GRENADA/COUP

Document Type:

CREST [1]

Collection:

General CIA Records [2]

Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):

CIA-RDP88-01070R000200920012-4

Release Decision:

RIFPUB

Original Classification:

Document Page Count:

Document Creation Date:

December 21, 2016

Document Release Date:

July 25, 2008

Sequence Number:

Case Number:

Publication Date:

October 27, 1983

Content Type:

OPEN SOURCE

File:

Attachment	Size
CIA-RDP88-01070R000200920012-4.pdf [3]	38.6 KB

Body:

Approved For Release 2008/07/25: CIA-RDP88-0107OR000200920012-4 NBC NIGH'T'LY NEWS 27 October 1983 GRENADA/COUP BROKAW: And American intelligence agencies acknowledged today that there was a good deal that they did not know about what was happening in Grenada before the invasion. However, as Marvin- Kalb reports tonight, the administration says that information only provides more justification for the invasion. KALB: Administrations do not usually. like to admit intelligence failures. This one is no exception. But top officials-do admit they were Quite surprised by the size and strength of the Cuban .contingent on Grenada. A CIA estimate said there were 4-600 Cubans on the-island; most of them manual laborers, some- reservists with military experience in Angola. Actually, there were over 1,000, masquerading as construction workers on an airport runway, but in fact serving in a combat engineer brigade--well entrenched and well equipped, even with anti-aircraft weapons that fired at and hit approaching U.S. helicopters. Oddly, the White House acknowledges not an _ intelligence failure, but a total intelligence gap, but still proceeded with the invasion. ROBERT MCFARLANE (National Security Adviser): When you don't have any intelligence resources there at all, uh, something can't fail if it isn't there.. Approved For Release 2008/07/25: CIA-RDP88-0107OR000200920012-4