We suddenly found ourselves in a face-to-face showdown with the Soviet Union. We were not prepared, but we had to block their efforts to infiltrate, subvert, influence or dominate key areas of Africa. This had to be accomplished rapidly, but, even more important, this had to be done with the weapons of the Cold War.

It was to achieve our national objectives and yet avoid a Hot War that we were forced to use the intelligence techniques and operations that I recommended and employed in the Congo, but not those recommended by Washington in the PROP operation. I realize full well that persons who have not borne such a responsibility may find it difficult to accept some of my methods. My generation had seen Hitler in action. We regarded Stalin and those who followed him to be just as dangerous as Hitler. We had to defeat this new threat.