head of the Turkish government and eneral Lemnitze _js trip to Turkey to point out the hazard to Turkey's NATO relationships if Turkey moved into Cyprus with troops Panel Chairman Murphy asked Mr Johnson for any comments he might have regarding State Department relationships with the Special Group and with the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board - 3 - NW185 Docld 2504 N i24 Docld 346 71 Page 5 _ - •_ - ''' ' Mr Johnson said that·as State Department representative·on the Sp cial G oup ha tries t6 do the difficult job of viewing the risks against the gains 1 nvolvedin proposed covert actions Issues rarely·arise in the Sp ecial Group ·because problems are first staffed in the member agencies Irt State Mr Johnson is staffed by Mr Scqtt of INR who maintains contacts with FBI and CIA - the relation with FBI having been recently regularized as· had been done-earlier in the case of CIA • Mro Scott consults Mr Johnson on all covert operations and any issues and also focuses on NRO matters for Mro Johnson In all Mr Johnson feels ·that the Special Group system is sa i factory He acknowledged however that the Special Group does not have a procedure for systematic loqk-back at the res lts of programs previously 4 1-pprovedo From State's point of vie w he could s ee the need for such a proced·u· re· for h e j e E - _E h e EprQ'led L--- e thi ll oes · · j QJlio Mr Johnson said that wltnin _State a quarterly revie w is made of political act ion programs and he sees a need- for monitoring of ·programs i n the Special Group · · · · 1 7 As for State 1 a relations with the P esident's Foreign Int lligence Advisory Board Mr Johnson recalled that one problem arose with the Board's November 22·-report on the Dunlap case which caused him considerable concern -particularly the discussion language supporting the Board's recommendations on subjects involving State CIA and FBI Mr Johnson thought that he should have been given an opportunity to comment to the Boar d concerning the FBI and CIA complaints which were reflected in the tecommendations· · Mr Coyne then gave Mr Johnson sofu e of the background of one of the Board's ·recommendations which involved State CIA--FBI and which pertained to a development of such serisit ivity as to closely restrict the Board's disclosure of ·it Mr Coyne took th initiative after the Panel meeting to suggest to FBI that Mr Johnson be briefed on this sensitive item in order that State Department might be in a position to assist and not unwittingly hinder related operations of FBI and CIA interest abroad FBI did this soo·n afterward a d Mro _Johnson expressed to Mro Coyne his satisfaction at this handling of the mattero Mr Murphy next brought up the subject of the recently discovered audio penetration of·the U S Embassy Moscow · Mro Murphy noted that the preliminary USIB damage assessment contained State Department comments to the effect that the comprom e was not too serious and he wondered if this accurately re-fleeted the State Depart ment v iew ·9f the matter Mr Johnson said that during the audio p_enetration p eriod the State Department senJ many messages to our Ambassador in-Moscow telling him to make certain representations to the Soviets and in turn the Ambassador sent messages to Washington report ng on what he had said to the Sov-iets and what they said to him O M r_ ' 'Johns on_felt that no damaging l rea¢h had occurred in this iegard -- except _for -perhaps any Department Emb_ais-y analy es that might have appeared in messages intercepted by the Soviets Mr Johnsbn a ded that -0ur people at posts ehind the Iron Curtai assume that they are 1'bugged'' and they behave accordingly and Mr Johnson related to the Panel h1s own experience while serving at Prague where he dug out 3 i mikes 11 • I ' • I • J - 4 - NW 185 Docld 2504 NW r • 1i ij W fifti - - J Lfl%'z ll @ t¼ 1f-j¼jM fZ M t tt f@f t f jj Ji ilii 'iili i- • WC ·ilfi 11 ·1 i' • n r -· V' t l -• • t 1 · - _ - r t O - ' 1 _ ' ' 1 · ' - • _ _ ·• •• -_--·---··· · ···- • • • •• • - - · - · • •• • - -·· • • • ' I l · Mr · urphy raised with Mr Johnson the question as_ to whether 1subordinates · should be'allowed to make decisions such as the cutting of the co-axial cables disc·overed leading out of the Embassy· in Moscow f __ Mro Murphy pointing out that such action app'eared premature and· prevented the technicians from making technical · examinati c IlS of va·l e a d importance Mr Murphy also noted that subordinates · in State and CIA had assum ed resp·onsibility for he decision that no a tempt would be made to exploit the devices found in Moscow Mr Johnson was unaware of policy direc t ion regarding such matters and Mr Coyne made known to him · the provisions· of NSC 5618 covering the subject · With reference to North Vietnam Mr Johnson noted that the situation 1 is most discouraging insofar a coveit· infiltration a ti6ns are· c6hcerned · He said that CIA had tried hard · and the activity ha's now been transferred to MACV in Saigon• f t· Mr Johnson concluded his visit with the Board Panel and departed the meeting In executive session Pa nel Chairman Murphy asked that the ·Board Staff• · 1vl review of the Special ·Group minutes include summaries of items pertaining to Vietnam and Cuba for later study by the Panel · · A The Panel Meeting adjourned at 12 15 p m l · -A R Ash I ' ' - 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