DATA ON CARIBBEAN PROJECT (60.1800)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62-00680R000200160028-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 13, 1998
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: January 4, 1960
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2000/08/2
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4 January 1960
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Geographic Research
SUBJECT: Data on Caribbean Project (60.1800)
25X1A9a
1. The Caribbean Project was laid on in September 1959, following
receipt of a request from Chief of Paramilitary Division, PP,
dated 25 August 1959. The Wee was delayed in its initial stages
by delays in the establishment of a PM Staff in WH with which we couLd
work.
2. As it stands, the Project involves the production of geograohjc
intelligence support for operational planning on the following, countries:
Cuba
Haiti
Dominican Republic
Nicaragua
Honduras
Guatemala
Formal requests will probably be received later for similar work on
Paraguay and Bolivia. In addition, we anticipate that requirements
may be forthcoming at any time on Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, and
Venezuela.
3. Each country is being handled separately in priority order.
The work is being turned out in Parts, which are delivered as completed.
For Cuba, the Parts are the following:
I - VII Detailed analysis of selected key areas for
operations
VIII - IX Open, for additional area analysis that may be
required.
X Terrain
XI Transportation
XII Population
XIII Armed Forces
XIV Climate
XV Vegetation
XVI Telecommunications
XVII Coasts and Ports
XVIII Fuels and power
XIX Town plans
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 Approved for Release 2000 2 -T 209gC80R000200160028-0
SUBJECT: Data on Caribbean Project (60.1800)
By memorandum dated 20 November 1959, ACBI was asked to make AMS
help available on elements of Parts X - XIX, particularly Part XIX.
ACSI was unable to give complete satisfaction because it has its own
formal program, starting with Ecuador, which must take precedence.
However, they promised to assist us by giving priority to certain
topics we need and by letting us use their material in draft stage.
4. In addition to turning out finished reports, we are assisting
WH by trying to devise sanitary map materials that may be used in the
field. This is a very difficult problem for all of the countries con-
cerned, and will generally be met by a spot updating of available maps
or aerial photos, reproduced in a form which conceals U.S. involvement.
D/GC will be heavily involved in this activity.
5. The Project is demanding because of the exceptional poverty
of basic source material on Latin America. Maps are generally small
scale and very outdated. Aerial photography is spotty and usually not
recent. Only small parts of the NIS are completed. Materials on Cuba,
for example, are by far the best, but cannot be used in the field with-
out substantial processing: of the 320 sheets at 1:50,000 compiled by
Aero Service, all contain cultural feature errors and only 180 are
presently known to be printed and available in Cuba -- AMS is printin
the remainder but these will be rigidly controlled; other maps are
1:100,000 dated 193-, with unreliable 1909 information; photography is
mostly adequate, though of varying scale and date -- photography flown
by Aero Service is unavailable because of funds required ($38,500); 4 CR iZ
.there are no military geographic sections of the NIS published or in
work. In the case of other countries, the Landing Beaches part of the
NIS is sometimes available, but maps are limited to old 1:1,000,000,
spot 1:250,000 and Esso maps; photography is a hodgepodge, with many
holidays.
6. Research on Cuba will be completed on or about 1 February;
one Part has been delivered. The other countries will then be taken
up on a ASAP basis. I estimate that some 2,500 manhours are required
to accomplish research on the first six countries. D/GC's effort is
additional. The big difficulty of course, is urgency. Three people
are presently assigned to the Project; if things begin to pop, we will
have to cut into our bone in D/GG and Cartography may have to advise
WH to seek a short-time slowdown# in the NIS Program.
25X1A9a
Chief, Geography Division
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