CIA plot to kill Castro detailed

[steveox]

HAVANA - The CIA recruited a former FBI agent to approach two of America's most-wanted mobsters and gave them poison pills meant for Fidel Castro during his first year in power, according to newly declassified papers released Tuesday.

Contained amid hundreds of pages of CIA internal reports collectively known as "the family jewels," the official confirmation of the 1960 plot against Castro was certain to be welcomed by communist authorities as more proof of their longstanding claims that the United States wants Castro dead.

Communist officials say there have been more than 600 documented attempts to kill Castro over the decades. Now 80, Castro has not been seen in public since handing power to his younger brother Raul while recovering from intestinal surgery last July. But in a letter published on Monday, the elder Castro claimed without providing details that President Bush had "authorized and ordered" his killing.

And while Cuban government press officials didn't return a call seeking reaction Tuesday, the release of the newly declassified CIA documents had already been noted in state media.

"Upon the orders of the White House, the Central Intelligence Agency tried to assassinate President Fidel Castro and other former personalities and leaders," the Communist Party newspaper Granma said Saturday. "What was already presumed and denounced will be corroborated."

Other aborted U.S. attempts to kill Castro, who rose to power in January 1959 in a revolution that ousted dictator Fulgencio Batista, have been noted in other declassified documents.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070627/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cuba_cia_castro_plot;_ylt=Atsgtszvh60a4H_dBIIYfTCs 0NUE

Just to think of it shoulnt they focus on assassinating Hugo Chavez.Hes more of a threat than castro is now.Castro is gonna die as an old man soon.Let Nature take its course.But Hugo Chavez is a threat to World economy.So the CIA should assassinate Hugo Chavez then Castro.

[Beetle Bailey]

HAVANA - The CIA recruited a former FBI agent to approach two of America's most-wanted mobsters and gave them poison pills meant for Fidel Castro during his first year in power, according to newly declassified papers released Tuesday.

Contained amid hundreds of pages of CIA internal reports collectively known as "the family jewels," the official confirmation of the 1960 plot against Castro was certain to be welcomed by communist authorities as more proof of their longstanding claims that the United States wants Castro dead.

Communist officials say there have been more than 600 documented attempts to kill Castro over the decades. Now 80, Castro has not been seen in public since handing power to his younger brother Raul while recovering from intestinal surgery last July. But in a letter published on Monday, the elder Castro claimed without providing details that President Bush had "authorized and ordered" his killing.

And while Cuban government press officials didn't return a call seeking reaction Tuesday, the release of the newly declassified CIA documents had already been noted in state media.

"Upon the orders of the White House, the Central Intelligence Agency tried to assassinate President Fidel Castro and other former personalities and leaders," the Communist Party newspaper Granma said Saturday. "What was already presumed and denounced will be corroborated."

Other aborted U.S. attempts to kill Castro, who rose to power in January 1959 in a revolution that ousted dictator Fulgencio Batista, have been noted in other declassified documents.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070627/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cuba_cia_castro_plot;_ylt=Atsgtszvh60a4H_dBIIYfTCs 0NUE

Just to think of it shoulnt they focus on assassinating Hugo Chavez.Hes more of a threat than castro is now.Castro is gonna die as an old man soon.Let Nature take its course.But Hugo Chavez is a threat to World economy.So the CIA should assassinate Hugo Chavez then Castro.

Good thinking. Let's just kill who ever doesn't agree with us. The perception that so many Americans are prone to this kind of thoughtless arrogance is the primary reason that most of the world hates us.

[USMC the Almighty]

Good thinking. Let's just kill who ever doesn't agree with us. The perception that so many Americans are prone to this kind of thoughtless arrogance is the primary reason that most of the world hates us.

You're right, let's make critical national security decisions based on how France will view our actions.

[Beetle Bailey]

You're right, let's make critical national security decisions based on how France will view our actions.

Based on your logic I guess politicians can justify what ever they want. Just as long as it's for "national security" reasons. Because we know we can always trust them to do the right thing.

[USMC the Almighty]

Based on your logic I guess politicians can justify what ever they want. Just as long as it's for "national security" reasons. Because we know we can always trust them to do the right thing.

Of course not. There is a vast criteria that politicians should have to meet in order to take a specific action. International opinion should not be part of it.

[SW85]

Just to think of it shoulnt they focus on assassinating Hugo Chavez.Hes more of a threat than castro is now.Castro is gonna die as an old man soon.Let Nature take its course.But Hugo Chavez is a threat to World economy.So the CIA should assassinate Hugo Chavez then Castro.

No, and here's why: Chavez may be a more of a threat than Castro now, but he is not more of a threat now than Castro was in the 1960's.

(For the record, to say that Chavez is more of a threat than Castro is a bit like saying that a proton is larger than an electron -- true in relative terms, nonsense in absolute ones. Which is why we need not assassinate either now).

Good thinking. Let's just kill who ever doesn't agree with us.

Our beef with Castro was not merely that he didn't agree with us, though.

[OPGhostdog]

The United States should have never had a beef with
Castro. This is another example of the USA gov't seem
to enjoy going all over the global starting Chit.

One day the tables will turn, and I hope that it will
never happen in my life time. Look at facts today, and
show me where in the world we're not fighting someone?

We are so damn busy fighting other countries until we
can't see the hardship in our own backyard. We are
hated by so many countries, and yet we are bringing
outsiders in by the boat loads.

[Bunz]

Hey folks, I just want to point out that the in the US code, there it is against the law for the US government to sponsor any sort of political assisination of a foreign leader outside of a war. The reason behind this, is that if we do that it opens the US for reciprocity of murder of our political officials. We can suggest it all day long, but it is ultimately against our own law, and a good law in my book.
Like him or not, Hugo Chavez is a democratically elected leader of another soverign government.
USMC, while I dont think we should back away because we dont have the support of country A. B. or C. We need to engage in dialogue with our allies, and address thier concerns on any number of issues. Because when we stop doing that, our allies will dissapear, and without our allies we are nothing.
It bothers me when our President tells France and Germany to shove it, over the Iraq issue, we will go it alone. But then we wont talk with NKorea without the Chinese there. That is a total disregard for our historical allies and gives underhanded power to the Chinese who are far from our friends.

[SW85]

The United States should have never had a beef with
Castro. This is another example of the USA gov't seem
to enjoy going all over the global starting Chit.

We didn't really start that "chit." It was the Soviets who parked nukes there and pointed 'em at us, 90 miles from our shores, and Castro who let him.

Bunz, as I recall, France and Germany told the U.S. to shove it and go it alone. (Might be wrong there).

I have yet to see any evidence that we are nothing without our allies (who are not behaving in a very alliance-y fashion, anyway; their leaders keep ramrodding their people into the EU, the stated purpose of which is to rival the US). We're subsidizing their national defense, after all.

[rmbarron]

Of course not. There is a vast criteria that politicians should have to meet in order to take a specific action. International opinion should not be part of it.

Unfortunately, since you seem a disciple of the military, it's nearly impossible to take anything you say seriously. If only the military and its adhereants would realize that their percieved duty to the commander-in-chief renders any opinions they may utter tainted by default and, as such, practically worthless.

[USMC the Almighty]

Unfortunately, since you seem a disciple of the military, it's nearly impossible to take anything you say seriously. If only the military and its adhereants would realize that their percieved duty to the commander-in-chief renders any opinions they may utter tainted by default and, as such, practically worthless.

Why? Regarding the war in Iraq, I am way more informed than you ever could be.

And on ever other issue, there is no perceived "duty" to the CinC. In fact, I have been very critical of the President and Republicans on numerous issues -- Dubai ports deal, immigration, spending,..

This is really nothing but a cheap attempt to discredit anything I say without actually having to use your head and debate. What you should really consider is removing any emotion from your thinking and then analyze your philosophy and today's political issues.

[Castle]

Why? Regarding the war in Iraq, I am way more informed than you ever could be.

And on ever other issue, there is no perceived "duty" to the CinC. In fact, I have been very critical of the President and Republicans on numerous issues -- Dubai ports deal, immigration, spending,..

This is really nothing but a cheap attempt to discredit anything I say without actually having to use your head and debate. What you should really consider is removing any emotion from your thinking and then analyze your philosophy and today's political issues.
You invested much more time in responding to that post than it deserved!
I'm still attempting to get past rmbarron's comment stating that those who have served have worthless opinions. Worthless opinions?!! As opposed to who?? rmbarron's opinions??! He has nothing but my pity.

-Castle

[USMC the Almighty]

You invested much more time in responding to that post than it deserved!

You're probably right.


I'm still attempting to get past rmbarron's comment stating that those who have served have worthless opinions. Worthless opinions?!! As opposed to who?? rmbarron's opinions??! He has nothing but my pity.

-Castle

I know, right.

[bokile]

International opinion should not be part of it.

Who is the most hated nation on this Planet:D the question is now:D

[USMC the Almighty]

Who is the most hated nation on this Planet:D the question is now:D

First of all, could you do me a favor and relax with the irritating green smilies? Secondly, in all honesty, I don't care if I serve the most hated nation on the planet.

People always hate the best, the biggest, the richest without any merit. No one has sacrificed more for the freedom and security of complete strangers than the American solider and no country has spent more trying to bring about this liberty than the U.S.

Now, that's not to say that the U.S. hasn't taken certain actions to deserve some of it, but when it's all said and done, if I am safe, free, and am able to keep the vast majority of the money that I earn, then I don't give two ****s what some Frenchman or German thinks about me or my country.

[Castle]

Who is the most hated nation on this Planet:D the question is now:D
Please do tell! Who is the most hated nation on the planet? Would you assume it is the US even with it's major problems with illegal immigration? Are we so hated that immigrants can't get across our borders fast enough? Should we beef up border security to keep people in......or out?

I'm all ears.


-Castle

[steveox]

Please do tell! Who is the most hated nation on the planet? Would you assume it is the US even with it's major problems with illegal immigration? Are we so hated that immigrants can't get across our borders fast enough? Should we beef up border security to keep people in......or out?

I'm all ears.


-Castle


Im that would be North Korea the most hated nation on the Planet.Cause North Korea is a Prison nation.

[r0beph]

We didn't really start that "chit." It was the Soviets who parked nukes there and pointed 'em at us, 90 miles from our shores, and Castro who let him.

Bunz, as I recall, France and Germany told the U.S. to shove it and go it alone. (Might be wrong there).

I have yet to see any evidence that we are nothing without our allies (who are not behaving in a very alliance-y fashion, anyway; their leaders keep ramrodding their people into the EU, the stated purpose of which is to rival the US). We're subsidizing their national defense, after all.

First of all let me point out some things; of course like everyone seems to many fail at objectivity with a big red F grade.

1) We were the inception of the missile crisis; 1961, 15 Jupiter IRBM (intermediate-range ballistic nuclear missiles with a 1500 mile range and a flight time of about 16 minutes) near İzmir, Turkey; this directly threatened many Soviet cities including Moscow.

2) October 14th 1962 recon photos showed the installations by the Soviets in Cuba, this began the Crisis proper.


3) In response to him[Castro] beginning the "chit", the note the plot to assassinate him was in 1960, thus this reasoning that the missile crisis preceded the plot and perhaps led to it is invalid.

I'm not sure WHY we did it, Castro wasn't that big of a threat, I think more than anything it was just more Red Fever that had the big wheels turning in those times.

Assassination of a disagreeable foreign power is a direct violation of our laws. IF we do not follow our own laws we sink to or below the level of those we consider enemies. If we have laws we must follow them, why is one more or less "valid?" You simply cannot pick and choose and function adequately. Whether they are a threat to us or not, we cannot trample what we wish to uphold.

[r0beph]

Please do tell! Who is the most hated nation on the planet? Would you assume it is the US even with it's major problems with illegal immigration? Are we so hated that immigrants can't get across our borders fast enough? Should we beef up border security to keep people in......or out?

I'm all ears.


-Castle

Hated or not doesn't really have a thing to do with why anyone comes to the country for work. It's that we're dripping with cash in comparison to the third world/second world living conditions in mexico for the impoverished. The reasoning is a bit faulty. We could be the most hated with an exponential rise above the second hated, and our capitalist economy would draw them just as much.

[rmbarron]

Please do tell! Who is the most hated nation on the planet? Would you assume it is the US even with it's major problems with illegal immigration? Are we so hated that immigrants can't get across our borders fast enough? Should we beef up border security to keep people in......or out?

I'm all ears.


-Castle

Please. Do you honestly think immigrants sneak into this country because of our image as the standard bearer of "freedom?" The only reason we have such a "problem" with illegal immigrants is money. We have it. They don't. Tightening the borders will do nothing but get people killed. BTW, sorry if I touched a nerve back there. But really, your post is evidence of my real point. Conservatives, particularly those who "serve" have a tendancy to parrot whatever their poltical leaders are saying. Everything you wrote up there was once drivel from the mouth of Rush Limbaugh. Conserviatives don't like to debate. They like to slap down. Don't be mad if somebody slaps back. :D

[SW85]

1) We were the inception of the missile crisis; 1961, 15 Jupiter IRBM (intermediate-range ballistic nuclear missiles with a 1500 mile range and a flight time of about 16 minutes) near İzmir, Turkey; this directly threatened many Soviet cities including Moscow.

Utterly irrelevant.

2) October 14th 1962 recon photos showed the installations by the Soviets in Cuba, this began the Crisis proper.

My bad. All this proves, however, is that the CIA's plan to assassinate Castro lest he become a threat actually had some validity to it.

Assassination of a disagreeable foreign power is a direct violation of our laws.

It is now, but that prohibition was passed almost 20 years after this plot was hatched. (And it's worth noting assassination was banned by an executive order, not a law).

[Castle]

Hated or not doesn't really have a thing to do with why anyone comes to the country for work. It's that we're dripping with cash in comparison to the third world/second world living conditions in mexico for the impoverished. The reasoning is a bit faulty. We could be the most hated with an exponential rise above the second hated, and our capitalist economy would draw them just as much.
I was hoping you would make this excuse. So let me make sure I have this correct. They (the world) hate us with every fiber of their being but instead of coming together and striving to make their respective nations better for themselves and their children, they choose to endure their hatred of America and embrace the same greed that it appears they despise in us as we here are all "dripping" with cash!

Ahhh, Now I see......thanks?

-Castle

[r0beph]

I was hoping you would make this excuse. So let me make sure I have this correct. They (the world) hate us with every fiber of their being but instead of coming together and striving to make their respective nations better for themselves and their children, they choose to endure their hatred of America and embrace the same greed that it appears they despise in us as we here are all "dripping" with cash!

Ahhh, Now I see......thanks?

-Castle


Well you're taking what I say in extreme context. They don't necessarily despise us to the very core, but their like of us or our policies, while different amond each person individually as for their likes and dislikes, may very well not be of the highest regard. That is not to say everyone who comes here hates us, if it's one thing that's easily shown exceptions exist in all walks. My point is simply, that one needn't like this country to wish to come and work here for the money. I can without anecdote but rather first hand experience speak of quite a few mexican's I've met at various job sites who don't like it here one bit. Sure we can say, then LEAVE! but, why would they want to when they're making, what in their impoverished living conditions back home, is megabucks. We're not the worlds highest mark, we're not the worlds shining pinnacle, we're distrusted by much of the world and disliked by many. It's not jealousy, or misplaced anger; we do a lot that were the situations reversed would garner the same blood lust from us.

[USMC the Almighty]

we're not the worlds shining pinnacle

By definition of being the most heavily immigrated to country, we are a city upon a hill. As you said, people might not necessarily like our politics, but they love the opportunity that this country represents and when it comes down to -- it is this core opportunity that symbolizes America more than our government, so in essence, yes they do love the U.S.

[r0beph]

While I applaude your word wrangling there (seriously kudos on that one) I suppose the clarity of what I meant suffered a bit. You are entirely correct, let me say. That is supposing that the Oppurtunity is what MAKES america, but alas it is not. America is made up of a large network of diverse ideals, laws, people, technology, opportunity, and politics. You cannot choose to take only the core of what THEY view as america and use that in such a manner to make a statement that it is in fact america. IF all america truly was, was opportunity, the world would be a lot quieter than it is. We are much more than those opportunities, the world is not quiet, and we have our finger on the Puree button. It's the former they love and the latter they usually hate. If your reason was to stand true, let me use a small metaphor. There are many fans of WWE wrestling (not I) many fans of Chris Benoit. These fans loved him. However in stating this, we're not also saying they loved him murdering his family and committing suicide. They can just as much hate that as they loved his, well whatever you call the soap operatic wrestling stuff.

[USMC the Almighty]

I don't see how that goes against what I'm saying. That they can hate this particular Administration or American policies on the whole and still love America for the opportunity it has allowed them.

[Castle]

While I applaude your word wrangling there (seriously kudos on that one) I suppose the clarity of what I meant suffered a bit. You are entirely correct, let me say. That is supposing that the Oppurtunity is what MAKES america, but alas it is not. America is made up of a large network of diverse ideals, laws, people, technology, opportunity, and politics. You cannot choose to take only the core of what THEY view as america and use that in such a manner to make a statement that it is in fact america. IF all america truly was, was opportunity, the world would be a lot quieter than it is. We are much more than those opportunities, the world is not quiet, and we have our finger on the Puree button. It's the former they love and the latter they usually hate. If your reason was to stand true, let me use a small metaphor. There are many fans of WWE wrestling (not I) many fans of Chris Benoit. These fans loved him. However in stating this, we're not also saying they loved him murdering his family and committing suicide. They can just as much hate that as they loved his, well whatever you call the soap operatic wrestling stuff.
No one is suggesting that America is perfect as an explanation for why so many wish to come here. However, you seem to suggest that America needs to be all things to all people in order to quiet it's opposition. Of course you understand that this is a futile task. America should not be in the business of basing policy on foreign opinion polls. If so many love to hate us yet still come for the cash, I have a tough time feeling any guilt.

-Castle

[OPGhostdog]

USMC, After reading your statement (Why? Regarding the war in Iraq,
I am way more informed than you ever could be).

I am also a ex Army person,and just because I am a ex GI do not
mean that I know everything. Everything has changed since I served
in Viet Nam, and what happened during desert storm (in the military),
and the war in Iraq from a soldiers viewpoint I can't answer or make
comments. I can't give no update info to anyone, due to the fact
that I have no (first hand) info, and once I hung up my uniform that
was it for me.

So I guess I am saying two things concerning this matter.
First of all is USMC..are you working in the Pentagon in
order to stay informed like you're saying you are? Number2,
the CIA agencies isn't the ones who decide who to start
chit with, but the order comes from higher ranking officials,
and even at that...there must be proof to back the order
up.

This is why we went to Iraq in the beginning. Because there
was military information given out that there was WMD in
Iraq, and tell me why wasn't WMD found when we invaded
Iraq?

No dis respect to you Sir, but I was just wondering.

[USMC the Almighty]

OPGhostdog -- I've been to Iraq twice and have about 30 of my closest friends there right now.

[Rick]

A brief note about "the world hates us". "The world" usually in practice gets down to euroweenies and middle east ratholes. :D