148. Editorial Note
In telegram 7612 from Leopoldville to the Central Intelligence Agency, July 24, 1963, the Chief of Station reported that he had had a 2-hour talk with [text not declassified] on July 22 which was their frankest session to date. [text not declassified] touched on a number of points, which taken together suggested the [text not declassified] doubted they could win free elections, were uncertain as to the extent to which CIA would support them against mounting opposition, and were considering running Justin Bomboko for prime minister or the [Page 211] equivalent office next year. [text not declassified] did not specify just how unfree elections might have to be to accomplish a [text not declassified] victory. He cited a cabinet meeting the previous week during Prime Minister Adoula’s vacation at which criticism of Adoula was long and loud. In concluding the telegram, the Chief of Station warned that the Department of State and CIA might well be faced in the next few months with the serious question of whether to support a moderate [text not declassified] solution to the Congo’s political problems in preference to either an unregenerate conservative Belgian bloc or a Soviet-supported extremist bloc. (Central Intelligence Agency Files, Job 78–00435R, DDO/ISS Files, Box 2, Folder 3, [cryptonym not declassified] Operations)