Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–10, Documents on American Republics, 1969–1972

195. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon¹ ²

Washington, January 31, 1969

Subject:

• Cuban Exiles

We may expect to receive considerable correspondence from Cuban exiles as well as requests to see you. We have already received one such request from a prominent but highly opportunistic exile figure, and we have referred his letter to the State Department for reply.

The exile group is a highly fractionalized one with all kinds of axes to grind. It could be very embarrassing for the White House or you personally to get involved or become identified with any of the exile figures.

Recommendation

I recommend that as standard operating procedure letters or requests from Cuban exile figures be referred to the State Department for handling, unless you have some established personal relationship which would indicate a different procedure. If you approve, I will ask the White House staff to refer such letters and requests to the NSC staff for transmittal to the State Department.

Approve recommendation
Disapprove

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 780, Country Files, Latin America, Cuba, Vol. 1. Confidential. An unknown hand wrote in the upper right-hand corner: “Shown to A. Nachmanoff 2/3/69.” Under the recommendation, Nixon wrote: “I disagree. State has handled this with disgusting incompetence. The careerists are Pro Castro for the most part. Possibly Allen could handle these on a controlled discreet basis–showing at least some sympathy for their plight.”
2. Kissinger advised President Nixon that the new administration could expect correspondence from Cuban exiles. Noting the potential for embarrassment, Kissinger recommended that such correspondence be referred to the Department of State.