In Search of Enemies - A CIA Story - John Stockwell

[116] IN SEARCH OF ENEMIES
a union of all Angolan liberation movements. Agostinho Neto had
even followed Roberto to the United States in 1963, calling for a
meeting with him and for a sympathetic hearing fron1 the American
establishment. Neto was rebuffed on both accounts. The Americans
would not hear Neto out, since he was tainted with the Marxist
brush. Roberto ducked him, allegedly fearing that the better organized
MPLA leaders threatened his dominance. Perhaps, also,
Roberto was wise enough to know that competition between his
"conservative'' movement and the ominously Marxist MPLA would
gain him sympathy in the United States. To guarantee the breach
between the two movements, Roberto's forces repeatedly captured
MPLA activists in northern Angola and transported them to its base
at Kinkuza, Zaire, and killed them.
In fact, Roberto was only "conservative" insofar as the word
applies to East-West competition. Apart from ideological trappings,
he and Neto preached the same things for Angola: national independence,
democratic government, agrarian reform, economic development,
pan-African unity, and the total destruction of colonial culture.*
And Roberto and his FNLA fighters were the more violent.
At any rate, in Kinshasa, Roberto was our man. St. Martin scurried
about serving drinks, after arranging the seating so that he and
Roberto were on the couch together.
I was placed across the diameter of a pretty large circle, virtually
out of the proceedings. Occasionally St. Martin moved a hand in my
direction and Roberto glanced at me. God knows what yarn St.
Martin was spinning.
"Monsieur le president," I interrupted, rising. "You will be traveling
with me tomorrow?" I walked over and sat on the edge of the
coffee table in front of Roberto.
"No, I will meet you in Ambriz. First you will go to Carmona to
meet my command there."
"Thank you. In Ambriz we will have an opportunity to discuss my
mission. Will you permit me to take photographs to show our experts
in Washington what the terrain and weapons and FNLA fighters
look like?"
"Of course, of course."
"Good. Now I understand that you and M. St. Martin have a lot
•see Marcum, The Angolan Revolution.