Page:CIA and Guatemala Assassination Proposals, 1952-1954 (1995).djvu/4

 

By the fall of 1953, US policymakers, including CIA officials, were searching for a new overall program for dealing with Arbenz. The Guatemalan leader had moved even closer to the Communists. He had expropriated additional United Fruit Company holdings, legalized the Guatemalan Communist Party, the PGT, and suppressed anti-Communist opposition following an abortive uprising at Salamá. In response, the National Security Council authorized a covert action operation against Arbenz and gave the CIA primary responsibility.

The CIA plan, as drawn up by ’s Western Hemisphere Division, combined psychological warfare, economic, diplomatic, and paramilitary actions against Guatemala. Named PBSUCCESS, and coordinated with the Department of State, the plan’s stated objective was “to remove covertly, and without bloodshed if possible, the menace of the present Communist-controlled government of Guatemala.” In the outline of the operation the sixth stage called for the “roll-up” of Communists and collaborators after a successful coup.

Dulles placed in charge of PBSUCCESS and sent a senior DDP officer,  to establish a temporary station (LINCOLN), to coordinate the planning and execution of PBSUCCESS. Other key Agency figures involved were and  Chief of the  Staff. Department of State Assistant Secretary of State for  from the Office of  Affairs, and  State liaison to the Agency, also played major roles.



Although assassination was not mentioned specifically in the overall plan, the Chief of at  requested a special paper on liquidation of personnel on 5 January 1954. This paper, according to the chief, was to be utilized to brief the training chief for PBSUCCESS before he left to begin training Castillo Armas’ forces in Honduras on 10 January 1954. A cable from the following day requested 20 silencers (converters) for .22 caliber rifles. Headquarters sent the rifles. The chief also discussed the training plan with the agent SEEKFORD on 13 January 1954, indicating that he wanted Castillo Armas and the PBSUCCESS  officer to train two assassins. In addition, he discussed these “assassination specialists” with Castillo Armas on 3 February 1954.

The idea of forming assassination teams (“K” groups) apparently onginated with Castillo Armas in 1952. Adapting Castillo Armas’ concept, the chief routinely included two assassination specialists in his training plans.

CIA planning for sabotage teams in early 1954 also included creating a “K” group trained to perform assassinations. The main mission of the sabotage teams or harassment teams, however, was to attack local Communists and Communist property and to avoid