CIA and the Cuban Invasion Book, the Day by Day and Hour by Hour Account of What Happened on the by T

BOOKS AND THE ARTS

Guzman in Guatemala. And so on. The Secret News That's Fit to Print The Agency has a home program too. Tax-free American foundations are used by CIA as "cover," Academic in- I- That :Massive, Hidden Apparatus stitutions receive CIA subsidies - for example, the Center for International by Gilbert A. Harrison Studies at MIT, founded by Walt Ros- tow, now Chief of the State Depart- ment's Policy Planning staff. Like Gen- You can tell a CIA man; you can tell ing CIA's Deputy Director for Intelli- eral Motors, but less openly, the him off; and the authors of this book gence and the Director of the State De- Agency recruits staff from the univer- more or less do, though they don't tell partment's Bureau of Intelligence and sities. It finances a number of refugee him or us much that wasn't known be- Research. (And so secret was it that organizations: "For a decade a $loo fore. David Wise, chief of the Washing- diligent newsmen were writing about million fund was available for this type ton Bureau of The New York Herald- it before it happened.) Despite a US of activity." The CIA, Wise and Ross Tribune, and Thomas B. Ross, a mem- pledge that no US armed forces and conclude, "is not simply an agency that ber of the Washington Bureau of The no Americans would be involved, gathers foreign intelligence for the Chicago Sun-Times, have written no "American CIA pilots were flying in United States in far off corners of the expose. They peddle no secrets. Still the invasion and Navy jets were to globe. It is deeply involved in many screen them against attack." The same diverse, clandestine activities right The Invisible Government story is related in greater detail in The here in the United States in at least zo by David Wise lit Thomas B. Ross Say of Pigs, reviewed in this issue by metropolitan areas. It can and does (Random House; $5.95) Mr. Fehrenbach. appear in many guises, and under many It was the CIA, too, that provided names Zenith, Double-Chek, Gibral- their book is not without surprises. men and equipment to the rebels who tar Steamship, and Vanguard in one The US Intelligence network, they re- tried to overthrow President Sukarno city alone. On university campuses and port, has become a "massive, hidden in 1955; the CIA plotted to overthrow in the great urban centers of America, apparatus, secretly employing about the government of Iran in 1953; the the foundation, the cultural committee, zoo,000 persons, and spending several CIA secretly supported 12,000 Na- the emigre group, the Cuban exile orga- billion dollars a year." Congress pro- tionalist Chinese rebels in Burma a dec- nization, the foreign affairs research vides money "without knowing how ade ago, much to the annoyance of the center, the distinguished publishing much it has appropriated or how much Burmese government; the CIA engi- house specializing in books about Rus- will be spent .. . [since CIA's] budget neered a coup d'etat in Guatemala in sia, the steamship company, the free- is concealed in other appropriations." 1954; the CIA tried to "promote the dom radio soliciting public contribu- They quote a Senate committee's judg- ouster of Jose Figueres, the moderate tions, the innocent-looking consulting ment that the US ambassador's author- Socialist who became President [of firm - all may in reality be arms of the ity is a "polite fiction." (Secretary of Costa Rica] in a fair and open election invisible government." State Rusk stated in June, 1961: "We in 1953"; the CIA conceived of and ran They tell us something about the CIA- expect our ambassadors abroad to take the U-1 flights; the CIA "poured mil- run radio stations that beam propagan- charge of the relations of the United lions" after World War 11 into an da around the world - Radio Free Eu- States with the country in which they espionage apparatus in West Germany rope; Radio SWAN in the Carribbean; are posted, and if necessary to take headed by CIA-picked General Gehlen, Radio Liberation (now Radio Liberty), charge of all the officials who are there a member of the General Staff under which "broadcast exclusively to the working with them.") They claim that Hitler; the CIA (and the Pentagon) "at Intelligence activities are "never dis- a cost of $30o million" invented and SUMMER SCHEDULE cussed in the [National Security] Coun- propped up a right-wing military gov- During the summer months, cil" but are "handled by a small di- ernment in Laos, and when it was over- The New Republic rectorate, the name of which is only thrown and succeeded by the govern- will not appear on: whispered [the Special Group]." ment of "neutralist" Souvanna Phouma, They then offer a few case studies. the CIA continued to give substantial July 13 August a The CIA (as every taxi driver in Beirut support to its original chosen instru- August 15 August 29 knows by now), directed and financed ment; the CIA organized an elite corps Weekly publication will be the Cuban invasion, and so secret was in Vietnam and supported it at a rate resumed with the issue it that "many high officials of the gov- of 53 million a year; the CIA got rid of of September 5 ernment were not let in on it," includ- the regime of President Jacobo Arbenz

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Soviet Union 24 hours a day, from 17 out of public view." And so they often think a separation of these functions transmitters in West Germany, Spain, are, and would be if there were no CIA. would not be desirable: "If the CIA and Formosa." I cite in evidence, one report of a were to be prohibited from carrying out I want to repeat, however, the authors' "news briefing" given last week by the secret operational activity, and that claim that their book contains only the White House press secretary, George task were to be turned over to another news that someone, somewhere, has Reedy. "After failing to obtain an eluci- agency, it might be necessary to create already seen fit to print. They do not dation of American policy in Southeast another set of secret operatives in ad- (with one exception) describe any cur- Asia," wrote Carroll Kilpatrick in The dition to the large number of CIA men rent "black" operations; they don't Washington Post, already at work overseas. Such a situa- identify any agent whose name has not tion would probably reduce efficiency, ... a reporter asked whether the already been published. They could, of raise costs, and increase the danger of Administration had imposed a lid course, have accepted the line that exposure." on such discussions. 'I don't know nothing should be written about CIA of CIA has "quasi-independent status," that there is any official lid, as such,' which CIA does not approve; in which we are informed. Is that good or bad? Reedy replied." case they would have been wasting I think Mr. Wise and Mr. Ross think "Finally a reporter asked: 'George, their time and the readers'. Or they it's bad. But if the Agency were less in- is there any policy, procedural or could have decided to tell all. But that, dependent (more responsible to more operation question that you can they clearly felt, would have opened outsiders) would there not inevitably comment on off the record, on the them to the charge of something like be more "leaks," more danger of com- record, for background or deep treason. Even so, their circumspection promising the secret purposes for which background?'" has been cruelly rewarded by William CIA was established? Their recom- "'I will just go back to what I have F. Buckley, Jr., who believes that they mendation that "if ... it becomes neces- said before,' Reedy replied." "verge close to unpatriotism." sary to undertake a secret operation, it "Reedy opened his morning brief- If we push on and ask ourselves what, is imperative that the long-range reper- ing ... by announcing that Alex- precisely, the authors find defective cussions be weighed fully in advance" ander A. Matsas, the Greek Ambas- in CIA and how they could correct it, will be disputed by none. visibility drops sharply. They don't sador, was scheduled to see the Pres- ident at 12:3o. The following ex- Yes, our ambassadors abroad should question that the national interest re- know what's going on, should be in change took place: quires lies and bribes (though officials charge of their posts. The point was "Q. 'Did he request the appoint- ought not to be caught lying). They made firmly by Chester Bowles as he ment?' might have come to the opinion — some traveled about from embassy to embas- "A. 'I am not certain who request- have — that the primary danger in so sy in the early days of the Kennedy Ad- ed it'. powerful, highly centralized and hidden ministration. President Kennedy and an operation as CIA lies in the tempta- "Q. `What will they talk about?' "A. 'I don't have any comment on Secretary Rusk backed him up. Never- tion it offers a few people to conduct theless, what they will talk about'. as Wise and Ross imply, things their own foreign policy, irrespective of go on much as before. CIA agents official policy. And although they do "Q. 'Is it fair to assume that Cyp- rus will come up?' "maintain communications and codes concede that "this accusation contains of their own"; they have money to some truth," they're mindful that "A. 'I would not want to be setting the rules of fair play'." spend, and they are not financially ac- "there are procedures which call for the countable to the ambassador. Is there approval of any major special opera- Mr. Reedy deserves our sympathy, any remedy for that — except the ap- tion at a high level in the executive not our censure. "Invisible government" pointment of ambassadors who can branch of the government." They say is a large part of government and set- spot foolishness when they see it, and that "the CIA and other agencies of ting the rules of fair play is far trickier who don't mind treading on toes, even the invisible government are free to in the field of Intelligence, than else- the toes of CIA's powerful friends in shape events in the field," but they where. When the authors report that key committees of Congress? give no proof. Instead, there are some "critics of the CIA have been hobbled Perhaps funds for CIA should not be illustrations of poor coordination, either by a lack of sure knowledge about its concealed in the appropriations of other by design or inadvertence: thus, in activities," they are on solid ground. departments, but if the amount and Costa Rica, "CIA officers did not see But do they mean this in derogation or nature of these funds is to be kept sec- fit to inform the State Department in approval of CIA? Probably the form- ret, how can they be made more public when they planted a Fake Communist er, though we cannot be sure. For fre- in the Budget? And anyway, the pres- document in a local newspaper." No- quently in their book they seem to re- ent director of the international division where do they suggest that large gret that the Secret Society isn't sec- of the Budget Bureau, under whom "all amounts of money have been wasted, ret enough — which is essentially an of the budgets [for Intelligence] are or that the secret operations which they allegation of inefficiency. pulled together," is the former Deputy describe ought not to have been under- There has been discussion l'ecently of Director of CIA. taken in the first place. whether CIA's two functielns of In- The authors argue plausibly for a One trouble with this spy business telligence-gathering and "black" op- joint, watchdog committee of Congress seems to be that "major decisions in- erations should reside in4 ,the same with lively, independent members who volving peace or war are taking place agency. The authors seem inclined to will spend more time looking more care-

Mmtammintrammsammimmemomanwoavommagmwm.m0;,5,ai_:iw4WaWAWSWAR,MAQW6MANNWNMIF JUNE 27, 1964 fully into the details of Intelligence. Had Mr. Wise and Mr. Ross explored great service in removing from these But they stop short of outlining the that proposition in depth, they would Cuban exiles, who represented every rules under which such a committee have deserved our gratitude. They de- class and color and almost every would operate, the means by which it serve it anyway. Their dramatic story known loth-Century ideology except could learn any more than CIA wished reminds us, again, of the need to Communism, the stigma of mercenary. to tell it. keep this "dirty business" under wraps Their story speaks for itself, not so Perhaps the best defense of CIA is as well as under adequate control. much during the searing days and that in this age of conspiracy, it does Some will be alarmed by what they nights of heavy combat at Playa Giron, what no other group — public or private reveal; some will be annoyed. The Di- but through what happened afterward, — can do, and that what it does is neces- rector and the Deputy Director of CIA at public trial and in prison. The Bri- sary; that only a clandestine elite, freed some weeks ago personally contacted gade hung together; it went ashore from the drag of public scrutiny or Random House, and let it be known a partially-trained force, and it came bureaucratic timidity can effectively that the book should be revised, or out of combat and months of impris- counter Communist subversion abroad. possibly withdrawn. onment a proud and disciplined body. There have been American troops who did not do so well. For sheer drama, the mid-part of the II - CIA and the Cuban Invasion book, the day by day and hour by hour account of what happened on the by T. R. Fehrenbach beaches at Cochinos Bay, is by far the best. This story has not been told be- This book too has annoyed certain Brigada Asalto 2506 — the designation fore; until the Cuban leaders spoke it individuals in the CIA — which is no- derived from the serial number of a could not be. Johnson amassed enor- toriously thin-skinned for an Intelli- member killed in training — which was mous piles of notes in interviews, gence service — and it will continue to organized first under the Eisenhower checking, rechecking. He was critical redden some military faces. There has government in 196o as an insurrection- and fair. He has probably got at the been and will be more talk that some ary force, and then, while in training truth, so far as it ever comes out of the things revealed in The Bay of Pigs, in friendly Central American republics, remembrance of combat. Here is the however true, should be concealed in was made into a conventional military bravery and brilliance of the Negro the national interest. This is hogwash, organization designed to attack and for one simple reason: the failures at- overthrow the Castro regime. The Bri- gade, wholly Cuban, was organized, The Bay of Pigs trained, equipped, and paid by the by Haynes Johnson United States government secretly (Norton; $5.95) through the CIA, and its battle plans and marching orders were drawn by tending the operation on Cochinos Bay the same agency. The end result was a were known, evaluated, and digested complete and unmitigated disaster for by the only possible enemy of the the United States. United States more than three years But not for the Cubans who served at ago. They were indeed art "albatross" Playa Girds in April 1961. For, as around President Kennedy's neck; they Haynes Johnson ably and effectively led to the deepening crisis of 1961-1062 repeats their stories, it is soon evident and to the Cuban confrontation. But that he is handling the stuff of legend, since the fall of 196z, the men in Mos- from ill-starred, almost unbelievable cow have had new, and rather different, beginnings in the swamps of Florida data to work on- If the Administration and the mountains of Guatemala to the 0 in 1961 made serious mistakes — and it epic combat on the beaches to the even did — in the second Cuban crisis most more heroic ordeal in Castro's prisons. of them were retrieved. It is not often that a defeated force The astonishing novel of In this sense, The Bay of Pigs tells no gains stature, particularly when, unlike today's New Politics by national secrets, but does reveal some the Alamo, the sacrifice goes for noth- things the American people have a ing. The men of Brigade 2506, as John- right to know. If it tells the reader son is not reluctant to say, were not without background very little about only heroes in the main but patriots, Cuba and Castro, it shows, through a in an age when patriotism is becoming dispassionate and quite fair piling of a very confusing thing. BURDICK Fidel Castro could not have been, and E fact upon irrefutable fact, a great deal about the American Republic and the will not be, voted out of office any- $5.00 people for which it stands. more than was Jefferson Davis or McGRAW-HILL This is the story of the Cuban exile George III. Johnson has performed a

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deputy commander Erneido Oliva, root, hinged upon the reluctance in him. In Washington, then and now, holding an advance position against Washington to become openly in- both were missing. overwhelming odds, and the profes- volved. The insistence upon "secrecy" Johnson quotes the comment made by sional calmness of brigade commander and official uninvolvement forced con- a participant in the Bay of Pigs tragedy Pepe Perez San Roman, presiding over tinual compromises to protect Ameri- to Stewart Alsop: "The trouble was a growing debacle with high courage to can virtue, and the cumulative effect of that we were acting like an old whore the last. The commander's angry reac- these compromises was disastrous. and trying to pretend that we were just tion to an unauthorized radio message Moral doubts are perhaps the greatest the sweet young girl we used to be." from the beachhead begging for help strength of a truly free people, but they All great powers in this untidy world is unforgettable: "If the Americans can be at times their greatest weakness. have to keep CIAs and sometimes act wanted to send anything, send it, and Moral doubts hamstrung the democ- like old whores; no realist argues the if they don't want to they can go to racies against Hitler, delayed the adop- fact. But only the US seems determined hell." The 2506 Brigade, to the last, did tion of the policy of containment, and to pretend an innocence no great order- not plead. seemingly were fatal in the critical keeping power may long possess. There is more than one kind of moral- months of confrontation with Fidel This book should be read. It is a stir- ity in this world, as the men debating Castro. At the heart of the Bay of Pigs ring account of brave men who tried whether the US had a moral right to fiasco was not the UN situation, not and failed. The battle actions as the intervene or not in Cuba might have the fear of Hispanic-American reaction, Brigade stood cuerpo a cuerpo with remembered. or of Russian pressures in Berlin or Castro's militia are worth its price. And But complete as they are, these are Laos - Johnson pays too much atten- while Bay of Pigs does not attempt to only the Cubans' stories. Johnson has tion, perhaps, to these apologies - but penetrate deeply into the whole Cuban had access to data from "undisclosed the obsessive concern with the Ameri- problem or Cold War, the facts it re- but irrefutable sources" concerning US can image in a world of power. Both veals about Washington and the CIA actions and decisions during the drama, under the late Eisenhower and the may be priceless to this generation of but until the CIA and quite a few other early Kennedy, Truman's old "It is so Americans. This book, in its calm way, sources inside the US speak out, the ordered" - if what was ordered seemed burns some horrifying realizations into entire story will not be known, and in in the vital interests of the United you, and they don't go away. If Bay of its entirety, it probably never will be. States-was sadly lacking. It took Pigs makes the hot Washington sum- However, Johnson does reveal a great moral courage either to decide to do mer hotter, in my opinion it will be all many things with appalling clarity: the away with Fidel, or to accommodate to the good. utter political confusion in Washington concerning a possible new Cuban government, the failure to alert the Cuban underground (Castro arrested 200,000 Still No Connection suspects in Havana after the invasion broke), the cynical decision not to in- by Stanley Kauffmann form Brigade leaders of contingency plans, the lies, however well-inten- Just after we finished laughing at the What one cannot do with it - either in tioned, told the Cubans during train- sex-in-the-toilet scene in Candy (orig- its humor or its gravity - is take it ing and on the beachhead, the almost inally published in 1938), which was seriously. criminal inadequacy of the landing meant as a joke on pornography, we Manny Fells is a drifter in New York craft, the failure, at high levels, to esti- get a sex-in-the-toilet scene in Jack in his twenties, very Beat or Hip or mate the capacity of Castro's T-33 jet Gelber's new novel which is intended whatever term is OK in The Village trainers as fighters, and the enormous as startling evidence of depravity. This Voice by the time this review appears. Intelligence failures from the lack of seems to me a pretty good precis of He lives in a cockroach-ridden loft be- knowledge of what transpired inside low the Village (not in the Village, he Cuba to the condition of the coral off On Ice insists). He gets occasional jobs in the Gir6n beach. The highly-publicized - by Jack Gelber square world to earn some money; but and as Johnson shows, fatal-lack of (Macmillan; $4.95) he really lives in the "other" world: of close air support and cover was merely "turning on" with pot, sniffing heroin, one error of many. Johnson, fairly, Gelber as perceptor. As with his play copulating en passant. His room chan- does not lay it at the feet of the CIA; The Connection, his novel seems lag- nels a stream of whites and Negroes, too many others were involved. But the gard and imitative in moral probe, ad- jazz players, oddball painters, "char- recitation is heartbreaking. olescent in its sententious admiration acter" girls. The list, the author makes It was not so much what the men in of life degraded. us feel, is scrupulously complete. Washington, from President Kennedy It is a very readable book, which is Manny cannot be called an anti-hero. on down did or did not do but the hazy not to say it is very interesting. Gel- He lacks the anti-social resolve of, for manner in which the whole operation ber's writing is swift, his dialogue is instance, The Ginger Man; there is no was approached and carried out which phonographic but pared. There are conviction of the reality of his unreal- is frightening. And every failure, at some funny characters and scenes. ity, as with Genet's Darling. He simply

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