185. Memorandum for the Record1
SUBJECT
- Meeting of the 303 Committee
Present were
- McGeorge Bundy, Secretary Vance, Ambassador Thompson, myself and Peter Jessup
- [1½ lines not declassified]
[Omitted here is discussion of other matters.]
6. We then went into an inconclusive discussion of what to do about such flaps as the Congo flyers when covert actions became surfaced. I made a strong plea that the whole machinery of Government settle down and not be euchred into going off half cocked every time somebody in the press asked a question. I said it seemed to me we could certainly delay at least 24 hours if we wanted to before attempting to reply to Communist propaganda charges whether true or false. I said I deplored the proliferation of information about covert actions. Bundy thought that perhaps Greenfield (Manning’s replacement) should be fully clued in on covert operations. I objected and said that he should be taught to keep his antenna tuned to the possibility that a flap might be as a result of covert operations and in such circumstances [Page 264] to check immediately with Joe Scott or Joe’s successor. I got the impression they all agreed with this but no decision was taken.
Lieutenant General, USA
Acting Director
- Source: Central Intelligence Agency Files, Job 80B01285A, DCI/McCone Files, 303 Committee Meetings (1964). Secret; Eyes Only. A note on the memorandum reads: “Dictated 4 July but not read.”↩