◆ SpookStack

didn't make any difference whether the Zapata plan or the Trinidad plan was in effect because it did not change the air plan--an error which also had been made in the testimony of other members of the JCS. This time, however, one of the members of the eSG specified that the air plan was significantly different as the invasion site was shifted from Trinidad to Zapata, stating: The objection to one of the plans [Trinidad] was the fact that the airstrip wasn't adequate. That same objection wasn't made in connection with the Zapata plan. The second thing is that the Zapata plan, as it was originally considered, anticipated capturing this airport Iactually the air- strip] and then have the planes take off from the airoort. 130/ .. - This was a point of fact to which General Lemnitzer only moments earlier had agreed, but in response to the above remark the following curious exchange took place: General Lemnitzer: No, sir. That's wrong. Statement: I'm just going by what the paper says. General Lemnitzer: Are you saying that these aircraft were supposed to fly from Nicaragua and then land and load up and take off and bomb and so on? Statement: I don't know. I wasn't there. General Gray: I think its wrong to base that whole Zapata plan on one paper because this was just the first cut of the Zapata plan. After that the Zapata plan was con- sidered again and again over a period of time and all this became very clear as it went on. 139