FIDEL CASTRO HAS READ TO THE CUBAN PEOPLE DR. ERNESTO GUEVARA’S LETTER TO HIM, ANNOUNCING HIS RESIGNATION, IN THE FOLLOWING WORDS: “I FORMALLY RESIGN MY POSITIONS IN THE LEADERSHIP OF THE PARTY, MY POST AS MINISTER, MY RANK OF COMMANDER, AND MY CUBAN CITIZENSHIP. NOTHING LEGAL BINDS ME TO CUBA.”
WE HAVE BEEN WONDERING HERE IF THIS, ESPECIALLY THE LAST SENTENCE, SUGGESTS THERE IS CONCERN THAT DR. GUEVARA’S ACTIVITIES IN THE CONGO WILL FAIL, POSSIBLY SOON, AND THAT DR. CASTRO WANTS TO DISTANCE HIMSELF AND CUBA FROM DR. GUEVERA, AND HAVE WONDERED IF YOU ALSO HAVE BEEN THINKING ALONG THESE LINES.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IT MAY SUGGEST THAT DR. GUEVERA WISHES TO DISASSOCIATE HIMSELF FROM A CUBAN FAILURE IN AFRICA AND RETURN TO THIS CONTINENT AS AN ARGENTINE WHO WAS SUCCESSFUL IN AIDING DR. CASTRO, AND NOW WISHES TO LIBERATE THE REST OF SOUTH AMERICA.
BEST REGARDS
END
J.P. STEPHENS
STATION CHIEF BUENOS AIRES
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HELP0111 2005 ZULU 10 OCTOBER 1965
VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY
FROM: HELPER SIX
TO: EARNEST SIX
INTELL REPORT #22
1. AT 0900 ZULU 10 OCTOBER 1965 ASA INTERCEPTED AND DECRYPTED THE FOLLOWING RADIO MESSAGE FROM “SIKI” (CAPTAIN OSCAR FERNANDEZ MELI) BELIEVED TO BE IN VICINITY OF FIZI, KATANGA PROVINCE TO “MOJA” (CAPTAIN VICTOR DREKE) IN LULUPLAT:
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FOR MOJA: THE SOLDIERS ARE ADVANCING ON FIZI AND THERE’S NOTHING TO STOP OR EVEN DELAY THEM. WE ARE MOVING FROM FIZI TO LUBONDJA. I WILL TRY TO DESTROY THE BRIDGES. TELL TATU MY TRIP WAS A FAILURE. SIKI.
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2. COLONEL SUPO HAS ADVISED THE UNDERSIGNED THAT A RECONNAISSANCE TEAM OF FIVE (5) CONGOLESE PARATROOPS (ADVISED BY SSGT LEANDER KNOWLES) MOUNTED IN TWO JEEPS ARMED WITH .30 CALIBER BROWNING MACHINE GUNS ENTERED THE VILLAGE OF FIZI AT APPROXIMATELY 1115 ZULU 10 OCTOBER 1965, AGAINST NEGLIGIBLE RESISTANCE, AND THAT AS OF 1210 ZULU THE VILLAGE IS NOW IN THE HANDS OF CONVENTIONAL CONGOLESE TROOPS.
3. AT 1205 ZULU THE RECON FORCE BEING ADVISED BY SSGT KNOWLES CAME UPON A GROUP OF INSURGENTS ATTEMPTING TO PLACE DEMOLITIONS CHARGES ON THE BRIDGE ACROSS THE LUVIDJO RIVER. THE INSURGENTS FLED ON SEEING THE RECON SQUAD APPROACHING.
PORTET FOR HELPER SIX
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HELP0114 1905 ZULU 12 OCTOBER 1965
VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY
FROM: HELPER SIX
TO: EARNEST SIX
INTELL REPORT #24
1. FOLLOWING RECEIVED FROM SSGT LEANDER KNOWLES 1605 ZULU 12 OCTOBER 1965. KNOWLES IS ADVISING RECONNAISSANCE TEAM OF CONGOLESE PARATROOPS IN VICINITY OF LUBONJA, KATANGA PROVINCE.
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FOR HUNTER SIX: PATROL ENTERED LUBONJA UNOPPOSED 1530 ZULU. AWAITING SUPO’S TROOPS TO OCCUPY. INSURGENTS AND CUBAN ALLIES ABANDONED SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITIES OF WEAPONS, INCLUDING MORTARS, AND ONE HIGHLY INTOXICATED CUBAN CORPORAL, AS THEY WITHDREW. KNOWLES, SSGT.
END
CRAIG FOR HELPER SIX
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HELP0117 1905 ZULU 14 OCTOBER 1965
VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY
FROM: HELPER SIX
TO: EARNEST SIX
INTELL REPORT #27
1. PERTINENT EXTRACT OF ASA DECRYPT OF RADIOTELETYPE MESSAGE FROM “TATU” (GUEVARA) IN LULUPLAT 1505 ZULU 14 OCTOBER 1965 TO CUBAN EMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM FOLLOWS:
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CONCERNING FALL OF LUBONJA: OUR MEN’S ATTITUDE WAS WORSE THAN BAD. THEY LEFT WEAPONS THAT WERE UNDER THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, SUCH AS MORTARS, IN THE HANDS OF CONGOLESE AND THEY WERE LOST. THEY DIDN’T SHOW ANY FIGHTING SPIRIT. LIKE THE CONGOLESE, THEY THOUGHT ONLY ABOUT SAVING THEIR OWN SKINS, AND THE RETREAT WAS SO DISORGANIZED THAT WE LOST ONE MAN AND STILL DON’T KNOW HOW, BECAUSE HIS COMRADES DIDN’T KNOW IF HE GOT LOST, WAS WOUNDED OR WAS KILLED BY THE ENEMY. I HAVE DISARMED ALL THE CONGOLESE WHO SHOWED UP HERE. TATU.
END
HELPER SIX
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HELP0119 0855 ZULU 16 OCTOBER 1965
VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY
FROM: HELPER SIX
TO: EARNEST SIX
INTELL REPORT #30
1. THE UNDERSIGNED HAS BEEN ADVISED BY COLONEL SUPO THAT HE HAS ORDERED “OPERATION SEVEN” TO BE EXECUTED AS OF 0001 ZULU 16 OCTOBER 1965.
2. THIS WILL BE A THREE-PRONGED ATTACK INTENDED TO DRIVE THE INSURGENTS TOWARD AN ENCIRCLEMENT ON THE SHORE OF LAKE TANGANYIKA. RECONNAISSANCE ELEMENTS OF THE FORCE, SUPPORTED BY SF DETACHMENT 17 AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE, ARE CONGOLESE PARATROOPS ADVISED BY OFFICERS AND NCOS OF SF DETACHTMENT 17.
3. THE MAIN ATTACK FORCE CONSISTS OF CONGOLESE PARATROOPS AND MERCENARY TROOPS UNDER MAJOR MICHAEL HOARE. ONCE TERRITORY FALLS UNDER THEIR CONTROL, THE MAIN ATTACK FORCE WILL BE REPLACED BY CONVENTIONAL CONGOLESE TROOPS.
END
HELPER SIX
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HELP0124 0855 ZULU 24 OCTOBER 1965
VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY
FROM: HELPER SIX
TO: EARNEST SIX
INTELL REPORT #34
1. FOLLOWING RECEIVED FROM HELPER SIX IN THE LULUPLAT AREA.
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1. AT 0535 ZULU 24 OCTOBER 1965 A RECON FORCE OF CONGOLESE PARATROOPS ADVISED BY MAJ G.W. LUNSFORD AND WOJG WILLIAM THOMAS ENTERED THE AREA IN LULUPLAT KNOWN TO BE THE HEADQUARTERS OF “TATU.”
2. THE INSURGENT FORCES BECAME AWARE OF THE APPROACH OF THE RECON