ALLEGED ASSASSINATION PLOTS
INVOLVING FOREIGN LEADERS

AN INTERIM REPORT

OF THE

SELECT COMMITTEE

TO STUDY GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS

WITH RESPECT TO

INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES

UNITED STATES SENATE

TOGETHER WITH

ADDITIONAL, SUPPLEMENTAL, AND SEPARATE
VIEWS

61-985 O

NOVEMBER 20 (legislative day, NOVEMBER 18), 1975

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 1975

SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE TO STUDY GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS WITH RESPECT TO INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES

FRANK CHURCH, Idaho, Chairman
JOHN G. TOWER, Texas, Vice Chairman

PHILIP A. HART, Michigan
WALTER F. MONDALE, Minnesota
WALTER D. HUDDLESTON, Kentucky
ROBERT MORGAN, North Carolina
GARY HART, Colorado

HOWARD H. BAKER, JR., Tennessee
BARRY GOLDWATER, Arizona
CHARLES MCC. MATHIAS, JR., Maryland
RICHARD S. SCHWEIKER, Pennnsylvania

WILLIAM G. MILLER, Staff Director
FREDERICK A. O. SCHWARZ, Jr., Chief Counsel
CURTIS R. SMOTHERS, Counsel to the Minority
AUDREY HATRY, Clerk of the Committee

CONTENTS

Prologue

I. Introduction and Summary_

A. Committee's Mandate_.

B. Committee Decision To Make Report Public_

C. Scope of Committee's Investigation..

D. Summary of Findings and Conclusions.

1. The Questions Presented__.

2. Summary of Findings and Conclusions on the Plots.

3. Summary of Findings and Conclusions on The Issues of Author-

ity and Control..

II. Covert Action as a Vehicle for Foreign Policy Implementation.

A. Policy Development and Approval Mechanism.

B. The Concept of "Plausible Denial".

III. Assassination Planning and Plots__

A. Congo-

1. Introduction_

2. Dulles Cable to Leopoldville: August 26, 1960-

Page

XIII

1

1

2

2

14

3. CIA Encouragement of Congolese Efforts to "Eliminate”

Lumumba..

16

4. The Plot to Assassinate Lumumba__

19

(a) Bissell/Tweedy Meetings on Feasibility of Assassinating

Lumumba..

19

20

24

25

26

26

6991333 0 2 2 2 2 2 27

11

21

22

(b) Bissell/Scheider Meetings on Preparations for Assassinating

"An African Leader".

(c) Scheider Mission to the Congo on

Operation

an Assassination

(d) Congo Station Officer Told to Expect Scheider: Dulles

Cables About "Elimination" of Lumumba..

(e) Assassination Instructions Issued to Station Officer and

Lethal Substances Delivered: September 26, 1960.

(f) Hedgman's Impression That President Eisenhower Ordered

Lumumba's Assassination__

(g) Steps in Furtherance of the Assassination Operation

(i) Hedgman's Testimony About Confirmation from

Headquarters of the Assassination Plan_.

(ii) "Exploratory Steps"-

The Assassination Operation Moves Forward After

Scheider's Return to Headquarters: October 5-7,

1960_____

(iv) Headquarters Continues to Place "Highest Priority"

on the Assassination Operation _ _ _

(h) Tweedy/Bissell Testimony: Extent of Implementation;

Extent of Authorization__

(i) Tweedy's Testimony About the Scope of the Assassi-

nation Operation__

(ii) Bissell's Testimony About Moving the Assassination

Operation From Planning to Implementation___.

29

30

33

33

36

III. Assassination Planning and Plots-Continued

A. Congo-Continued

5. The Question of a Connection Between the Assassination Plot

and Other Actions of CIA Officers and Their Agents in the

Congo

(a) Mulroney's Assignment in the Congo..

(i) Mulroney's Testimony That He Went to the Congo

After Refusing an Assassination Assignment From

Bissell_

(ii) Bissell's Testimony About the Assignment

Mulroney.

Page

37

37

37

to

40

41

42

(iii) Mulroney Informed of Virus in Station Safe Upon Ar-

riving in Congo: November 3, 1960--

(iv) Mulroney's Plan to "Neutralize" Lumumba..

(b) QJ/WIN's Mission in the Congo: November-December

1960___

(c) WI/ROGUE Asks QJ/WIN to Join "Execution Squad":

December 1960__.

6. The Question of Whether the CIA Was Involved in Bringing

About Lumumba's Death in Katanga Province..

(a) Lumumba's Imprisonment After Leaving U.N. Custody:

November 27-December 3, 1960__

(b) Lumumba's Death..

7. The Question of the Level at Which the Assassination Plot

Was Authorized__

(a) High-Level Meetings at Which "Getting Rid of Lumumba❞

Was Discussed..

(i) Dillon's Testimony About Pentagon Meeting: Summer

1960__.

(ii) Robert Johnson's Testimony That He Understood

the President to Order Lumumba's Assassination

at an NSC Meeting-.

(iii) Special Group Agrees to Consider Anything That

Might Get Rid of Lumumba: August 25, 1960-

(iv) Dulles Reminded by Gray of "Top-Level Feeling"

That "Vigorous Action" was Necessary in the Congo:

September 7-8, 1960.

(v) Dulles Tells NSC That Lumumba Remains a Grave

Danger Until "Disposed Of": September 21, 1960__

(b) Testimony of Eisenhower White House Officials..

(c) Bissell's Assumptions About Authorization by President

Eisenhower and Allen Dulles__

(d) The Impression of Scheider and Hedgman That the

Assassination Operation Had Presidential Authorization.

B. Cuba

1. The Assassination Plots..

(a) Plots: Early 1960_.

(i) Plots to Destroy Castro's Public Image..

(ii) Accident Plot_

(iii) Poison Cigars-

(b) Use of Underworld Figures-Phase I (Pre-Bay of Pigs)

(i) The Initial Plan__

(ii) Contact with the Syndicate

Las Vegas Wiretap...

(1) CIA Involvement in the Wiretap..

(2) Consequences of the Wiretap--

(iv) Poison is Prepared and Delivered to Cuba_-

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

(c) Use of Underworld Figures: Phase II (Post-Bay of Pigs) -

(i) Change in Leadership.

(ii) The Operation is Reactivated_

(d) Plans in Early 1963--

(e) AM/LASH_.

(i) Origin of the Project.

(ii) The Poison Pen Device_

(iii) Providing AM/LASH with Arms_

III. Assassination Planning and Plots-Continued

B. Cuba-Continued

2. At What Level Were the Castro Plots Known About or Author-
ized Within the Central Intelligence Agency?__

(a) The Question Presented__

(i) Dulles

(ii) McCone_

(b) Did Allen Dulles Know of or Authorize the Initial Plots

Against Castro?__

(i) Dulles' Approval of J.C. King's December 1959 Mem-

orandum..

(ii) Dulles' January 1960 Statement to the Special Group.

(iii) Meetings in March 1960_.

(iv) Recision of Accident Plot in July 1960..

(v) Briefing of Dulles on Use of Underworld Figures in

September 1960---

(1) Evidence Concerning What Dulles Was Told.

(2) Evidence Concerning When the Briefing Occurred_

(vi) Edwards' Communications to the Justice Department

in 1961 and 1962__.

(vii) General Cabell's Remarks to the Special Group in

November 1960_.

(c) Did John McCone Know of or Authorize Assassination

Plots During His Tenure as DCI?_

(i) McCone's Testimony.--

(ii) Testimony of Helms, Bissell and Other Subordinate

Agency Employees- -

100

(iii) Helms and Harvey Did Not Brief McCone About the

Assassination Plots___

102

(iv) The Question of Whether General Carter, McCone's

Deputy Director, Learned About the Underworld

Plot and Informed McCone_ _.

106

(v) The August 1963 Briefing of McCone..

107

108

3. At What Level Were the Castro Plots Known About or Au-
thorized Outside of the Central Intelligence Agency?.

(a) The Question of Knowledge and Authorization Outside the

Central Intelligence Agency in the Eisenhower Admin-

istration_.

109

109

110

110

111

111

111

112

113

(b) The Question of Knowledge and Authorization Outside

the Central Intelligence Agency During the Kennedy

Administration___

116

(i) Pre-Bay of Pigs Assassination Plot..

117

(1) Bissell's Testimony Concerning His Assumption

That Dulles Told the President_

117

(2) Bissell's Testimony Regarding His Own Actions--

(3) Kennedy Administration Officials' Testimony.

(4) The Question of Whether Assassination Efforts

c. Taylor/Kennedy Bay of Pigs Inquiry..

(5) Conversation Between President Kennedy and

Senator George Smathers--

121

123