MEETING WITH SENATOR RICHARD B. RUSSELL - 29 NOVEMBER 1962

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP64B00346R000100120001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 5, 2004
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 29, 1962
• Content Type: MEMO

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UM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT Meeting with Senator Richard B. Russell -
Z9 November 1962
t with Senator Richard B. Russell, with
for approximately an hour. Senator Russ
mentioned his visit to some of the F-- I and the
Air Force monitoring station which ; described as most modern.
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3. Senator Russell than discussed his trip to Luxor which at one
point was cancelled but then was reinstituted in about an hour. There was
supposed to be an Egyptian fighter unit there but when they arrived none
them were on the airfield. However, he mentioned the damaged Badger
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aircraft which looked like our 3-47. He said this was shrouded in
canvas and there were n=y mechanics working on it. He stated
clearly it was damaged and he indicated a high degree of security
was golz~g in the area with signs saying .'no ca noras,." He
mentioned the crew chief of the American military attaches plant
who bad been left there with the DC-3 which was forced to land due
to loss of an engine. Russell described the difficulties in getting
this crew chief out of the area back to Cairo. Later in Cairo, Russell
stated the military attaches indicated they had picked up a run.-.or
based no evidence that the 3a4g.r aircraft had been shot down by
mist sce by 7 gyptian fighters. The Director said he would look into
this. (An Initial check with f CI indicates that they had
not heard of this situation.)
4. The Senator asked the Director about the Cuban sit
The erector gave a rather detailed picture indicating we had counted
4g missiles coming out by aerial photography and visual obse
from ads. Originally. based on the capabilities of the ships wi
large Weiss. it was .stimated there might be as many as 48 mis
in Cuba but our reconnaissance had only picked up 33. it was pointed
out that the ships which turned back at the time of the quarantine were
estimated to contain 35 missiles. As to whether or not there regain
any missiles in Cuba, the Director commented on the difficulty of proving
they negative. The Director mentioned the 42 IL-Z8s with apparent
dismantling and only four left with wings and the cement of crates.
He mentioned the l2 KOMAR PT-typsr-boats, the four coastal defense
_
,too with six missiles each. He mentioned the 39 G-216 equipped
with T4een..typo missiles a n4 piloted by Soviet pilots. While not having
the altitude capability of a U-g, if they were in a goad position possibly
they cad zoom A ad hit a tT-2 with a missile. The Director mentioned
the 24 SAM sites which are complete with the NU comnaunicatious not
and radar. This is also nuumod by Soviets although on occasion Cubans
have been on the net,
S. Russell asked if we know how the t7-g was brought down. The
a SA-2 missile apparently during a test
y of, Major
in the body entered on the basis
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The Director indicated the FROG units were roughly
equivalent to our Honest Johns. He described the four organized
mobile armored units in battalion size. He stated he was very
ed about these and as to why they are there. Photo evidence
reveals construction of permanent installations such as barracks, etc.
The Director stated he could earlier rationalize the SAMS as a shield
but why leave them there now. Also it was difficult for him to
srmti isa permanent installation, for the armored units. He
speculated possibly that they are there against the contingency
a take over after Castro had drunk some "bad coffee. ?' Thee l rector
indicated there were some who believe the Soviets will lot the situation
in Cuba gradually drift downward but that he believes that Cuba is an
extremely valuable piece of real estate and in fact more valuable to
the Soviets than any one of the satellites as being a bastion for the
Soviets in this hemisphere. Russell indicated his complete agreement
with this view.
7. The Director stated that a massive intelligence effort
being conducted against Cuba with two U-Z flights per day scheduled.
McCono commented an the press items charging poor
once in the Cuban crisis and Senator Russell Indicated he did not
I. Mr. McCone stated that he personally had
4 his concern about missiles in Cuba s nco last August. He
mentioned that the President had commented to him today (29 Noveembor)
that "no one would believe you or take you seriously.,, However,
Mr. Me Cone added that while possibly we could have learned about
them earlier. we would have had no positive proof any earlier. Russell
d that certainly it took more than two weeks to build these
McCone agreed that the photography of 5 September
uchs in one area and to retrospect this was the beginning
at sn.e construction of one of the sites. Consequently, it took
y six weeks.
9. Mr.. McCono commented on the insistence of the Soviets that
the President come forward with his pledge against invasion. The DCI
speculated that this would be extremely useful to the Soviets in the event
of a take over and a threat by the U. S. to counter this which the Soviets
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could take to the UN and possibly win their point. Russell expressed
his view that we should have gone into Cuba and cleaned it up once and
for all but that maybe this is the best way.
The Director advised that the deal for the Cuban prisoners
that the money placed on deposit and letters of credit had
been withdrawn. Mr. Cone stated he would advise in the jutur,
such arrangements, pointing out, however, that the Attorney
Secretary Rusk Just today have again raised the question of
open. Russell reiterated his very strong view
out but if it had to go the American people should
d the full story. He acknowledged. of course, the special
iblllty of the U. S. for those prisoners and that the other 60, 000
n Cuba got there on their own. He was pleased that these
arrangements were off. He pointed out that no other new Agency that
he knew of after throe years failed to get into trouble in connection with
its appropriations. In the case of CIA, it continued to receive the money
hich it needed and was able to keep from public view the essential
things which it required to do its job. If the prisoner deal were to go
forward, he stated his belief this could cause the Agency serious trouble
the Congress on its appropria