Film of David Atlee Phillips

[Steve Rosen]

Thanks Anthony. I'd like to track down the full interviews that were edited for "Inside the CIA", but I've had no luck with that so far. Anyone else want to take a crack?

I have it on good authority that Phillips is on a Sixty Minutes TV show, though I haven't seen it.

Bill, are you referring to "The CIA'S Secret Army", by George Crile and Bill Moyers, broadcast on CBS in 1977? It is referenced here:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919011,00.html

Has anyone seen this? Is Phillips in it?

- Steve

[Michael Hogan]

Thanks Anthony. I'd like to track down the full interviews that were edited for "Inside the CIA", but I've had no luck with that so far. Anyone else want to take a crack?

I have it on good authority that Phillips is on a Sixty Minutes TV show, though I haven't seen it.

Bill, are you referring to "The CIA'S Secret Army", by George Crile and Bill Moyers, broadcast on CBS in 1977? It is referenced here:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919011,00.html

Has anyone seen this? Is Phillips in it?

- Steve

From that Time Magazine article Steve linked:

Freelance Writer George Crile III interested Moyers in the CIA'S secret army after he had done two years of research in and around Little Havana, the home in Miami of 500,000 Cubans. Moyers then

worked with Crile for nine more months. The documentary makes no moral judgments. "I wasn't so much trying to tell the viewer anything as to illustrate the process of Government," says Moyers.

George Crile III joined CBS in 1976. Prior to that he worked with Jack Anderson and Drew Pearson and was the Washington editor for Harper's

While at CBS, Crile produced a number of documentaries on covert activities. He produced the show that caused Westmoreland to sue CBS.

And from The Washington Post:

While covering Afghan rebels in their war with the Soviets in the 1980s, Mr. Crile came to know a flamboyant, scandal-prone Texas congressman named Charlie Wilson, who was working with the CIA to secretly funnel billions

of dollars to the Afghan fighters. He spent years investigating Wilson's incredible tale, which culminated in his best-selling book, "Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History" (2003).

Crile died in 2006

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/15/AR2006051501664.html

Edited August 2, 2011 by Michael Hogan

[William Kelly]

Thanks Anthony. I'd like to track down the full interviews that were edited for "Inside the CIA", but I've had no luck with that so far. Anyone else want to take a crack?

I have it on good authority that Phillips is on a Sixty Minutes TV show, though I haven't seen it.

Bill, are you referring to "The CIA'S Secret Army", by George Crile and Bill Moyers, broadcast on CBS in 1977? It is referenced here:

http://www.time.com/...,919011,00.html

Has anyone seen this? Is Phillips in it?

- Steve

From that Time Magazine article Steve linked:

Freelance Writer George Crile III interested Moyers in the CIA'S secret army after he had done two years of research in and around Little Havana, the home in Miami of 500,000 Cubans. Moyers then

worked with Crile for nine more months. The documentary makes no moral judgments. "I wasn't so much trying to tell the viewer anything as to illustrate the process of Government," says Moyers.

George Crile III joined CBS in 1976. Prior to that he worked with Jack Anderson and Drew Pearson and was the Washington editor for Harper's

While at CBS, Crile produced a number of documentaries on covert activities. He produced the show that caused Westmoreland to sue CBS.

And from The Washington Post:

While covering Afghan rebels in their war with the Soviets in the 1980s, Mr. Crile came to know a flamboyant, scandal-prone Texas congressman named Charlie Wilson, who was working with the CIA to secretly funnel billions

of dollars to the Afghan fighters. He spent years investigating Wilson's incredible tale, which culminated in his best-selling book, "Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History" (2003).

Crile died in 2006

http://www.washingto...6051501664.html

No, I think Phillips did a portion of a Sixty Minutes program, while the other program is different.

Are they serious that Carter considered Moyers as suitable to be CIA director? Don't they mean Sorrensen?

Crile and another writer teamed up for some important articles that were published in Esquire in the 70s, and his Cuban stories are still important.

In one Esquire article Crile wrote about the Cubans making reference to a CIA killer drug that made it appear as a stroke, and said to have been used

on Stalin and David Ferrie.

Is there any more information or publicity about the CBC documentary?

BK

[Steve Rosen]

Crile and another writer teamed up for some important articles that were published in Esquire in the 70s, and his Cuban stories are still important.

In one Esquire article Crile wrote about the Cubans making reference to a CIA killer drug that made it appear as a stroke, and said to have been used

on Stalin and David Ferrie.

Taylor Branch & George Crile III spent a year researching and writing the article "The Kennedy Vendetta: How the CIA waged a silent war against Cuba" for Harper's Magazine, August 1975. It is well-written and thorough, containing information from key sources like Bernard Barker and William "Rip" Robertson.

It is located here on MaryFerrell.org: http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=12695&relPageId=3

Branch and Crile were to follow up the article with a book focusing on Bernard Barker and Eugenio "Eugene" Rolando Martinez. Today Branch says that for a variety of reasons, he and Crile abandoned the project.

The Branch-Crile book was discussed in a CIA summary of Barker activities from 1959 to 1975, and in an Office of Security file on Barker. See http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=16414&relPageId=1 (pp 2 & 6); http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=102737&relPageId=1 (pp 7-19).

From the Barker chronological summary of activities:

1. From an entry dated 6/12/1975:

"Barker and Eugene Martinez in process of cooperating with George Crile and Taylor Branch for book to be published by Harper's"

2. From an entry dated 1/16/1976:

"Indicates Crile and Taylor Branch may follow up book on E. Martinez and Barker with one on Lynch and William Robertson. Lynch wants to beat Crile and Branch to the punch and come out with Bay of Pigs book before the Barker-Martinez story is published. Wants to cover AMLILAC operations - infiltrations into Cuba, 1961-1967, (Comandos Mombisei). Requesting reaction to authoring book. )"

The above description is not correct, according to Branch. Only one book was planned.

The book was to be called "Cuban Terror and the CIA", based on interviews with nearly a hundred Cuban CIA agents, covering covert action, including assassinations, at the behest of the CIA in Cuba, Vietnam, Congo, and other places.

One possible reason the book was abandoned was that the CIA put legal pressure on Bernard Barker. John S. Warner, CIA General Counsel of the CIA, wrote Barker and his lawyer that Barker should not cooperate with Taylor and Crile in violation of Barker's security agreement with the Agency.

Warner's office was tipped off to Barker's cooperation with Taylor and Crile by one "Vicente Zorilla", a CIA contractor from the early 60's to 1974 [note: probable actual spelling is Zorrilla].

For the Harper's promo, CIA Warner letter to Barker, and related memos, see pages 7 to 19 of the CIA Office of Security file on Bernard Barker:

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=102737&relPageId=7

---

Bill, thanks for the info on the Esquire articles. Unfortunately Esquire doesn't have a searchable online archive (like Harper's). Do you have any more information on the specific issues, the co-writer you mentioned, or the article titles?

- Steve

[if anyone values their eyesight and wants a clearer reading copy of The Kennedy Vendetta, contact me & I'll try to help you.]

Edited August 4, 2011 by Steve Rosen

[Michael Hogan]

I thought other members might be interested in reading this transcript from The David Susskind Show. The show is from October 24, 1977 and is a debate between Jack Anderson, David Atlee Phillips, Jones Harris, Peter Dale Scott and Robert Gemberling.

The transcript is available at the link below and runs for about 40 pages.

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=8907&relPageId=59

You will not believe some of the utter crap that Phillips comes out with. Really jaw dropping bad...

Thanks for posting that Lee.

As most readers know Gaeton Fonzi concluded his book The Last Investigation with a chapter titled The Last Note. It was devoted entirely to David Phillips.

Fonzi wrote matter of factly: "David Atlee Phillips played a key role in the conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy."

The fact that Phillips was forced to lie under oath to the HSCA about Mexico City and his association with Antonio Veciana sealed the deal for Fonzi.

[William Kelly]

I thought other members might be interested in reading this transcript from The David Susskind Show. The show is from October 24, 1977 and is a debate between Jack Anderson, David Atlee Phillips, Jones Harris, Peter Dale Scott and Robert Gemberling.

The transcript is available at the link below and runs for about 40 pages.

http://www.maryferre...07&relPageId=59

You will not believe some of the utter crap that Phillips comes out with. Really jaw dropping bad...

Thanks for posting that Lee.

As most readers know Gaeton Fonzi concluded his book The Last Investigation with a chapter titled The Last Note. It was devoted entirely to David Phillips.

Fonzi wrote matter of factly: "David Atlee Phillips played a key role in the conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy."

The fact that Phillips was forced to lie under oath to the HSCA about Mexico City and his association with Antonio Veciana sealed the deal for Fonzi.

Yea, thanks Lee, that's really interesting.

I wonder if that show is available on YouTube?

Or if a better transcript is available, as there's a lot missing.

BK

[Steve Rosen]

I'm waiting for the extended addition dvd of "Inside the CIA", with bonus footage of the uncut interviews.

David Atlee Phillips appears in Win Scott's wedding film from the night December 20, 1962.

In Our Man in Mexico (2008), author Jefferson Morley describes the "brazen quality" of Mexico City Station Chief Winston Scott's decision to film his "Wedding in Las Lomas":

"No one could have appreciated or worried more about Win's audacity then Dave Phillips. In the film ... [Phillips] hardly looked relaxed, and he eyed the camera warily. He was, after all, a spy, a specialist in propaganda, a man skilled in invisibly perpetrating images and information to maximum advantage, and here he was, out of loyalty to his boss [Win Scott], exposed to a camera. The composed look in his eyes glinted with the awareness of vulnerability. No wonder that [Phillip's wife] Helen looked more comfortable. Her identity was not being betrayed by the whirring camera of Win's reckless love ... And so the essence of LITEMPO, a top secret CIA operation, was captured on film. As Dave Phillips surely knew, Win was violating every rule of espionage tradecraft ... Dave Phillips tried to step out of the camera's view when it approached again."

Our Man in Mexico, page 146-148.

See: http://www.amazon.com/Our-Man-Mexico-Winston-History/dp/0700615717/ref=reader_auth_dp

http://www.ourmaninmexico.com/

Jeff Morley's book is deeply researched and essential reading.

-- Steve

Edited October 20, 2011 by Steve Rosen

[Scott Kaiser]

Phillips on the Bay of Pigs.

[Steve Rosen]

Is there any more information or publicity about the CBC documentary?

BK

Bill, I communicated with someone at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Documentary Unit who is completing a project entitled "Love Hate and Propaganda: The Cold War" to be released this year.

It is not a documentary about David Atlee Phillips, as the first post suggested.

It is a four-part series, with episode 2 discussing the overthrow of Jacobo Arbenz.

In the story they mention David Atlee Phillips in the context of Guatemala. But the CBC had no luck obtaining pictures or video of Phillips circa the PB/SUCCESS/Guatemala coup of 1954 to include in the broadcast (which is probably how Phillips would have wanted it).

This series starts on Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 9 pm on CBC-TV, according to the website. The CBC person I spoke to said part of it may come out in January 2012. Perhaps they are staggering the episodes.

Here are some links:

http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/lovehatepropaganda/

http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/lovehatepropagandacoldwar/index.html

http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/lovehatepropagandacoldwar/about.html

Cheers to the CBC. This looks to be worthy of checking out.

-- Steve

Edited October 20, 2011 by Steve Rosen

[Scott Kaiser]

In the story they mention David Atlee Phillips in the context of Guatemala. But the CBC had no luck obtaining pictures or video of Phillips circa the PB/SUCCESS/Guatemala coup of 1954 to include in the broadcast (which is probably how Phillips would have wanted it).

Posada talks to me about this off camera, and his involvement in ousting Jacobo Arbenz. He also mentions that he went to work for the Guatemala government in 1990. I asked him did you mean the CIA? He says not exactly. What ever that's suppose to mean.

It was in 1990 when Posada got shot seven times including once in the jaw of his mouth when he was targeted for assassination by Castro's men.

[Scott Kaiser]

After the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion, the CIA organizes a Domestic Affairs Division. "For the first time, the CIA is going to work inside of the U.S. because until that moment, it wasn't doing it. It was prohibited. And,

at the head of this division they put Tracy Barnes, who was chief of the CIA operations group which operated against Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala, and he brought to the same group of officers David Atlee Phillips, David Sanchez Morales and Howard Hunt, and two or three other Americans who just as surely worked on the Guatemala project."