◆ SpookStack

...TQP:+;IZCREl" darn well works for Mann anyway, regardless of the title. "* 2-1 Even as the negotiations just mentioned were underway, by early December 1960 the Agency's posi- tion on the nature of the PM action decidedly hardened. On 8 December at a meeting of the Special Group, Colonels Hawkins and Egan proposed a military program which combined the use of infiltrated small paramili- tary teams as a test to see if the dissident elements would rally round and, also recommend a training program for a force of 600-750 men possessing extremely heavy fire power for amphibious assault. Prior to an amphibious invasion, however, it was agreed that I there ,would be sorties into Cuban air space but the precise nature and number of these was disputable, ranging from possibly 100 a month for a three month period beginning on 15 January 1961 -- and inclUding some B-26 sorties to bomb and strafe military targets -- to an undefined minimum of sorties for a three week period to soften up the opposition. * The Agency apparently thought that it had a pretty good handle on Willauer because of his long term associ- ation as Executive Vice-President, President, and Vice- Chairman of the Board of Civil Air Transport (CAT). - 173 - .:fOP ~~CRET