TRIED TO HALT ZAIRE RAID, CASTRO SAYS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000100140044-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 20, 2007
• Sequence Number: 44
• Publication Date: June 10, 1978
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

C
Approved For Release 2007/06/20: CIA-RDP99-00498R000100140044-1
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGE A-1, 12
i ried'to Halt
Z e.. R164"
Castro',_
. He Reportedly Told.:
U.S. -aide -6f-Bid
At May i~~ee as _ ,
,r? -?-mss . ,~; , ?,,..
Wublastoapa.iSUlt W lbrs.. s=
Cuban Pr esident?`?'FideI Castro
told the United- States inn mid-May,
that. he lmew of the -invasion -.o?
Zaire's Shaba Province-a month. or
more in advance: and' that' he .tried
unsuccessfully to stop'. it, informed.
sources said last night
The first half of Castro's statements
on May 17 to the chief U.S. diplomat
in Havana, Lyle F. Lane, seems to but-
tress the Carter - adm i +istration's
claim that Cuba had advance know-
edge of the crossborder attack.- --."-
But the second half. of the. Castro.
statement: which 'has not been offi=
cially disclosed--contradicts. Presi-
dent Carter's- May 25-declaration that-
Cuba "obviously; did' nothing" to re
strain the invaders.
The .US. diplomat's report: on his-
conversation with Castro wag' nadir'
familiar - with: the-- diplomat's report:
said Castro, told Lane-that he tried.to
President! A.aoatimo-: Neto . to ? restrai.-
-the attackhy,Katangese-rebels-acroaa%
Angola's:border into -Shaba; Province:
Castro rep ortedlF said he may haves
failed because: Neto: was--i11`?and:.out
of the country part' of:: the. time be.
fore the attack:.by.,3ngola-based. Sts-:.
tangans on
Therewas- no dmmedratee_ explana-
tion for the- a dmiafstration's' failure
to. disclose. Castro's-'.rlaim .that_he_
ring news lastnight;: quoted:.a State
claim was- withheld because=the de
partment dicf-no r believe- Castro -is
dial not wa>sktdt-call?:him-a-
STAT
THE WASHINGTON POST
10 June 1978
The- fact of Castro's : meeting with
the U.S. diplomat was disclosed by
administration officials on May 18,
the day after it-occurred. The officials -
said then that Castro had said Cuba
was not taking part, directly or in-
directly, in the Shaba- invasion. No
further details were given::...
Carter's slay 25 declaration; which
was.drafted?by a committee of White
House and State- Department offi-
cials, stated: "The. government of
Angola must bear a responsibility for,
the deadly attack, which was launched
fronr its--territory, - and-'irs-a-burden
an&'as responsibility shared:byd. Cuba:'
"We-believethat:-Cnba'had known=
'of.the.Kztangan.plan!, .'invade?andp
obviously did nothing to-restrain them=
from crossing~othe- border.. We- also
:lnowrtha ;the Cubans-have playa: 'a
key.;, role =its -training` andg' equipping
the. Katangans: who- attacked.'--
The Carter adizainistration s aceus
tions that;-Cuba- played *:role ia:the.?
attack have,been - rejected , bY' Cuba--
and' questi~.ned by-= some-.administra-
tion