DATE=2/23/98 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT NUMBER=5-39059 TITLE=CIA/BAY OF PIGS REPORT BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE DATELINE=MIAMI CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY HAS RELEASED AN INTERNAL REPORT COMPILED BY AGENCY OFFICERS AFTER THE FAILED BAY OF PIGS INVASION IN CUBA MORE THAN THREE DECADES AGO. THE REPORT, LONG THOUGHT TO BE LOST, CRITICIZES NEARLY EVERY ASPECT OF THE FAILED OPERATION. V-O-A'S JIM TEEPLE HAS DETAILS FROM OUR MIAMI BUREAU. TEXT: THE ONE HUNDRED AND-FIFTY PAGE REPORT, LONG REGARDED AS ONE OF THE MOST SECRET DOCUMENTS OF THE COLD WAR LAY FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES IN SAFE OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. IT SAYS THE C-I-A'S OPERATION TO INVADE CUBA IN 1961 WAS CHARACTERIZED BY IGNORANCE, INCOMPETENCE AND ARROGANCE. THE REPORT WAS WRITTEN BY THE C-I-A'S INSPECTOR GENERAL LYMAN KIRKPATRICK SIX-MONTHS AFTER THE FAILED INVASION. IT WAS OBTAINED BY PETER KORNBLUH A SENIOR ANALYST AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE, A WASHINGTON BASED RESEARCH GROUP WHICH SEEKS TO DECLASSIFY AND CATALOG U-S GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS. MR. KORNBLUH WHO DIRECTS THE CUBA PROJECT AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE SAYS THE C-I-A REPORT IS A REMARKABLE DOCUMENT. /// INSERT KORNBLUH ACTUALITY /// IT IS QUITE LITERALLY, PROBABLY THE MOST SELF-CRITICAL REPORT EVER WRITTEN INSIDE THE AGENCY, AND THERE ARE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE DE-CLASSIFIED WITH IT THAT SHOW THAT SENIOR OFFICIALS WERE CLEARLY WORRIED THAT THIS REPORT WOULD LEAK, THAT IT WOULD GET INTO THE HANDS OF CONGRESS, THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND THE MEDIA AND THAT IT WOULD BE USED IN THE EARLY 1960'S TO UNDERMINE THE FUTURE MISSION AND EVEN THE VIABLITY OF C-I-A COVERT OPERATIONS. /// END ACTUALITY /// THE REPORT WAS SO SENSITIVE SAYS MR. KORNBLUH THAT THEN C-I-A DIRECTOR JOHN MCCONE HAD ALL BUT ONE COPY OF IT BURNED. ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, SENIOR C-I-A OFFICIALS KNEW VERY EARLY ON THAT THE MISSION'S SECRECY HAD BEEN COMPROMISED, AND THAT IT WAS LIKELY TO FAIL. PETER KORNBLUH SAYS THE REPORT ALSO MAKES IT CLEAR THAT C-I-A OFFICIALS WITHHELD CRITICAL INFORMATION FROM PRESIDENT KENNEDY. /// KORNBLUH ACTUALITY #2 /// ONE OF THE MOST SURPRISING THINGS IN THE REPORT IS THAT IT BASICALLY SAYS THAT C-I-A OFFICIALS SHOULD HAVE GONE TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND SAID, MR. PRESIDENT THIS OPERATION SHOULD NOT GO FORWARD UNDER THESE POLITICAL CONDITIONS, WE DO NOT FEEL IT WILL BE SUCCESSFUL, AND INSTEAD THE REPORT POINTS OUT THE C-I-A DECIDED TO GAMBLE ON VICTORY WITH VERY DUBIOUS ODDS OF SUCCESS. /// END ACTUALITY /// THE REPORT SAYS SENIOR C-I-A OFFICIALS DID NOT HESITATE TO GAMBLE WITH THE LIVES OF MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND FIVE-HUNDRED CUBAN EXILES IT TRAINED TO INVADE CUBA BUT THE C-I-A NEVER TOOK THE EXILES VERY SERIOUSLY. FEW OF THE C-I-A CASE OFFICERS INVOLVED IN THE BAY OF PIGS OPERATION SPOKE SPANISH AND EXILE LEADERS WERE IGNORED. JOSE BASULTO WHO HEADS, BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE, A MIAMI-BASED EXILE GROUP WAS PART OF AN INFILTRATION TEAM SENT INTO CUBA TO ASSIST THE INVASION. HE SAYS THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO DESCRIBE HOW SENIOR C-I-A OFFICIALS TREATED CUBAN-EXILES. /// INSERT BASULTO ACTUALITY /// ARROGANCE -- THEY SIMPLY DID NOT BELIEVE THEY WERE DEALING WITH PEOPLE OF HIGHER INTELLIGENCE. THEY SIMPLY THOUGHT THEY WERE DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO WOULD DO ANYTHING, IF THEY WERE INSTRUCTED BY AMERICANS TO ACT IN A CERTAIN WAY. /// END ACTUALITY /// MORE THAN TWO-HUNDRED CUBAN-EXILES WERE KILLED DURING THE INVASION AND MORE THAN ONE-THOUSAND OTHERS WERE CAPTURED BY CUBAN TROOPS. THE OPERATION WAS ALSO A MAJOR FOREIGN POLICY DEFEAT FOR JOHN KENNEDY AND HISTORIANS SAY THE YOUNG PRESIDENT WAS SO FRUSTRATED OVER ITS FAILURE, THAT HE APPROVED OTHER MEASURES, INCLUDING ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS, TO GET RID OF FIDEL CASTRO. (SIGNED) NEB/JLT/WDC/PT 23-Feb-98 6:36 PM EST (2336 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .