November 19, 1963 CIA memorandum for the record

A document pointing to the president's approval of the CIA's complicity in Cubela's plan to shoot Fidel Castro is this November 19, 1963, memorandum for the record by case officer Nestor Sanchez, who was handling Cubela.  Readers can see the document for themselves. 

     It is initialed by Sanchez.  It refers to Kennedy's Miami speech.  That was when he called Castro a "barrier to be removed."  Since that speech was delivered on Monday, November 18, the date on the memo is reinforced.  It also indicates that Sanchez will tell Cubela that FitzGerald, who he knows only as James Clark, helped write the speech.  By being sure Cubela has a copy of the speech, the CIA wants him to know his plan has Kennedy's support.

     Cubela will be given high-power rifles with scopes.  Their purpose is unmistakable.  PBRUMEN is Cuba; C-4 is an explosive; S/W is secret writing; and AMTHUG is Fidel Castro.

     Notice the last paragraph saying that FitzGerald wants written reports kept to a minimum.  If so, why did Sanchez put everything down in writing?  Bureaucrats normally write memorandum for the record when they worry that they might be blamed for something in the future and want a contemporaneous record.  An unanswered question is whose handwriting is on the memo.  It isn't Sanchez because he wouldn't write C/SAS and then spell out that this is FitzGerald.  Presumably the handwriting is a later investigator, perhaps the Inspector General.  But then the words "high power" are also in handwriting, and the original typed words are illegible.  That is odd.  

     I have included the National Archives' index sheet to make clear that this document has been declassified in full and is public.

      I say this document points to John Kennedy's approval because Richard Helms wrote in his memoir that he met with Robert Kennedy and John Kennedy this same day, November 19.  Although nothing proves this memo was written after the meeting, the connection is too strong to be coincidence.