◆ SpookStack

In the verbatim record, Mr. Oulles after first stating that obviously it would have been decided that to undertake the proposed action would have been more than the Agency could handle, then fumbled around with the thought that the issue would have been taken to the 5412 Committee for an answer. He then wandered off about the possibility of internal resistance in the Escambray and, finally, did come out with the comment that "We had the policy then Castro . 101 ought to be overthrown." From this imprecise response, during the first meeting of the Taylor Committee, Dulles's testimony did little to enhance his reputation. In subsequent meetings, as will be noted, he was responsible for errors of fact which were inexcusable. The second meeting of the Cuba Study Group took place on 24 April and was conducted in two sessions. Col. Jack Hawkins carried the brunt of the testimony with regard to the planned paramilitary operations, and he stressed that a major problem to be overcome if the operation against Castro was to succeed was the acquisition of suitable air bases. To insure plausible deniability, such bases were located - outside of the continental United States. Under certain conditions, all three major types of aircraft utilized by the anti-Castro brigade--C-54 and C-46 cargo aircraft and B- 26 bombers--could be operated out of Guatemala for selective 31