Snakes on a Base

August 1, 2006 9:16 AM

Snakes on a Base! In the wake of today's announcement that Raul Castro will be 'temporarily' taking power in Cuba while Big Brother (did I say that?) has an operation for some GI bleeding, The Smoking Gun has published some declassified Spec Ops planning cover sheets from the 60s and 70, listing plans to destabilize Cuba. Operation Bingo, on page 3, is especially amusing.
posted by baylink (15 comments total)

This reminds me of a notebook I had in the 5th grade. It didn't have anything to do with Cuba.
posted by 517 at 9:36 AM on August 1, 2006

I imagine this kind of thing is really hilarious for the first 20 years or so, after that it starts being less funny if you're on the receiving end.
posted by silence at 9:38 AM on August 1, 2006

Perhaps better as a comment further down the page?
posted by klangklangston at 9:53 AM on August 1, 2006

Don't forget the hie-larious Operation Northwoods.

Operation Northwoods, or Northwoods, was a 1962 plan to generate U.S. public support for military action against the Cuban government of Fidel Castro as part of the U.S. government's Operation Mongoose anti-Castro initiative. The plan, which was not implemented, called for various false flag actions, including simulated or real state sponsored terrorism (such as hijacked planes) on U.S. and Cuban soil. The plan was proposed by senior U.S. Department of Defense leaders, including the highest ranking member of the U.S. military, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lyman Louis Lemnitzer.

Yeah! Shoot some America citizens and hijack some planes and blame it on the enemy so we can invade!

That could never be planned by the leaders of our government or military, right?
posted by the_savage_mind at 9:57 AM on August 1, 2006

Raise your hand if you tried to interpret "...an operation for some GI bleeding..." as military jargon rather than a medical procedure.
posted by oats at 10:20 AM on August 1, 2006

Hopefully this has been said many times before... If you really want Castro to fall you just have to stop the trade embargo. That's all. The embargo turns Cuba into an isolated, poor island, a place where status quo will prevail. In fact, the embargo has helped Castro to stay in power.
posted by Termite at 10:53 AM on August 1, 2006

the_savage_mind, Fascinating story, hadn't heard it before. Such treachery with a fine mask.
posted by nickyskye at 11:04 AM on August 1, 2006

He does look like such a gentle soul in that pic, nickysky. It's amazing how we (if you believe the democracy is actually working) keep putting proven incompetents and monsters in positions of great power.
posted by the_savage_mind at 11:37 AM on August 1, 2006

I hope the fucking bastard dies on the operating table.
posted by oddman at 12:08 PM on August 1, 2006

SNAKES ?

Am I to assume they mean Snake Eaters: special forces ?
posted by splatta at 1:07 PM on August 1, 2006

I was wondering that too (not that specifically) but I was assuming that with the SNAKES capitalized it was to indicate some internal naming not meant to be literally snakes.
posted by bitdamaged at 1:32 PM on August 1, 2006

I love Operation Good Times. A photo of an obese Castro is doctored to show him with "two beauties." The plan then goes on to say, "This should put even a Commie dictator into proper prospective with the underprivileged masses."

The snakes are firecrackers folks.
posted by Ironmouth at 2:03 PM on August 1, 2006

As I read these, I heard them in the voice of Gen. Buck Turgidson...
posted by sriracha at 4:53 PM on August 1, 2006

Nice snake, nice snake... Owww! The son-ova-bitch bit me!
posted by Balisong at 9:36 PM on August 1, 2006

I can also add "think of buying properties in Cuba"
posted by aeromit at 5:23 PM on August 6, 2006