217. Memorandum From Viron P. Vaky of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1 2
SUBJECT:
- Cuban Exile Activity, Cuban Retaliation, and Southeast Asia
Attached at Tab A is a TDCS suggesting that ALPHA–66, a Miami-based Cuban exile organization, is organizing a new expedition to Cuba. This organization mounted a raid April 17, which was crushed. The raid, however, stimulated strong public reaction by Castro. See my memo of April 28 (copy attached at Tab B for ready reference).
The ALPHA–66 organization’s activities are “spontaneous”, i.e., they are not U.S.-sponsored or instigated—so everyone assures me.
The possibility that Cuba might deliberately create a diversion to offset anything we might be thinking of in Southeast Asia cannot be discounted. However, it would be especially unfortunate if the “pinpricks” of the Cuban exiles unwittingly shoved us into an “unplanned” confrontation with Cuba.
I believe that the Department of Justice should “sit on” the ALPHA–66 organization to prevent this kind of activity at this time. This kind of activity now, combined with Castro’s peculiar sensitivity, could itself provoke a Cuban retaliation action which in my judgment we neither want nor are we prepared for.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 780, Country Files, Latin America, Cuba, Vol. II, 1970. Secret; Sensitive. Sent for information. A note on the upper right of the page, which bears Kissinger’s initials, reads, “No formal action. Have discussed with Pres.” Attached but not published at Tab A is an April 29 CIA Intelligence Information Cable, TDCS DB 315/02156–70. Tab B is Document 216.↩
- Vaky provided Kissinger with new intelligence, which suggested that Alpha-66 was planning another raid on Cuba.↩