◆ SpookStack

tt'OP SECK!! i C. Tracy Barnes, Richard Bissell, Dick Helms, Jake Esterline, J. C. King, and Tom Parrott, among others. Those who figured most prominently among the Special Group representatives at this time were Livingston Merchant, Department of State; John Irwin,'~ssistant Secretary for International Security Affairs, Depart- ment of Defense; Admiral Burke, Chief, Naval Opera- tions; and Gordon Gray, the President's National Security Adviser. Other than the more than a dozen memorandums and drafts and other papers related to the development of the policy paper, perhaps a note from Richard Helms to C. Tracy Barnes on 8 March 1960 best illustrates the seriousness with which the Agency approached the task of writing a paper for the Direc- tor. Mr. Helms's note to Mr. Barnes read as follows: Torn Parrott gave me for security late this afternoon the attached paper for the 5412 Group outlining the proposed covert action program against Fidel Castro. After reading it, I asked Tom to defer consideration of Cuba until next week since I feel that this document needs re- ,~rafting whether it is used by the Direc- tor for an oral briefing or handed to the // designated representatives for their en- lightenment. . I think you will agree with me that the paper is poorly drafted and needs considerable pointing up in various - 59 - -TOP ~~CRET •