The Arrogance of Power

by Anthony Summers

  King “recommended actions”: U.S. Senate, Assassination Plots, op. cit., p. 92.

  euphemisms: ibid., pp. 64, 93.

  Cuba covert war: (March decision) ed. John Glennon, Foreign Relations of the United States, Vol. VI, Cuba, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Gov. Printing Office, 1991, Mar. 16, 17, p. 850–; (Pluto) John Prados, The Presidents’ Secret Wars, New York: William Morrow, 1986, p. 178–; (AM/THUG) Thomas, The Very Best Men, op. cit., p. 206; (“pressure”) int. Thomas McCoy and see schedule Newman, op. cit., p. 125; (Ike admonition) ed. John Glennon, op. cit., p. 861; (confided in four) San Diego Union, Mar. 25, 1962; (“trump card”) Wyden, op. cit., p. 68; (Klein 1997) ints. Herb Klein.

  RN prime mover?: (myth) AMI, p. 550; Thomas, The Very Best Men, op. cit., p. 208n; (“by no stretch”) ibid.; (Pfeiffer noted) Pfeiffer to FB, Mar. 1, 1978, FBP; (“father”) Bonsal, op. cit., pp. 174, 196; (Smith) Joseph B. Smith, Portrait of a Cold Warrior, New York: Putnam, 1976, p. 325; (CIA/Costa Rica) Howard Hunt, Give Us This Day, New Rochelle, NY: Arlington House, 1973, pp. 23, 29–; (Figueres) New Republic, Apr. 23, 1977; (Halpern) int. Sam Halpern by Gus Russo supplied to author; (Haig) int. Alexander Haig by Gus Russo supplied to author; (“monitor”) Jacob Esterline, int. for CIA history by Jack Pfeiffer, Nov. 1975, transcript obtained by author and ints. Esterline; (luncheon) Howard Hunt, Give Us This Day, op. cit., p. 39; (“chief architect”) Hunt testimony, Inquiry into the Alleged Involvement of the CIA in the Watergate and Ellsberg Matters, Special Subcttee. on Intelligence, House Cttee. on Armed Services, 94th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 500, and Hunt, Undercover, op. cit., p. 131; (“How the hell”) Wyden notes of int. Robert Cushman supplied to author; (Ike’s caution) ed. Glennon, op. cit., p. 1060; (“What’s hurry?”) Grose, op. cit., p. 514; (Cushman/pressure) int. Robert Cushman by FB, FBP; (CIA frustration) int. Jack Pfeiffer by FB, FBP; Thomas, The Very Best Men, op. cit., p. 384n13; Hunt, Give Us this Day, op. cit., pp. 28, 40, 43; (Ike/Pawley) ed. Glennon, op. cit., pp. 789, 1128, 1130–.

  Kohly: (background) petition for writ of certiorari, U.S. Court of Appeals, by William Grosh and Mario Garcia Kohly, Oct. 16, 1964, No. 1061, p. 4, Kohly bio. notes in files of Assassination Archive and Research Center, Washington, D.C.; Marshall Diggs to RN, Dec. 9, 1966, Robert Morrow Papers, supplied by John Williams, University of Wisconsin-Stout; (Flemming) Thomas, The Very Best Men, op. cit., p. 207; (“Sucker”) ed. Glennon, op. cit., p. 950–; (Rebozo/Kohly) int. Gerry Hemming; Kohly’s son confirmed in 1996 that Hemming worked with the Kohlys; (“hated”) Kissinger, White House Years, op. cit., p. 641; (in touch within months) int. Dr. Mario Garcia Kohly, Jr.; (Brewster investigated) Mitchell, op. cit., p. 53; (Diggs) RN/Diggs corr. 1953, 1960, VP, NA; (RN/Kohly met) Kohly Writ, supra., pp. 353, 358, 398–, 675 and Diggs/RN corr, July 29, Sept. 3, 1960, VP, NA; int. Barrett Prettyman—former U.S. assistant attorney general; (counterfeiting) int. attorney James Cardiello, Kohly writ, supra.; Hinkle and Turner, op. cit., p. 197–; Arthur Schlesinger, Robert Kennedy and His Times, New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1978, p. 487n.; (discuss with Pawley) Peter Wyden notes of Robert Cushman int. supplied to author; (CIA/RN disagreement) FB notes of int. CIA historian Jack Pfeiffer, FBP; (RN ensured) int. Robert Thornton, former junior associate at Nixon, Mudge, Rose, Guthrie and Alexander; (wrote to judge) RN to U.S. District Judge Edward Weinfeld, Mar. 9, 1965, reprinted in full in First Hand Knowledge, by Robert Morrow, op. cit., p. 357; ints. Mario Garcia Kohly, Jr.; James Cardiello and Schlesinger, op. cit., p. 487n.; (“medal”) int. Robert Thornton; (RN suggested jumping bail) transcript Edward Von Rothkirch; int. conducted for Rep. Thomas Downing, in Morrow, First Hand Knowledge, op. cit., p. 281; (RN sanction of killings?) Mario Garcia Kohly affidavit, July 15, 1975, Robert Morrow Papers, supra., and see reproduced in Morrow, First Hand Knowledge, op. cit., p. 364, and see Schlesinger, op. cit., p. 487n.; ints. Mario Kohly, Jr.

  Chapter 17

  “The determination to kill”: Harry Rositzke, The CIA’s Secret Operations, New York: Reader’s Digest Press, 1977, p. 200.

  CIA assassinations: (“nail Jell-O”) Wise, American Police State, op. cit., p. 214; (Lumumba/Trujillo/Castro summary) U.S. Sen. Assass. Plots, op. cit., p. 4–; (“Eisenhower’s view”) int. Marion Boggs; (“never without approval”) Allen Dulles in The Craft of Intelligence cited at FB, p. 393; (other CIA officials) see Wise, American Police State, op. cit., p. 225, and ed. Weber, op. cit., p. 299, citing Richard Helms and Rositzke, op. cit., pp. 190, 238; (Sen. Cttee concluded) U.S. Sen., Assass. Plots, op. cit., p. 109; (Bissell/authorization) ibid., p. 110, transcript of int. Richard Bissell by CIA historian Jack Pfeiffer, p. 16–; (“Didn’t inquire”) int. Richard Bissell by Jan Weininger, supplied to author, and see World Intelligence Review, Nov./Dec. 1996, p. 3; Thomas, The Very Best Men, op. cit., pp. 27, 208n, 234–; (nod/wink) U.S. Sen., Assass. Plots, op. cit., pp. 111, 117, 148; (“I think we all”) ibid., p. 148; (“almost everybody”) Newsweek, Oct. 2, 1978, p. 62.

  RN/assassination role?: (RN/Sen. Cttee. negotiations) UPI, July; NYT, Nov. 26, 1975; This World, Mar. 21, 1976; (“compromise”) int. Joe Dennin; (Hart) int. Gary Hart; (“pernicious”) This World, Mar. 21, 1976; (RN responses on assass.) in Supplementary Detailed Staff Reports on Foreign and Military Intelligence, U.S. Sen. Select Cttee. to Study Gov. Ops. With Respect to Intelligence Activities, 94th Cong., 2nd sess. FR, Vol. IV, pp. 143, 157–; (“I was amazed”) Newsweek, May 19, 1986; (Brodie re: Jan. ’60) FB handwritten notes of Pfeiffer briefing, Feb. 27, 1978, FBP; (RN briefing/goon squads) Thomas, The Very Best Men, op. cit., p. 208n, re: Mar. 2, 1960 CIA briefing of RN by Bissell; (Pawley/“somebody”) Jacob Esterline int. by CIA historian Pfeiffer, transcript p. 22 and see memo re. Esterline/Pawley contact, Mar. 30, 1960, CIA 1994 release, NA.

  bizarre plots: (Flemming) Thomas, The Very Best Men, op. cit., p. 207; (fatuous schemes) ibid., p. 208n; CIA inspector general, Report on Plots to Assassinate Fidel Castro, 1967; (Montecristo) int. Constantine Kangles; (in-house history) Thomas, The Very Best Men, op. cit., p. 208n; (Medical Services Dr.) CIA I.G., Report on Plots, supra., p. 12; U.S. Sen., Assass. Plots, op. cit., p. 73.

  Hunt in April: (“Assassinate Castro”) Hunt, Give Us This Day, op. cit., 38; (denied) ibid. and letter to Robbyn Swan Summers, Jan. 22, 1996; (Colson) Argosy, Mar. 1976; (Putnam memo) CIA counsel John Warner to WSPF Chief Counsel Jaworski, Apr. 9, 1974 enclosing Mar. 29 letter and attachment from Alfred Ulmer to CIA Director William Colby, released to NA by CIA 1994.

  CIA file Pawley: (contact’s offer) July 13, 1960 message to director, released 1993, NA; (“I’m in touch”) Pawley to RN, July 18, 1960, VP, NA, cited at Michael Beschloss, The Crisis Years, New York: Edward Burlingame, 1991, p. 136 and see Howard Hunt testimony to House Select Cttee. on Assassinations, Nov. 3, 1978, transcript, part 2, p. 39—Hunt was in touch with Pawley.

  accident plot: (CIA manual) “A Study of Assassination from CIA Manual Distributed at Time of 1954 Guatemala Coup,” released 1977 and reprinted in Harper’s magazine, Aug. 1977, p. 22; (“accident” cables) U.S. Sen, Assass. Plots, Interim Report, op. cit. p. 73; (King/Barnes) ibid. and Thomas, The Very Best Men, op. cit., p. 209–; (Esterline knew) ibid.

  Marita Lorenz: (Rorke) NY Daily News, Apr. 20, 1975, June 13, 1976, partial transcript of int. Lorenz by Senate Intelligence Cttee. investigator Gaeton Fonzi, Feb. 3, 1976, unnumbered release, p. 9–; NA, Marita Lorenz with Ted Schwarz, Marita, New York: Thunder’s Mouth, 1993; (Rorke/Pawley) Fonzi. op. cit., p. 88 and Newman, op. cit., p. 109 and see Vanity Fair, Nov. 1993—except where indicated the above are main cites for Lorenz episode; (“right with God”) Lorenz and Schwarz, op. cit., p. 46; (Sturgis background) authoritatively in Fonzi, op. cit.; (CIA backed?) “NY Daily News, June 13, 1976; (Sturgis on plot) ibid. and Fonzi, op. cit., p. 89; (Hoover warned) Hoover to DCI, Oct. 18, 1960, cited at U.S. Sen., Assass. Plots, Interim Report, op. cit., p. 79; (Cobb) Newman, op. cit., pp. 106, 545–; (surveillance re. Lorenz/Rorke) ibid., p. 108—CIA memo for record, Feb. 21, 1975, CIA release 1994, Folder 30, NA, confirms Cobb wor
ked for Castro and was “of operational interest” to CIA and surveilled from June 1960. Her Office of Security No. was 216 264; (RN office routing) Newman, op. cit., p. 108, citing June 6, 1960 document in Cobb 201 file, featuring name of Nixon military aide Robert Cushman; (Cobb aide to Orta) ibid., p. 547n63, conv. John Newman.

  CIA-Mafia plots: (Dulles knowledge/authorization) U.S. Sen., Asass. Plots, Interim Report, op. cit., p. 91–; testimony of Richard Helms, Select Cttee. On Assass., Box 2, #14719, NA, but see “Castro, Plans to Assassinate” refs. in Grose, op. cit.; (CIA-Mafia efforts) U.S. Sen., Assass. Plots, Interim Report, op. cit., p. 74–; I.G. report on plots, supra., (Gambling Syndicate), p. 14– and see Hinkle and Turner, op. cit., p. 76–.

  Varona: (and Hunt) Hunt, Give Us This Day, op. cit., e.g. p. 44–; (Varona/key officer/Pawley) Pawley to Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Mann, Mar. 3, 1961; Sheffield Edwards to DCI, Dec. 22, 1959, CIA releases 1993–94, NA; (Varona/Lansky) Select Cttee. on Assass., Staff Report, U.S. House of Reps., Vol. X, p. 171—former Cong. investigator Michael Ewing indentified “Cuban exile leader” referred to on this page as Varona (corr. with author).

  Rothman/CIA: ibid., p. 183; NY Daily News, Apr. 23, 1975; list of State Department material on Rothman, HSCA release, 1994, NA and CIA memo for the record on Rothman, Apr. 25, 1973, released 1993, NA.

  semicoded exchanges: Beschloss, op. cit., p. 136.

  Diggs/Pulley: (“in close contact”) Diggs to RN, July 29, 1960, Diggs corr. file, VP, NA; (RN reply) RN to Diggs, Sept. 3, 1960, Diggs corr. file, VP, NA; (Diggs’s secretary) Sallie Mullin to Gen. Cushman, Aug. 1, 1960, Diggs corr. file, VP, NA; (empty envelopes) Brewster Papers, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME; (Pulley Trafficante liaison?) ints. late Robert Morrow; Morrow, First Hand Knowledge, op. cit., p. 41; Robert Morrow, The Senator Must Die, Santa Monica, CA: Roundtable, 1988, pp. 49, 178—as reported in this chapter, Morrow was arrested for counterfeiting with Mario Garcia Kohly; (date Mafia plots start) U.S. Sen., Assass. Plots, Interim Report, op. cit., p. 74.

  Maheu: (W. C. Fields) Schorr, op. cit., p. 159; (Maheu role) ints. Robert Maheu; Maheu and Hack, op. cit., p. 108–; I.G. Report on Plots, supra., pp. 15–, 35, 57–; (told Hughes) U.S. Sen., Assass. Plots, Interim Report, op. cit., p. 72, Drosnin, op. cit., p. 271; (Hughes/other operations) Peter Dale Scott, “Watergate, Cuba, & the China-Vietnam Lobby,” unpub. ms., p. 19, citing Miami Herald and SF Chronicle on Hughes’s use of Caribbean islet Cay Sal and Higham, op. cit., p. 247; (“good idea”) Drosnin, op. cit., p. 250.

  King: (since war) int. Robert King; Kornitzer, op. cit., p. 150; (counterintelligence) docs. in King corr. files, Series 320, Box 411, File 1, VP, NA; (lobbied) King to RN, Dec. 4, 1952, ibid.; (“protection”) FB, p. 338 citing NYT; (aide ’56) FBI Grapevine, Nov. 1956; (“alter ego”) Beschloss, op. cit., p. 136, citing VP; (King/Rebozo) e.g., King/Rebozo corr., Mar. 25, 27, 1957, VP, NA; (left RN office) UPI, Oct. 9, 1959, showing move from Winter Olympics post and Maheu/King partnership announcement, VP, NA; (King/’60) Maheu and Hack, op. cit., p. 84.

  Onassis: (Eisenhower) memo on NSC meeting, July 2, 1954, DDEL; (anti-Onassis op.) Maheu and Hack, op. cit., p. 41–; Hougan, op. cit., p. 281–; Hougan article in Playboy, Sept. 1978, CIA I.G., Report on Plots, supra., p. 72; ints. Robert Maheu, Kevin Gerrity, Jean Connor, conv. Michael Ewing; (RN on killing Onassis) int. Robert Maheu, Maheu and Hack, op. cit., p. 45, also Maheu int. in “Aristotle Onassis: The Golden Greek,” Reputations, BBC-TV 1994; (“sounded tough”) int. Robert Maheu.

  “draw a blank”: int. Robert King, conv. Michael Ewing re. his King int.

  “no reason”: ints. Robert Maheu.

  “one of the last”: Maheu and Hack, op. cit., p. 131.

  Salinger: int. Pierre Salinger; (knew Maheu) Drosnin, op. cit., p. 271.

  1971 sequence re. “Bay of Pigs: (Lenzner/Lackritz role) int. Terry Lenzner, Lenzner/Lackritz memo to Sen. Ervin, date obscured, Feb. 1974, subject “Relevance to S. Res. 60 of John Roselli’s testimony about his CIA activities,” Box 441-3, JFK Collection, HSCA, Record Grp. 233, NA; (Anderson) syndicated articles, Jan. 18, 19, 1971 reproduced at Exhibits 2, 3, E, Bk. 21, p. 9911–; (Mitchell/Maheu call) chronology attached to Lenzner/Lackritz/Sen. Ervin memo, supra., and Maheu and Hack, op. cit., p. 126; (Maheu/Vegas prosecution) ibid.; (Mitchell “shaking”) conv. Michael Ewing, citing Maheu; (Maheu/Justice Dept. officials) Lenzner/Lackritz memo, supra., Maheu and Hack, op. cit., p. 126; (Wilson) int. Terry Lenzner; (Caulfield background) NM, p. 13–; (Caulfield memos) Caulfield to John Dean, Jan. 22, 25, Feb. 1, 1971, E, Bk 21, p. 9748–; (Caulfield conceded) ibid. p. 9723; (Lenzner/Lackritz asked CIA) int. Lenzner, CIA memo for record, Mar. 14, 1974, and [name censored] to director of security, Aug. 20, 1975, CIA release May 1989; (Ervin blocked) int. Terry Lenzner and subpoena request in Lenzner/Lackritz/Ervin memo, supra.; (“duck”/“protect”) see p. 177.

  “Bay of Pigs” = Kennedy Assassination?: (Haldeman) Haldeman and DiMona, op. cit., p. 68.

  “fixation”/“Not rational”: Salisbury, op. cit., p. 306.

  Chapter 18

  “I felt crushed”: ed. William Buckley, Odyssey of a Friend: Whittaker Chambers’ Letters to William Buckley, 1952–1961, Washington, D.C.: Regnery, 1987, p. 287.

  RN and JFK: (meeting) Matthews, op. cit., p. 44—a key source for the relationship; (“bookends”) MEM, p. 42; (Pennsylvania) ibid., Matthews, op. cit., p. 51; (reminisced) JA, p. 136; (“genuine”) Matthews, op. cit., p. 17; (began meeting) JA, p. 135; (books) ibid., p. 136; (shy) ibid., p. 135 and MEM, p. 43; (Paris women) JA, p. 136; (’50 donation) MEM, p. 75; Arnold, op. cit., p. 14, but see suggestion donation much larger at O’Neill, op. cit., p. 81; (denial) Detroit Free Press, July 13, 1960; (“mistake”) Douglas, op. cit., p. 325, citing Look’s John Cowles and Judge Charles Wyzanski; (fast friends) Arnold, op. cit., p. 6; (“good luck”) MEM, p. 91; (RN sponsoring) Matthews, op. cit., p. 91; (wedding) ibid., p. 93; (offices) Ralph Martin, A Hero for Our Time, New York: Macmillan, 1983, p. 221.

  JFK on RN: (“enormous ability”) Peter Lisagor int. April 1966, JFK Oral History Program, JFKL; (Smathers) int. George Smathers, JFK Oral History Program, July 1964, JFKL; (“split personality”) Martin, op. cit., p. 221–.

  RN re. JFK: (Reardon) Matthews, op. cit., p. 65; (snake charmer) TW60, p. 298; (“Poor Jack”) Agent Rex Scouten, citing RN; JA, p. 137; (fruit) Mathews, op. cit., p. 102; (suite) JA, p. 137; (“admired”) Matthews, op. cit., p. 100; (“liked”) int. Jack Drown; (“loved him”) int. Edward Nixon.

  RN to run?: (“powers that be”) ed. Abell, op. cit., p. 403; (Chandler meeting) int. Paul Ziffren by FB, FBP—citing Buff Chandler; (Pat miles) NYT, July 27, 1960; (Cronin) UPI, undated, 1974, Robert Hartmann Papers, Gerald R. Ford Library.

  Convention: (mother’s ints.) Kornitzer, op. cit., p. 88, int. Evlyn Dorn by FB, FBP; (sat like bird) Ehrlichman, op. cit., p. 147; (no sleep) JA, p. 271; (Overture) Len Hall, cited in FB int. John Lindsay, FBP; (acceptance speech) TW60, p. 206–; (JFK acceptance) ibid., p. 177; (O’Neill) cited in Matthews, op. cit., p. 127; (Hillings) ibid., p. 126; (“worried”) PAT, p. 188; (opium) NY Daily News, July 29, 1960.

  campaign: (small towns) TW60, p. 277–; Saturday Evening Post, Nov. 5, 1960; (Reston) Thimmesch, op. cit., p. 80; (RN weight) John Tower, Consequences, Boston: Little, Brown, 1991, p. 16; (Pat press-ganged) PAT, p. 189; (Pat thin/tired) Saturday Evening Post, Nov. 5, 1960, Jim Bassett letter to wife, Wilma, Sept. 25, 1960, Bassett Papers, TW60, pp. 302, 307; (Jackie) Herbert Parmet, Jack: The Struggles of John F. Kennedy, New York: Dial Press, 1980, p. 438; Martin, op. cit., p. 207–; (“No ease”) Salisbury, op. cit., p. 304; (RN/hecklers) Klein, op. cit., p. 97, int. Herb Klein; (JFK never lost) TW60, p. 301; (“blew stack”) ed. Sevareid, op. cit., p. 81; (“firey”) Chicago Sunday Tribune, Nov. 6, 1960; (Sherwood) Troy, op. cit., p. 177; (kick seat) Haldeman and DiMona, op. cit., p. 75; int. Don Hughes; (RN in plane) Readers’ Digest, May 1975, p. 238-, Robert Finch Oral History, Columbia University; (pride/old age) Crowley, Nixon Off the Record,
op. cit., p. 11; (wasteful?) e.g., Robert Finch Oral History, supra.; (“clerks”) TW60, p. 314; (Plans Board) ibid., p. 264 and see Garment, op. cit., p. 116; (horse and jockey) int. James Bassett by FB, FBP; (Alaska) TW60, pp. 262, 267; Klein, op. cit., p. 25; PAT, p. 191; (“Dick has painted”) James Bassett to wife, Wilma, Oct. 3, 1960, Bassett Papers; (Bassett/tempers) int. Cynthia Bassett; (“scarey isn’t it?”) James Bassett to Wilma, Nov. 2, 1960, Bassett Papers.

  prelude to first debate: (law change) Nixon, Six Crises, op. cit., p. 323; Klein, op. cit., p. 102; (JFK accepted) int. Pierre Salinger; Salinger, op. cit., p. 83; int. Leonard Reinsch, JFK Oral History Program, JFKL, p. 13; (“one way”) Richard Goodwin, Remembering America, Boston: Little, Brown, p. 112; (why resist) Martin, op. cit., p. 222; Nixon, Six Crises, op. cit., p. 323, Gray, op. cit., p. 316–; (“no debates!”) int. Len Hall by FB, FBP; Klein, op. cit., p. 102–; (RN announced) ibid., p. 103, James Bassett to Wilma, Oct. 24, 1960, Bassett Papers; (Hall asked) int. Len Hall by FB, FBP; (“I can take”) Reinsch Oral History, supra., p. 10; (“I’ll murder”) Goodwin, op. cit., p. 112; (“might clobber”) James Bassett to Wilma, Oct. 24, 1960, Bassett Papers; (make “conditions”) int. James Bassett by FB, FBP; (“Make sure”) Reinsch Oral History, supra., p. 15; (haggling) ibid., p. 14–; Klein, op. cit., p. 103; TW60, p. 282; (Secret Service) Baughman, op. cit., p. 249–, citing agent’s report; (injury) ibid. and RN on Tonight show, NBC-TV, Aug. 26, 1960, transcript in final report of U.S. Sen. Cttee. on Commerce, Subcttee on Communications, Dec. 11, 1961, Part 3, p. 10; (hospital) Nixon, Six Crises, op. cit., p. 326.

  Ike remark: (“If you give”) Aug. 24, 1960 press conf. transcript, Public Papers of the Presidents, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Govt. Printing Office, 1961, p. 268–; (apologize) Wicker, op. cit., p. 225; PAT, p. 192; (“lack of warmth”) Ann Whitman Diary, Aug. 30, 1960, DDEL; (did endorse) Eisenhower statement, Oct. 17, 1960, JFRP; (“tough S.O.B.”) Crowley, Nixon Off the Record, op. cit., p. 15; (“godammit”) Newsweek, Oct. 9, 1961 and see Wicker, op. cit., p. 242, citing William Ewald and Leonard Hall.