◆ SpookStack

l YP SECrlT contemplating the assassination of Castro, contemplated in the way that we were con- templating it -- that is, can we get a Rip Robertson close to him? Can we get a really hairy Cuban -- I mean a gutsy Cuban -- to be infiltrated with this one thing in mind? We surveyed all of our agent material to see who could take a shot at him, but the assassination of that charismatic guy, coincidental with the invasion, would have been a highly desirable thing. Whether the instrument to be picked should have included the Mafia, I 'thirik·I might have questioned at the time. It was part of my job •.• to ask, "Now wait a minute ••• What are we doing here? ..• If this comes out ..• what will we look likei"'~·. Not only to our- selves, which is important, but to the Cubans." §I In light of Drain's comments about the desira- bilityof having the good guys in the white hats elim- inate Castro, rather than the Mafia guys in the black hats, a specific attempt was made to see what the official records revealed about such plans. Although far from satisfactory or complete, there is evidence to indicate that the white-hatted guys would h~ve had no objection -- as reported by Mr. Drain -- if a suc- cessful assassination attempt could have been made. Contrary to General Cabell's reported put down of Assistant Secretary of State Livingston Merchant for Merchant's query about the possibilities of taking - 281 - i 01' SI:CRL~