“JAN 18, 1961: Ambassador [Whiting] Willauer reports to Under Secretary of State Merchant that \u2018the Group, DOD [Department of Defense], CIA [Central Intelligence Agency], and ARA [American Rental Association] (to a limited extent)\u2019 have updated DOD on \u2018current thinking on the program for Cuba,\u2019 and \u2018after concluding this [they] assumed that the December 6 plan (updated in light of developments since that time) might not succeed in the objective of overthrowing the Castro regime.\u2019 Willauer concurs with DOD’s \u2018Evaluation of Possible Military Courses of Action in Cuba\u2019 (January 16, 1961) that any chance of success hinges on several \u2018very important policy decisions that many of [them] feel must be taken immediately.\u2019 Willauer also states his own view that the plan \u2018will probably get support from many Latin American countries of democratic inclination in direct proportion to the degree [the U.S. is] felt to be siding in the overthrow of Trujillo (of the Dominican Republic) and generally are ‘on the side of the angels’ in the entire problem of dictatorships vs. free governments in the hemisphere.\u2019 Finally, Willauer informs Merchant that his committee \u2018weighed without coming to a conclusion the advantages of rapid, effective action by direct war in terms of getting matters over with without a long buildup of world opinion, vs. the inevitability of such a buildup under any seven-month program.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n