Does most every JFKA researcher agree with John Newman's conclusions regarding David Phillips and Alpha 66?

[David Boylan]

I'm on the fence (awaiting more info) as to whether Phillips and Veciana knew each other. Veciana did have a CIA crypt of AMSHALE-1

 

Some notes I had:

 

Veciana joined forces with Eloy Guiterrez Menoyo's Second National Front Escambray (SNFE) in Sept 1962. Guiterrez was an Army Intel asset. Veciana had been working for the CIA as a PM asset prior to joining with Guiterrez. Cal Hicks was his case officer. Hicks was working for Harvery's Task Force W in 1962. He later worked for JMWAVE as a paramilitary officer. He most likely was the "Cal" that Bradley Ayers met at JMWAVE.

 

John Newman pointed out that Veciana's primary ASCI contact was a US Army Captain using the pseudonym of Patrick Harris. Harris' real name was Milford Hubbard. Hubbard worked for ACSI OSD, aka Detachment A. Detachment A was a very small and secret office of the ACSI headed by Col. J.E. Boyt.

 

Hubbard mentioned that Veciana would have been under control of the Miami Station (Army) headed by Major Junius "Duke" Watlington. Laureno Batista was also an asset of the ACSI Attachment A. 

 

 

Hubbard, when shown the sketch of "Maurice Bishop" stated that the sketch resembled Owen Darnell. Darnell was a source/spotter/assessor in Puerto Rico for Hubbard. Darnell was Hubbard's entree for SFNE and Alpha-66. He was close to Veciana and Veciana would occasionally stay at Darnell's place in San Juan. Darnell had previously lived in Cuba, spoke Spanish fluently and had a Cuban wife. Hubbard admitted to going to Mexico City on a tip from Darnell's wife.

 

 

http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/jfk/NARA-Oct2017/2018/180-10104-10394.pdf  

 

Two members of USAOSD (using assumed names) met w/Veciana on 1/22/63. · Purpose of meeting was primarily to gather details on a boat, used by org., which had been confiscated by U.S. Customs. V. was also queried on the capabilities and mission of the group, his role, and what assist. might be provided org.

 

Veciana said purpose.org.'was to cause war in Cuba by conducting raiding ops., est. guerrilla groups in Cuba- to harass and destroy troops and strategic facilities as to make populace aware that overthrow poss. Envisions internal Cuban uprising thru external Cuban refugee action:. ' Does not desire direct u.s. participation, has no political aims, other than to overthrow Castro. This is reason v. did not cooperate. with other refugee groups, and why they did not desire to work w/CIA, because aims would be subiterted to political ones.
Claims several military bases in Caribbean. Bases manned by small groups w/mil. experience. Also had assets in Cuba. Maintain Hq. in PR, Miami, and NY and plan to establish offices in Washington, Chicago and LA.
 

Veciana contacted initially to contact two frogmen involved in attack on Russian target. Meeting arranged. · Capt. Hubbard and Col. King in meeting. Discovered V. working w/SFNE, thought given to consideration of utilization of v. for intelligence purposes as Menoya has ISR from 1961 and known to have contacts in Cuba. Picked up ISR from CIA 11/2/62. V. gave Army two rifles,. ammo. taken from Russians. Operation discussed but stymied by lack of clear policy on actions against. Matter brought to higher levels; i.e., General Landsdale.
 

Some discussion of possibly passing info to CIA for their recommendation. This suggestion turned down by Landsdale, who felt CIA, when informed, then took over op. Also in no better position to determine national policy.
Persons involved in discussions - Col. Boyt, Col. Rolfe, Cols. Albro and Boucher, Col. DePuy of Special Warfare and Generals Lansdale and Leonard. 

 

http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/jfk/NARA-Oct2017/NARA-Nov9-2017/104-10103-10158.pdf

 

JMCOBRA 0490 (IN 63607) 2 Aug 68:
VECIANA told Cuban Affairs officer Miami 1 Aug 68 that Orestes Guillermo RUIZ Perez (DGI) married to VECIANA's cousin, was dissatisfied with Castro . regime and· receptive to recruitment. VECIANA reported same·info. to Cuban Affairs officer in 64. In 68 VECIANA served with AID in La Paz. 

 

Guillermo Ruiz was expected to help Alpha-66 as far back as 1962. Veciana described Ruiz as a cold blooded killer. (bottom of page and next page)

 

Barney Hildalgo claiming that he knew a Maurice Bishop and was good friends with David Phillips but they were not the same person. Was he blowing smoke to cover for Phillips?

[Paul Brancato]

1 hour ago, David Boylan said:

I'm on the fence (awaiting more info) as to whether Phillips and Veciana knew each other. Veciana did have a CIA crypt of AMSHALE-1

 

Some notes I had:

 

Veciana joined forces with Eloy Guiterrez Menoyo's Second National Front Escambray (SNFE) in Sept 1962. Guiterrez was an Army Intel asset. Veciana had been working for the CIA as a PM asset prior to joining with Guiterrez. Cal Hicks was his case officer. Hicks was working for Harvery's Task Force W in 1962. He later worked for JMWAVE as a paramilitary officer. He most likely was the "Cal" that Bradley Ayers met at JMWAVE.

 

John Newman pointed out that Veciana's primary ASCI contact was a US Army Captain using the pseudonym of Patrick Harris. Harris' real name was Milford Hubbard. Hubbard worked for ACSI OSD, aka Detachment A. Detachment A was a very small and secret office of the ACSI headed by Col. J.E. Boyt.

 

Hubbard mentioned that Veciana would have been under control of the Miami Station (Army) headed by Major Junius "Duke" Watlington. Laureno Batista was also an asset of the ACSI Attachment A. 

 

 

Hubbard, when shown the sketch of "Maurice Bishop" stated that the sketch resembled Owen Darnell. Darnell was a source/spotter/assessor in Puerto Rico for Hubbard. Darnell was Hubbard's entree for SFNE and Alpha-66. He was close to Veciana and Veciana would occasionally stay at Darnell's place in San Juan. Darnell had previously lived in Cuba, spoke Spanish fluently and had a Cuban wife. Hubbard admitted to going to Mexico City on a tip from Darnell's wife.

 

 

http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/jfk/NARA-Oct2017/2018/180-10104-10394.pdf  

 

Two members of USAOSD (using assumed names) met w/Veciana on 1/22/63. · Purpose of meeting was primarily to gather details on a boat, used by org., which had been confiscated by U.S. Customs. V. was also queried on the capabilities and mission of the group, his role, and what assist. might be provided org.

 

Veciana said purpose.org.'was to cause war in Cuba by conducting raiding ops., est. guerrilla groups in Cuba- to harass and destroy troops and strategic facilities as to make populace aware that overthrow poss. Envisions internal Cuban uprising thru external Cuban refugee action:. ' Does not desire direct u.s. participation, has no political aims, other than to overthrow Castro. This is reason v. did not cooperate. with other refugee groups, and why they did not desire to work w/CIA, because aims would be subiterted to political ones.
Claims several military bases in Caribbean. Bases manned by small groups w/mil. experience. Also had assets in Cuba. Maintain Hq. in PR, Miami, and NY and plan to establish offices in Washington, Chicago and LA.
 

Veciana contacted initially to contact two frogmen involved in attack on Russian target. Meeting arranged. · Capt. Hubbard and Col. King in meeting. Discovered V. working w/SFNE, thought given to consideration of utilization of v. for intelligence purposes as Menoya has ISR from 1961 and known to have contacts in Cuba. Picked up ISR from CIA 11/2/62. V. gave Army two rifles,. ammo. taken from Russians. Operation discussed but stymied by lack of clear policy on actions against. Matter brought to higher levels; i.e., General Landsdale.
 

Some discussion of possibly passing info to CIA for their recommendation. This suggestion turned down by Landsdale, who felt CIA, when informed, then took over op. Also in no better position to determine national policy.
Persons involved in discussions - Col. Boyt, Col. Rolfe, Cols. Albro and Boucher, Col. DePuy of Special Warfare and Generals Lansdale and Leonard. 

 

http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/jfk/NARA-Oct2017/NARA-Nov9-2017/104-10103-10158.pdf

 

JMCOBRA 0490 (IN 63607) 2 Aug 68:
VECIANA told Cuban Affairs officer Miami 1 Aug 68 that Orestes Guillermo RUIZ Perez (DGI) married to VECIANA's cousin, was dissatisfied with Castro . regime and· receptive to recruitment. VECIANA reported same·info. to Cuban Affairs officer in 64. In 68 VECIANA served with AID in La Paz. 

 

Guillermo Ruiz was expected to help Alpha-66 as far back as 1962. Veciana described Ruiz as a cold blooded killer. (bottom of page and next page)

 

Barney Hildalgo claiming that he knew a Maurice Bishop and was good friends with David Phillips but they were not the same person. Was he blowing smoke to cover for Phillips?

According to an article in Wiki, Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo joined Alpha 66. So Menoyo’s Second National Front of Escambray and Alpha 66 were intertwined and both assets of ASCI. I also noticed, as an aside, that according to a thread I started here a few years ago called Interesting Interview with a Cuban Exile, Menoyo dealt through an intermediary with Otto Skorzeny. Have you seen that before?

[Matt Allison]

3 hours ago, David Boylan said:

Barney Hildalgo claiming that he knew a Maurice Bishop and was good friends with David Phillips but they were not the same person. Was he blowing smoke to cover for Phillips?

100%.

Another angle to look at via Phillips is Commandos L and Tony Cuesta; Commandos L was all Alpha 66 guys and Veciana was friends with Cuesta.

[David Boylan]

22 hours ago, Paul Brancato said:

According to an article in Wiki, Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo joined Alpha 66. So Menoyo’s Second National Front of Escambray and Alpha 66 were intertwined and both assets of ASCI. I also noticed, as an aside, that according to a thread I started here a few years ago called Interesting Interview with a Cuban Exile, Menoyo dealt through an intermediary with Otto Skorzeny. Have you seen that before?

Hi Paul,

I do remember this. I'll look into this a bit more. Skorzeny was an interesting character for sure!

Edited June 10, 2020 by David Boylan

[James DiEugenio]

22 hours ago, Matt Allison said:

It appears neither Newman or anyone else will be able to question Veciana again

https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/coronavirus/article242778451.html

I really did not want to hear this.  Crap.

If you read my review of John's Volume 2, he fell for Judy Exner.  He missed a whole significant episode of that farce, which was really the key to it.  (OTOH his review of the Lumumba case is very good.)

In my opinion, you are supposed to talk to someone before you lower the boom on them.  Just to be fair. Example:  I think Clay Shaw lied his head off under oath.  And I can prove it.  But I still talked to his lawyers.  Which actually helped me since i found out Irvin Dymond not only lied to me in  my interview with him, he made up a whole new story to camouflage his lying.

Edited June 10, 2020 by James DiEugenio

[Paul Brancato]

1 hour ago, David Boylan said:

Hi Paul,

I do remember this. I'll look into this a bit more. Skorzeny was and interesting character for sure!

What do you know about Fabrique Nationale? I see it’s a major weapons dealer, now and way back. 
did you notice another thing in the long interview of Colonel Hubbard. He also mentions Lykes steamship line, the very one Oswald took to Europe. And you probably remember that the wife of Colonel Whitmeyer worked for Lykes. I suspect Whitmeyer, who road in the lead car of the motorcade with Colonel Lumpkin, as ACSI. I’d never heard of Detachment A. 

[James DiEugenio]

 Burning Tree is a find?

😗

[Anthony Thorne]

Jim - dunno. John felt like he was on to something.

[Chuck Schwartz]

David B., did you learn anything more on the conection between Skorenzy and  Alaph 66/ JMWAVE , if any?

[Ron Bulman]

On 2/12/2023 at 5:43 PM, Chuck Schwartz said:

David B., did you learn anything more on the conection between Skorenzy and  Alaph 66/ JMWAVE , if any?

Bump.