'61 CUBAN FIASCO - THREE NEW ACCOUNTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000100250027-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 16, 1999
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: August 2, 1965
• Content Type: MAGAZINE

.THREE NEW ACCOUNTS
Who was to blame tor the disaster--
lo the Bay of Pigs?
In the space of two days, the nation.'
s just been given three different ac=
unts of that 1961 fiasco by three for-
er r U. S. officials.
All agree that many major mistakes
ere made. But one major difference of,
pinion emerges. The issue:
? Did the plan for the invasion of
astro's Cuba by 1,400 Cuban exiles
ver have a chance to succeed?
? Or might the invasion have suc-
ceded if the late President Kennedy
cad not canceled a second air strike by,
xilcd pilots that had been scheduled for
he morning of the invasion?
On one side in this dispute are
rthur M.. Schlesinger, Jr., and Theo-
ore C. Sorensen, both former White
House assistants to President Kennedy.
On the other side is Richard M. Bis-
sell, Jr., chief planner of the invasion
for the Central Intelligence Agency.
Mr. Sorensen, in a "Look" magazine
excerpt from his soon-to-be-published
book, "Kennedy," says this about the
invasion plan:
"With hindsight, it is clear that what
in fact the President had approved was'
diplomatically unwise and militarily
doomed from the outset."
Mr. Kennedy. is quoted as saying:'
"How could everybody involved have
thought such . a "plan would ' .succeed?"
?
ti
,
,
t
, C' 7
-r^"4'^.ra JS. '~M1,~~.~ta~i;.,.sy~.~.~~,L ~'y+~
~:
~{
"sel
~
~
~
,
O
~
~
~
CASTRO'S GUNS at the Bay of Pigs-Could a second''
air strike against the defenders, canceled by President
Kennedy. have staved off defeat of the invaders?
Mr. Schlesinger, in a "Life" magazine' : to cancel the second scheduled air strike
article, says: "Kennedy came later to by the Cuban B-28 bombers because of
feel that the cancellation of the second a rising. tide of criticism from other
strike was an error. But he did not re- countries might have made a critical dif-
gard it as a decisive error." ference in the outcome.
In the opinion of Mr. Schlesinger, "The Star" quotes Mr. Bissell: "If we,
who opposed the whole invasion idea:: ' had been able to dump five times the
'"The second strike might have pro-' tonnage of bombs on Castro's airfields,
tracted the stand on the beachhead.... "we would have had a damned good
It might have made possible the even-:.. chance."
tual evacuation of the attacking force. President Kennedy is pictured by his
"But there is certainly nothing to sug- . ; onetime aides as angry with his intelli-
gest that the second air strike could gence and military advisers for concoct-
possibly have led to the overthrow of ing an invasion plan that failed-and
the Castro regime on the terms which angry 'with himself for accepting it.
President Kennedy laid down from the Mr. Sorensen quotes Mr. Kennedy as
start-that is, without U. S. intervention." saying: "How could I have been so far
Mr. Bissell, in an, interview with "The ,;;; off base?..All.my life I've known better
Washington Evening Star," disagrees than to depend on the 'experts... How,
with the idea that the' invasion never could I have.. been so stupid, to let them
had a chance. Said' "The Star"r' ' o ahead?"
e
R?P75=00 . 001 R0001 00250027-1