Slate interview with OSS/CIA founding member Howard Hunt, page 1

Slate recently had an interview with E. Howard Hunt, one of the founding members of the OSS, the precursor of the CIA.

The interview doesn't go into as much detail about the operations he participated in but it's still an interesting read.

It's interesting that when he was asked about being in Dallas the day JFK was killed, his response was "no comment"
His wife Laura interrupted and said he wasn't there but why would he say no comment?
He also refused to comment on possible involvement by David Atlee Phillips.

E. Howard Hunt talks about Guatemala, the Bay of Pigs, and what really happened to Che.

On Arbenz:

Hunt: He was in power then, yes. But his wife was by far the smarter of the two and sort of told him what to do. She was a convinced communist. � I waited for orders [from Washington]. A couple of [CIA and military] officers came down to join me, and it became apparent that there was going to be an effort to dislodge the communist management [laughs] of Guatemala. Which indeed happened. We set up shop and had some very bright guys working against Arbenz, and the long and short of it was that we got Arbenz defenestrated. Out the window. [Laughs]

On Cuba:

Slate: Did you help in the planning of Bay of Pigs?

Hunt: Not the military [planning]. And I couldn't find anybody who thought that it was a good plan.

Slate: What were the objections?

Hunt: There was an objection on the part of Dean Rusk, secretary of state under Kennedy. He didn't want a "go-and-see invasion"�that was the term he used. And our people [CIA planners] had planned an invasion that combined both a seaborne assault and an airlift. Dean Rusk was a great naysayer�he was not a fellow with useful ideas. When our plan was submitted to Rusk for his OK, he said, "This is too noisy, you gotta do something else." So the assault point was moved to the Bahia de Cochinos�the Bay of Pigs. Which had nothing in its favor. It was a beach that came down from the jungle. A lot of mosquitoes. Our people made that beach landing and they were scooped up pretty soon thereafter.

On JFK:

Slate: I know there is a conspiracy theory saying that David Atlee Phillips�the Miami CIA station chief�was involved with the assassination of JFK.

Hunt: [Visibly uncomfortable] I have no comment.

Slate: I know you hired him early on, to work with you in Mexico, to help with Guatemala propaganda.

Hunt: He was one of the best briefers I ever saw.

Slate: And there were even conspiracy theories about you being in Dallas the day JFK was killed.

Hunt: No comment.

Laura Hunt: Howard says he wasn't, and I believe him.

[edit on 9-10-2004 by AceOfBase]