EVALUATION OF FBI REPORT ON HAITI (19 MAY 1965)

Created: 5/28/1965

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

LBJ LIBRARY

Mandacory Review

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MEUONANDUM

SUBJECT: Evaluation ol FBI ^opcrt on

IMMITr

1. Information very similar to that contained ln_ ICI tho FBI memorandum of5 gas originally receivoc by the FBI onpril_v CIA received substantial 1*

disseminateu Its information under tho dateril and CIAopy of the FBI report. ave reason to believe that another government agency has MrtBlwim received the identical information through otier channels but probably traceable to the sane origin. We suspect, but cannot demonstrate, that the FBI report ofay also copies ultimately from thesource. [CIA has considerable prJTibl of the validity of tho Information and isthe possibility that iteliberate deception|

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2. The allegation cited inf the FBI Memorandum that Amtorg is shipping to Cuba via itsin Haiti is believed to be unlnifl. Amtorg has no overt representative in Haiti; fj

Furthermore, it is CIA's opinion that Amtorg would not risk PNG action by the United States by using Haitiransshipment point between the Unltod Statos and Cuba when they have other channels forCuba which involve little risk. We have been unable to substantiate any commercial contact between Haiti and Cuba with the possible exception of some very small scale smuggling which, if it exists at all, is probably carried on by small fishing craft. The only Soviet Blocin Haiti are the Polish Commercial Attache and his assistant, and there is no evidence that eitherront man for Amtorg. Neither NSA, ONI, nor CIA has any recordhip by tho name of "El Arenal" or anything similar, mentioned in paragraph 7.

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APPROVED FOR RELEASE DATE:8

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3. With regard to specific items contained in theay report,tatesoalitionparty has been formed under the leadership of Herve Boyer. Jules and Paul Blanchet are reported to have been Involved in organizing the new party. _Thls appears doubtful, CIA believes, but has never been able to prove conclusively, that Boyer and the Blanchet brothers are aembers of tbe Communist Party. It can be said with certainty, however, that these three are anti-US and are Communist sympathizers. If they are hard-core Communists, they have always successfully concealed proof of it and it is most unlikely that either of them would risk becoming exposed at this time by having broad contact with Communist eleisentt. ln Haiti. A3 for the meetings themselves, the CIA

trou^luyToToSOpersons) could not possibly have must taken place in Port-au-Prince clandestinely. The Haitian ijfnjii>rSTn "grapevine" Is too effective an instrument of communica- IC1 tion. Furthermore, CIA's French, Italian, and Algerian desks have no knowledge of any Communists from their countries having traveled to Haiti this year.

4. Concerning paragraphs, andheDuvallcr would abdicate and leave Haitivery sliw; he has repeatedly stated bin remarkHa'^H_

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MaaJMBBBJ^^HsssMMI' hr>> the government o. Haiti would be changeduly could also mean that DuvDlier will declare himself Emperor by thatove which ho may be still considering.

While we would not discount tho validity of tho entire report merely because It is highly unlikely, there are several considerations involved which lend CIA to believe that the Information may have_ been deliberately. given out for thg"purbostt or deception by one or another a'ltlan political faction

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and If so, for what purpose.

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any confidence ln It7Till ring

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Original document.

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