I• The Washington merry-go-round With LES WHITTEN 1,'41q Jack Anderson

WASHINGTON — The Senate report at the bottom; others bear no name at calls "plausible deniability." —The Dominican Republic's late on CIA assassination attempts has been all. The draft report runs about 200 pages dictator, Rafael Trujillo, was censured held up while the senators make a final, There is some evidence that and is bound in a looseleaf folder. But by the Organization of American States probably futile effort to find out who Presidents may have authorized the pages are still being taken out to be in 1960 for sponsoring an unsuccessful authorized the plots against foreign CIA's participation in an occasional rewritten. Key witnesses have also been assassination plot against Venezuela's rulers. coup of kidnaping. For example, called back for additional questioning. President Romulo Betancourt. Although Still unresolved is whether past President Kennedy apparently approved The assassination report may not be the OAS denounced the attempted Presidents were aware of the murder an August 23, 1963 cable directing the ready, therefore, until the end of the murder as a flagrant violation of human plots. Did men like Dwight Eisenhower, U.S. embassy in Saigon to arrange the month. rights, this didn't deter the Eisenhower John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and overthrow of South Vietnam's President However, here are the committee's administration from sponsoring plots to sometimes behave in a Ngo Dinh Diem. preliminary findings: kill not only Castro but Trujillo. At least manner more befitting a Mafia There was also secret testimony that —in 1960, the CIA plotted to do away the State Department, in a clumsily godfather than President of the United President Nixon personally gave CIA with the troublesome Congolese leader, coded message, directed its consulate in States? chief the green light to go Patrice Lumumba. One method that was Santo Domingo to support a coup against There are two possibilities, both ahead with the 1970 kidnaping of Chile's explored was poisoning. An official Trujillo. Although the U.S. supplied the profoundly disturbing. Either the Gen. Rene Schneider. Nixon allegedly announcement claimed he was slain on weapons, it is denied that the U.S killings had presidential approval, or the told Helms that Henry Kissinger would Feb. 12, 1961 by Congolese tribesmen encouraged the assassins to gun down CIA arranged them without be his White House contact on the after his escape from prison. But Trujillo as happened on May 30,1961. authorization. scheme. according to one Bizarre, unconfirmed —Not only did a cable go out from The evidence before the Senate But it was emphatically denied that account, he was given only whiskey to Washington on Aug. 23, 1963, ordering Intelligence Committee is inconclusive. the Diem and Schneider killings were drink and died of alcoholic poisoning. In U.S. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge to CIA officials, testifying in secret, denied ever part of the original plans. The Diem any event, CIA witnesses denied that the seek the overthrow of South Vietnam's getting any assassination orders from coup got out of control, and Schneider agency had anything to do with his final President Ngo Dinh Diem but some of the White House. They admitted under put up unexpected resistance, it was demise. the generals who participated in the cross-examination, however, that they explained. —In late 1960, the CIA recruited two coup were paid by the U.S. Two months would to protect the President. Hints were dropped that the White Mafia mobsters to knock off 's later, on November t, Diem was killed. The same witnesses also denied that House wasn't kept entirely in the dark Premier . The attempts on . Still, the key witnesses denied that the the CIA had plotted to kill anyone about the assassination plots. As one Castro's life continued until the spring of cabled orders were implemented- r without authorization. Yet they could witness put it, the late CIA chief Allen 1963. Castro not only was aware of the —The 1970 kidnaping of Gen. Rene never seem to identify who had granted Dulles informed Presidents of the dirty attempts to kill him, the draft report , Schneider was intended, apparently, to the authorization. work by "circumlocution." notes, but also threatened to retaliate touch off a coup that would block the late • Thig point is equally vague in the Most committee members reportedly against U.S. leaders. The report offers 1 Salvador Allende from coming to power documents that the CIA delivered to the believe that past Presidents approved, no evidence, however, that Castro had in Chile. Although President Nixon has committee. Invariably, the secret or at least condoned, the assassination anything to do with the subsequent been linked with the kidnap order, there memos dealing with assassination plots plots but that no record was kept. This assassination of President Kennedy a is no evidence that this was intended to are unsigned. Some have a name typed gave the Presidents what a draft report few weeks later. be an assassination plot. : CA , ,_ I

The Washington Merry-Go-Round ittf, WASHINGTON POST Thursday. September 18, 1975 B19 10 • • rtgtn of Assassination Plots Sought ; - By Jack Anderson embassy in Saigon to arrange was slain on Feb. 12, 1961, by was censured by the Organiza-A the overthrow of South Viet- Congolese tribesmen after his lion of American States in 1960' and Lee Whitten nam's President Ngo Dinh escape from prison. But accord- for sponsoring an unsuccessful assassination plot against Venal.. The Senate report on CIA as- Diem. ing to one bizarre, unconfirmed sassination attempts has been Threre was also secret testi- account, he was given only whis- zuela's President Romulo Bev, held up while the senators mony that President Nixon per- key to drink and died of alco- tancourt. Although the OAS ctett: make a final, probably futile, ef- sonally gave CIA chief Richard holic poisoning. In any event, nounced the attempted murder: fort to find out who authorized Helms the green light to go CIA witnesses denied that the as a flagrant violation of humatf', the plots against foreign rulers. ahead with the 1970 kidnaping agency had anything to do with rights, this didn't deter the Ei- of Chile's Gen. Rene Schneider. his final demise. senhower administration from' Still unresolved is whether Nixon allegedly told Helms that • In late 1960, the CIA re- plots to kill not only Castro but past Presidents were aware of Henry Kissinger would be his Trujillo. At least the Depart: the muder plats. Did mvn like cruited two Mafia mobsters to White House contact on the knock of Cuba'sPremier Fidel ment, in a clumsily coded mes-' Dwight Eisenhower, John Ken- scheme. sage, directed its consulate in nedy, Lyndon Johnson and Castro. The attempts on Castro's But it was emphatically de- life continued until the spring Santo Domingo to support a Richard Nixon sometimes be- nied that the Diem and coup against Trujillo. Although. - have in a manner more befitting of 1963. Castro not only was Schneider killings were ever aware of the attempts to kill the U.S. supplied the weapons, - a Mafia godfather than Presi- part of the original plans. The him, the draft report notes, but it is denied that the U.S. encour- dent of the United States' Diem coup got out of control, aged the assassins to gut down- There are two possibilities, and Schneider put up unex- also threatened to retaliate against U.S. leaders. The report Trujillo as happened on May 30, both profoundly disturbing. Ei- pected resistance, it was ex- offers no evidence, however, 1961. ther the killings had presiden- plained. .1575. United Feitzre Syndic-MA.1w. tial approval, or the CIA ar- Hints were dropped that the that Castro had anything to do with the subsequent assassina- ranged them without authoriza- White House wasn't kept en- tion of President Kennedy few tion. tirely in the dark about the as- The evidence before the Sen- sassination plots. As one wit- weeks later. ate intelligenc committee is in- ness put it, the late CIA chief Al- • The Dominican Republic's conclusive. CIA officials, testify- len Dulles informed Presidents late dictator. Rafael Trujillo, ing in secret, denied getting any of the dirty work by "circumlo- assassination orders from the cution." White House. They admitted un- Most committee members re- der cross-examination,however, portedly believe that past Presi- that they would lie to protect dents approved, or at least con- the President. doned, the assassination plots The same witnesses also de- but that no record was kept. nied that the CIA had plotted to This gave the Presidents what a kill anyone without authoriza- draft report calls "plausible de- tion. Yet they could never seem niability." to identity who had granted the The draft report runs about authorization. 200 pages and is bound in a This point is equally vague in loose-leaf folder. But pages are the documents that the CIA de- still being taken out to be rew- livered to the committee. Invar- ritten. Key witnesses have also iably, the secret memos deal- been called back for additional ing with assassination plots are questioning. The assassination unsigned. Some have a name report may not be ready, there- typed at the bottom: others bear fore, until the end of the month. no name at all. However, here are the com- There is some evidence that mittee's preliminary findings: Presidents may have authorized • In 1960, the CIA plotted to do the CIA's participation in an oc- away with the troublesome Con- casional coup or kidnaping. For golese leader, Patrice Lu- example, President Kennedy mumba. One method that was apparently approved an Aug. 23, explored was poisoning. An offi- 1963, cable directing the U.S. cial announcement claimed he