- With XXL condoms against the Red Army <unk> the crazy plans of the CIA
In the series "Mad Men", the great and crazy time of advertisers in the 1960s is depicted, but it was even crazier in the CIA. The post-war period felt like a pre-war era, the confrontation with the USSR seemed inevitable. Besides the well-known nuclear buildup, there were countless attempts by intelligence agencies to weaken the enemy. With favorable winds, the USA sent balloons carrying leaflets across the border to "enlighten" or incite the population in the East.
In the early 1950s, CIA director Frank Wisner is said to have hatched a completely absurd plan. Wisner then headed a covert psychological warfare department that manipulated news abroad and tried to establish a kind of guerrilla army behind the Iron Curtain to support the Allies with uprisings at the decisive moment. These precursors formed the basis for later secret armies like Gladio in Italy.
Specific plan or just an idea?
Besides these realistic plans, Wisner had the idea of smuggling or dropping particularly large condoms into the USSR. The XXL rubbers were to be extra large but bear the label "Medium". Through this trick, Soviet women and Red Army soldiers were to be convinced that American soldiers were particularly well-endowed. Wisner hoped this would demoralize the enemy. The plan was never implemented, so it remains unclear whether it was just a drunken idea of the bon vivant Wisner or a serious concept.
In fact, the original idea came from World War II and is attributed to Winston Churchill. In various versions of the story, the British Prime Minister wanted to shock either the Nazis or his allies in the USA or the USSR with oversized British condoms. In Churchill's case, it was a joke that referred to a fact: In bad weather, mud, and landing operations, soldiers would slip condoms over the barrels of their weapons. For this purpose, British soldiers' condoms were enlarged beyond the usual size. In truth, the soldiers themselves were probably frustrated when they tried to use the oversized models for their intended purpose.
Punctured condoms
The CIA story is certainly not implausible. In those days, far more absurd plans were hatched. On the Philippines, the CIA tried to sabotage the career of politician Claro M. Recto because he was a threat to their candidate. A series of smear articles did not have the desired effect, so they resorted to the condom weapon. They prepared gift packages labeled "Claro M. Recto - Friend of the People" to be distributed to potential voters. Inside were condoms that the CIA had deliberately punctured to sabotage the politician's reputation at the grassroots level.
The unexpected death of the CIA's candidate in a plane crash made the effort to eliminate his competitor unnecessary. To discredit Indonesian President Sukarno, the CIA had the idea of distributing flattering pictures of him. Since they had no sex pictures of Sukarno, they made a porn film in Los Angeles with a blonde and a male actor who was made to look like Sukarno with a skillful mask. However, the film was never distributed.
Killer mussel
Most assassination plots had Fidel Castro as their target. The CIA planned to kill him by trying to slip him an explosive cigar. Once lit, it would have blown the revolutionary's head off. There were also plans to kill Castro through his passion for diving, such as trying to contaminate the inside of his diving suit with a contact poison. Even more ingenious was the project to have a giant clam take care of the troublesome Castro.
For the clam plan, they wouldn't even have to get near Castro. The clam was to be placed in his diving area. Of course, it wouldn't be a real clam. It was to be artificially made, particularly large, and have a glowing and bizarre appearance. The diving enthusiast Castro, so the calculation, would then inevitably be drawn to the marvel - if he had touched the clam, it would have exploded, for in reality, the clam was a disguised underwater bomb. Castro, however, survived these and many other plots.
After learning about the CIA's unusual tactics during the Cold War, one might wonder if they also considered using oversized condoms as a psychological warfare tool, as mentioned in Wisner's idea. In fact, the concept of using oversized condoms as a form of demoralization originated from Winston Churchill during World War II.
Regarding the Philippines, the CIA's efforts to discredit politician Claro M. Recto went as far as distributing gift packages containing punctured condoms to potential voters, aiming to tarnish his reputation at the grassroots level.
