CUBAN QUESTIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP67-00318R000100790102-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 29, 2013
• Sequence Number: 102
• Publication Date: May 5, 1961
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

cr._ Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/05/29: CIA-RDP67-00318R000100790102-9
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CHILLICOTHE,. OHIO
GAZETTE
E. 15,493
MAY 5 1951
do/
No sensible American can doubt that the
ill-fatedCI, .._ItaiLassault was inevitably
an extremely difficult enterprise, involv-
ing a whole cluster of hair trigger
But as the confused story continues to
unfold, what can fairly be asked is why-
so many of those delicate choices seemed
to fall the wrong way. There may be value
in summarizifik major _criticisms. It is
said: ;
?1-.1"ire miscalculated the possible weight
of Fidel Castro's armor and the prospect
of a popular Cuban .uprising against him.
2. A strong and perhaps controlling
voice in the choice pf landing spots and
distribution of ?rebel forces was exercised
.by State Department officials backed up
by President Itennedy's White House for-
eign policy 'advisers.
To an outsider, this sounds like contend-
ing that men. who might teser have seen
a Cuban beach were telling military and
intelligence officers where to la*. and
with what.
3. Cuban forces trained only for guer-
rilla warfare and intending to practice it
in this instance were sent ashore in a co-
ordinated, army assault-type landing with-
out the air and naval cover such An attack
demands, onto beaches unsuited for any
fighting at all.
Military critics say guerrillas should hit
. the beach in darkness and vanish into
ground cover within 15 minutes. These
C?L,112E12.2111.94i9,0
rebels wallowed in sWampland six to eight
hours, under Castro's murderous fire, try-
ing unsuccessfully to secure their hold.
4. They got their guerrilla training not
from the Army but from the Central In-
telligence Agency, which never before had
been charged with such an assignment,
having focussed on "small jobs with small
groups" ' bent on sabotage, infiltration,
more modest guerrilla effort.
5. The Cuban undemmund was neircr
informed (evidently because mist/540Y
CIAL nor were all the key rebels, nor Was
'nand the populace whose rising was nee '
essary to final success. And top revolu-
tionaries were held incommunicado while
U.S. officials issued statements in their
name.
6. No serious consideration was given ,
as to how to meet the consequences of
failure.
We need to know what. substance ther4
Is to these charges, and, where there it
,? ?
substance, what the explanation is.
0,14;14114y the. administration 44Vghti.t(1
have it# cake and eat it, too. It wante.a43.
assist %Mei:assault, but ma u. if.
manner to play-down its iaterypntion.
The question people want answered is
whether, in pursuit of this tight-rope
course, we did not doom the enterprise
from the start by relying upon the judg-
ments and labors of men and agencies not
fully qualified for their particular part in
the effort.
I.
?
The above editorial also appeared
in the following other newspapers:
ARDMORE ARDMOREITE, OKLA.
BRIDGEPORT TELEGRAM, CONN.
IDAHO FALLS POST?REGISTER
PUEBLO STAR?JOURNAL, COLO.
MUSKOGEE PHOENIX, OKLA.
POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL, N.Y.
POMONA PROGRESS?BULLETIN,
CALIF.
COLUMBUS REPUBLICAN, IND.
TERRE HAUTE STAR, IND.
DE KALB CHRONICLE, ILL.
SPRINGFIELD, LEADER PRESS,
MO.
GASTONIA GAZETTE, N.C.
TIFFIN ADVERTISER TRIBUNE,
OHIO
SUPERIOR TELEGRAM, WIS.
r.
? MAY
? MAY
? MAY
? MAY
? MAY
? MAY
? MAY
? MAY
? MAY
? MAY
? MAY
? MAY
? MAY
?MAY
HOT SPRINGS SENTINEL RECORD
ARK. ?MAY
7, 1961
5, 1961
4, 1961
7, 1961
4, 1961
4, 1961
3, 1961
3, 1961
4, 1961
4, 1961
5, 1961
8, 1961
10, 1961
6, 1961
7, 1961
(ront,d)
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/05/29: CIA-RDP67-00318R000100790102-9
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/05/29: CIA-RDP67-00318R000100790102-9
LAFAYETTE ADVERTIZER.LA. ?
MAY
7,
1961
WICHITA FALLS RECORD.NEWS
(TEX.) ?
MAY
6.
1961
BRISTOL VIRGINIA TENNESSEAN
VA. el
MAY
4,
1961
ABERDEEN WORLD, WASH.
MAY
3,
1961
COSHOCTON, TRIBUNE, ONIO ?
MAY
4,
1961
WEST PALM BEACH POST, FLA. ?
MAY
9,
1961
NORRISTOWN TIMES HERALD, PA.
MAY
6,
1961
KLAMATH FALLS HERALD & NEWS.
ORE. IND
MAY
8,
1961
CENTRALIA SENTINEL, ILL. 11?1
MAY
8,
1961
NEW HAVEN JOURNAL COURIER,
CONN. OD
MAY
5,
1961
WAYNESBORO NEWS VIRGINIAN,
VA.
MAY
4.
1961
UNIONTOWN STANDARD, VA. de
MAY
13,
1961
JACKSON NEWS, MISS.
MAY
13,
1961
ESCANABE PRESS, MICH. en
MAY
15,
1961
ASHEVILLE TIMES, N.C.
MAY
4,
1961
SALISBURY POST, N.C.
MAY
4,
1961
LI, Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/05/29: CIA-RDP67-00318R000100790102-9