Questionable Intelligence

The thing about outlandish CIA history is that there’s just so much of it. Here’s a gem from 1960:

The agency’s director at the time, Allen Dulles, loved the Bond novels. Despite the derision most agents held for the series, [political scientist Christopher] Moran notes that he had a signed copy of each and every novel. Dulles and [Bond author Ian] Fleming struck up a relationship that at times seemed mutually beneficial.  … Dulles hoped to meet Fleming at a dinner hosted by the Kennedys in 1960. He had to miss the event, but asked a CIA official in attendance to report back. During dinner, Kennedy asked Fleming how he would topple Fidel Castro. Moran writes of his reply:

As Fleming saw it, it was not enough simply to kill Castro; he had to be humiliated as well.

To do this, he suggested flooding the streets of Havana with pamphlets explaining that radioactive fallout from atomic testing caused impotence and was known to be drawn to men who had beards. As a result, Cuban men would be forced to shave off their facial hair, thus severing a symbolic link to Castro and to the revolution. If this did not work, he suggested that the CIA should build a religious manifestation, ideally a cross of sorts, and fly it over the Havana skyline in order to induce the Cubans to look skyward. Everyone, including the President-elect, burst into laughter. The next day, [CIA official Howard] Bross informed Dulles of Fleming’s madcap scheme, fully expecting his superior to see it as poppycock. To his astonishment, Dulles thought it was a wonderful idea and raced to the telephone to speak to the author.

Other good ideas at the time here and here.