[3]DOD
[4]104-10105-10218
[6][2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992,
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[66]3 MAR 1976
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[72]MEMORANDUM FOR: Associate General Counsel, OGC Loom
[73]ne)
[74]VIA : Deputy Director for Operations— gy!) /
[75]SUBJECT : Mitchell Livingston WER BELL III
[76]REFERENCE : Your memorandum of 24 February 1976,
[78]Subject as above
[80]1. Per reference request, we are forwarding
[81]information in our files concerning contacts that have
[82]taken place between this Agency and WER BELL.
[84]2. The following is a summary of all DDO contact
[85]directly with WER BELL which took place in 1959:
[87]a. A July 1959° Memorandum to C/WH Division
[88]signed by Grom s J. Flores) stated that General
[89]Cabell called @lores to report that WER BELL had
[90]called him. 9WER BELL discussed with General Cabell
[91]a trip WER BELL had taken to the Dominican Republic
[92]and offered to come to Washington at his own expense
[93]to discuss the trip. No commitments were made to
[94]WER BELL by General Cabell.
[96]7 July 1959 Memorandum of Conversation
[98]: b. A
[99]signed by(T. J. Flores) stated that WER BELL was
[100]met in Washington, D.C., b lores )who discussed
[102]with WER BELL information*¢oncerning the Dominican
[103]Republic, Fidel Castro, Fulgencio Batista and
[104]General Pedraza.
[106]c. A July°4959 Memorandum of. Conversation
[107]signed br. J. Flores) stated that on 8 July 1959
[108]O35 (lores alted WER BEL to set up an appointment.
[109]During’the meeting, WER BELL was told that the
[110]United States would not support any revolutionary
[111]activities by General Pedraza. He was also told
[112]that the U.S. will observe its international
[113]obligations concerning Cuba and Pedraza, and that
[115]wet ‘en. Olé...
[117]2 Okan
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[124]RETURN TO CiA
[126]the U.S. would not overlook any violations by Background Use Only
[127]Pedraza or his followers of. the neutrality Laws ‘x90 Not Reproduce
[128]Flores) said that the Agency had some interest in
[130]the pdéssibility of his (WER BELL's) working
[132]for us as an intelligence gatherer under terms
[134]to be negotiated after.we obtained a security
[136]clearance on hina Gores pointed out that the
[138]Agency was not attempting to limit his actions
[140]in connection with the Dominican Republic, nor 6
[142]was it assuming any responsibility for those >
[144]matters he carried out in his own behalf. (Flores
[146]dictated a Secrecy Agreement to him and had him
[148]sign it.
[150]d. ASQ guly°t959 Memorandum for the Record
[151]signed by(T. J. Flores)reported that Subject
[152]called him on 9 July I959 from New York.. WER BELL
[153]gave(Flores further information on Loos, fnu,
[154]thé*represehtative of a Colonel Frei, fnu, of the
[155]Swiss. army who had 1,000 men available for duty
[156]as soldiers.
[158]e. 20 suly “4959 Memorandum for the Record
[159]signed by\T. J. Flores) reported that WER BELL
[160]called, €lores) from Miami on 20 July to ask about
[161]the Agency picking up the tab for his forthcoming
[162]trip to the Dominican Republic. They discussed
[163]his clearance which had not come through.
[165]. £. A 3 August 1959 Memorandum for the
[166]Record signed by Martha R. Tharpe reported that O35
[167]on 24 July 195 *WER- BELL called for Mr. (Thomas J.
[169]‘Flores Since pnores) was on leave, Tharpe took
[171]the call. WER BELL gave Tharpe further infor-
[172]mation concerning Pedraza and Batista. Tharpe
[173]called WER BELL back that evening to tell him
[175]that if he obtained further information to
[176]report it to Mr. Justin coetll Me’ Cl Contacts
[177]Representative in Miami, until Mr. Flores )returned
[178]to Washington. a3
[180]g. A saugust 1959 Memorandum for the Record
[181]signed by(@l. J. Flores)stated that WER BELL phoned
[182]him on 5 August 1959 to ask if there was any news
[183]on his clearance. WER BELL said he wanted to go
[184]to the Dominican Republic soon, and would like CIA
[185]to pick up his expenses. He was told there was no
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[190]03
[191]news. (C1ores) and WER BELL gust fief39) p Dominican
[192]Republic and Cuba. On 3 August florés) phoned
[193]WER BELL and told him that his Geers? had not Barkers TO cia
[194]been granted and that he should not predicate his. Rothe se Only
[195]activities on the expectation of the clearance ats O NOs Reprodues
[196]any given time. WER BELL said that the Pedraza
[197]group was air lifting and dropping material into
[198]Cuba.
[200]h. A 9 Sept mber 1959 emorandum for the
[201]Record signed by\T. J. Flores)reported that
[202]WER BELL called (Flores on 9 September 1959 to
[204]rovide information on Cuba. He was told by
[205]03(Flores)that his clearance had not yet been
[206]processed.
[208]i. According to a 23 September 1959 °F
[209]Memorandum for the Record signed by(T. J. Flores)
[210]WER BELL called(Flores)on 9 September 1959 to
[211]ask if his clearance,had come through since
[212]he wanted the Agency’to finance his trip to
[213]the Dominican Republic. .He was told it had
[214]not. WER BELL told @lof8s jabout some people
[215]who had been discussing the counterfeiting
[216]of U. S. dollars and Cuban pesos for use in
[217]connection withosXuban revolutionary activities.
[218]He was told by lores )to contact the FBI.» On
[219]13 September WER BELL had phoned (lores) at? home
[220]to say that the FBI had referred him to the
[221]Secret Service on the counterfeiting aspect,
[222]and that no one seemed particularly interested
[223]in the’ gun running. The Secret Service asked
[224]him’to go to Miami at his own expense to obtain
[225]further information on the matter and WER BELL
[226]asked Flores") advice 3} lored said that he could
[227]not%influence him one way or’the other since he
[228]was not in a position to direct his activities,
[229]but felt he might be better off to take no action.
[230]He was told that (Flores)would be in touch with
[231]him as soon as he hadSany further information
[232]concerning our possible use of him.
[234]j. Al3 Octoberv"1959 Memorandum for the
[235]Record signed by (Thomas J. Flores)states that
[236]WER BELL phoned him on 25 September 1959 to report
[237]on Cuba. On 2 October 195933@lore’) talked with
[238]WER BELL by phone and terminated the relationship.
[240]3. The following undated memorandums are also contained in
[241]WER BELL's file: .
[243]pl
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[247]pl
[251]03 a. A Memorandum for the Record signed by,
[252]¢. Flores )reports that WER BELL called flores, oh
[253]3 August~1959 to discuss Cuban activities re Miami / RETURN TO CIA
[254]his memorandum also records that WER BELL phoned  ®2ckground Use Only
[255]03 Flores Jagain on 26 August 1959 at which time activi ti@9 Not Reproduce
[256]in the Dominican Republic and Cuban activities in
[257]Miami were discussed. WER BELL also asked about the
[258]status of his clearance, and was told it had not yet:
[259]come through.
[261]Qo
[262]3
[263]b. A letter signed "W'' addressed to (Tom) |
[264]gave "W's" location and some information concerning
[265]Batista and Castro. (This letter is probably in
[266]the 1959 time frame.)
[268]o3 c. A Memorandum of Conversation signed-by
[269]T. Flores) reports that WER BELL called(Flore3 and
[270]gave his~location. The status of WER BELL's
[271]clearance was discussed and (Flores )told him it
[272]had not yet come through.°3 WER BELL gave @lores) OF
[273]some information concerning Batista. (This
[274]memorandum probably is in the 1959 time frame.)
[276]d. An unsigned report, apparently from
[277]WER BELL, gave a summary of his contacts and
[278]activities during a trip to the Dominican Republic.
[279](This report is probably in the 1959 time frame.)
[281]4. A 17 December.1963 dispatch from Station Santo Domingo
[282]reported that Station (Noc Officer Joseph Luna) recently met
[283]WER BELL. in Santo Domingo. ,,, No further detaiYs of the meeting
[284]were reported. 603
[286]5. According to the CS file on WER BELL, three former
[287]Agency employees were contacted in 1974 by WER BELL and other
[288]representatives of a group called "Friends of Abaco (FOA),
[290]a group allegedly advocating the secession of the island of
[291]Abaco from the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The three former
[292]employees contacted are:
[294]a. John Patrick Muldoon, retired from
[295]CIA on 20 March 1972.
[296]oF
[297]Gheodore John Roussos), retired from CIA
[298]oa (on 31 July 1970.) He was rehired on a
[299]contract in February 1971. His contract
[300]was terminated in September 1973.
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[309]c. Walter Joseph Mackem, separated from CPeiround Use Only
[310]CIA on 31 October 1973. NO Nok Reproduce
[312]6.. Mr. Muldoon contacted Agency employee (E. James °F
[313]McTighe\on 22 May 1974. Mr. Muldoon told Mr. McTighe
[314]that he’ was nominal Vice President of a Washington-based
[315]firm called "Security Consultants International.'"' He presented
[316]Mr. McTighe with a report containing the essential data he
[317]possessed concerning WER BELL and other members of FOA whom
[318]he had met on 17 and 20 May 1974 in Washington, D.C. According
[319]to Mr. Muldoon, WER BELL had hopes of establishing gaming
[320]casinos, hotel and other tourist facilities in Abaco catering
[321]to the U. S. tourist crowd. As a consequence of some run-in
[322]with Prime Minister Pindling of the Bahamas, however, WER BELL
[323]is apparently persona non grata in the Bahamas; hence his
[324]ambitions appeared to be contingent on Abacan independence.
[325]Mr. Muldoon reported that at least on two occasions WER BELL
[326]made a concerted effort to involve persons formerly affiliated
[327]with the Agency in the activities of the FOA in support of
[328]its independence. On several occasions, WER BELL introduced
[329]Mr. Muldoon and Mr% OuSSOS) as active Agency officials, implying
[330]that either the Agenty or the United States Government supported
[331]the aims of the FOA. WER BELL also proposed to Messrs. Muldoon
[332]and Qoussos) in separate conversations that they conduct a study,
[333]involving a°Visit to Abaco, to determine the feasibility of
[334]Abaco's independence in political and economic terms. The
[335]study was to include interviews with citizens of Abaco prior
[336]to an alleged "plebiscite" on independence to take place in
[337]Abaco on 28 June 1974.03 In default of the collaboration of
[338]either Muldoon or (Roussos } WER BELL hired Mr. Walter Joseph 6
[339]Mackem, a former Agency friend of both Muldoon and (Roussos)
[340]According to WER BELL's file, Mackem later in 1974 contacted
[341]the Agericy in an attempt to get an official policy on the
[342]activities of the FOA. Mackem was informed that the case
[343]comes under FBI jurisdiction, that this Agency has no official
[344]involvement, and that all information we had on the matter had
[345]been made available to the FBI. He was advised at that time
[346]to report his contacts and any information he had to the FBI.
[349]7. On 24 March 1975, Mr. Joseph P. Hayes) assigned to
[350]SE/PCH, reported that during the week of 9 March 1975, he
[351]talked with Mr. Wesley Dyckman. Mr. Dyckman is a former Agency
[352]employee employed by the Drug Enforcement Agency. According
[354]‘to Dyckman, former Agency employee Walter Mackem was employed
[356]in the Washington area:as a private investigator. He is also
[357]involved with a paramilitary activity funded by some unnamed
[358]British source, The activity, which Dyckman referred to as
[361]14-0000
[363]o3 (Roussos!) getting involved in this deal 3
[365]4p |
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[369]nie 9 Not Reproduce
[371]"the new land project" sought to establish a tax shelter on
[372]one of the out-islands of the Caribbean by forcefully taking
[373]over the island and establishing a government there. Mackem
[375]is supposedly involved in the paramilitary training of forces
[376]who would participate in this adventure. According to Dyckman,
[377]the paramilitary training supposedly was to take place in
[378]Georgia, where WER BELL is based.
[380]8. On 31 August 1974, Mr. Rou$do9 met with Mr. K. Michael
[381]Absher, who at that time was AC/E/GC, and told | him that
[382]WER BELL was leaving for Athens on 31 A (Rous sell arms to
[383]the Greek Government. WER BELL wanted Rouseps) to be _his
[384]advisor in this venture and to go to a(g ENS 3 Roussos) told
[385]WER BELL that he would check with CIA before? giving Wim an answer.
[386]WER BELL asked (RBusso3 to see if the Agency was in favor of
[387]such an arms a@e or at Mr. Absher strongly advised against
[389]Gous sos) told Mr. Absher
[391]that he understood and agreed not to get involvéd. (Roussos 3
[392]said that WER BELL would probably cali him from Aindne and’
[393]would give WER BELL a final negative reply.
[395]9. On 22 July 1974, the FBI reported that WER BELL may
[396]be in possession of a one-line note from former CIA Director:
[397]William Colby stemming from a chance meeting with the Director
[398]at an OSS alumni dinner, reading something like ''Good to. see
[399]you again." This note was apparently used by WER BELL to
[400]suggest that he and Mr. Colby were good friends. This infor-
[401]mation was passed on to Mr. Colby on 9 August 1974.
[403]10. According to reporting from several Stations, WER BELL
[404]and Arthur L. Smith (a cohort of WER BELL's) were in several
[405]Central American countries during August and early September
[406]1962. Their principal activity appeared to be contacting
[407]officials of the governments of Guatemala, Nicaragua, and
[408]El Salvador for the purpose of obtaining recognition of a
[409]de facto Cuban Government in exile called the "United
[410]Organization: for the Liberation of Cuba."' In discussions with
[411]Nicaraguan Government representatives, WER BELL claimed the
[412]proposed Cuban Government in exile had the support of 90
[413]separate Cuban exile organizations and 186,000 Cuban exiles.
[415]WER BELL offered a representative of the Nicaraguan Government
[416]$100,000 to obtain that government's recognition of the Cuban
[417]Government in exile. The group claimed to have its headquarters
[418]at 1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW, in Washington, D.C. While in
[419]Guatemala, Smith claimed that the group had a man in the .
[420]Department of State in Washington, D.C., whom they pay $6,000
[421]per year ''to keep them advised."
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[434]11. In December 1965 WER BELL contacted a Miami DCD
[435]asset and told him that he and six Cuban exiles in the U. S.
[436]had organized a group, including approximately 20 Cubans
[437]inside Cuba, to perform a commando operation in Cuba during
[438]early January 1966., Their primary mission was the assassination
[439]of Fidel Castro, with the secondary mission of blowing up the
[440]generators that supply electricity to Havana, Cuba. WER BELL,
[441]at the time, stated that he was trying to get a "green light"
[442]from CIA to proceed with the mission, and inferred that the
[443]mission would be called off if such approval was not obtained.
[445]12. On 7 February 1966 the Miami office of the FBI
[446]reported that WER BELL had been in contact with various news
[447]agencies concerning an alleged plan to assassinate Fidel Castro,
[448]and reportedly also had discussed the plan with Mr. Richard
[449]Phillips, Public Affairs Officer, Department of State, Washington,
[450]D.C. WER BELL claimed to have a group of some 500 men infiltrated
[451]into Cuba and said that they were ready for action to overthrow
[452]the regime immediately following the assassination of Castro.
[453]According to the FBI, WER BELL gave the impression that he is
[454]acquainted with many high government officials, both in the U. S.
[455]and other countries, arid implied. that his assassination plan
[456]had been approved by CIA.
[458]13. According to a memorandum in WER BELL's file, on 7
[459]February 1968, one Bruce Arman Baker telephoned an employee
[460]of this Agency and said he had been in contact with WER BELL.
[461]Mr. Baker said that WER BELL was in the weapons manufacturing
[462]business and delivered them by air throughout the world.
[463]Mr. Baker said that he understood that WER BELL does this for
[464]CIA. Mr. Baker said that he understood from WER BELL that he
[465]would have to get a CIA security clearance to fly for WER BELL.
[466]Baker said that he was afraid that his past smuggling record
[467]might keep him from getting a CIA clearance. 35
[469]14. WER BELL came to the attention of the Bangkok Station)
[470]in early 1969 when he went to Thailand representing himself
[472]as Vice President of Sionics, Atlanta, Georgia. He described
[473]himself as a counterinsurgency expert, had a variety of weapons
[474]to display, claimed to be a retired colonel, and introduced
[475]himself at a local nightclub as Chief of CIA in Thailand.
[477]WER BELL attempted to sell arms to the Thais and also to a
[478]variety of U. S. military elements? ? (Station Bangkok) passed
[480]the gist of his reputation to key personalities in the U. S.
[481]mission and the Thai Government stressing that he was not
[482]sponsored in any way by the U. S. Government.
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[489]'s Do Net Reproduce
[491]15. WER BELL was also the subject of two memorandum
[492]signed by Lawrence R. Houston. Mr. Houston, answering a
[493]request from Joseph J. Liebling, Deputy Assistant Secretary
[494]of Defense, on 23 February 1971, denied WER BELL's alleged
[495]affiliation with the CIA. On 28 October 1971, Mr. Houston
[496]wrote Mr. David H. Henretta, Jr., of the Industrial Security
[497]Clearance Review Division, to return notarized Interrogatories
[498]previously sent by Mr. Henretta.
[500]16. We have no information on Colonel Bayard except news
[501]articles reporting his death which were forwarded by the FBI.
[503]17. Per your request, we have sent instructions to the
[504]LA/Miami Station that there should be no contact with WER BELL.
[506]Acting Chief
[507]Latin America Division
[509]E2 IMPDET
[510]CL BY 012913