The New York Times

The Cuban Missile Crisis

On October 14th, 1962. Colonel Steve
Heyser Flying a U-2 spy plane over San Cristbal,
C!ba, too" #any pict!res. $he pict!res %o!l&
sho% that 'o!r #obile Soviet #issile la!nchers,
capable o' 'iring the SS-4 #e&i!# range n!clear
#issiles, ha& been place& in %estern C!ba.
On October 19th, (resi&ent )enne&y #et
%ith *oint chie's o' the sta'' to &isc!ss the Soviet
#issiles in C!ba. C!rtis +e,ay sai& to attac" C!ba
in an invasion an& blo% !p the #issile site %hilst
-obert ,c.a#ara s!ggeste& the /#ericans p!t
!p a naval bloc"a&e to stop Soviet ships 'ro#
reaching C!ba. $he presi&ent !lti#ately &eci&e& to p!t !p the naval bloc"a&e rather
than starting a %ar.
0hen the presi&ent1s naval bloc"a&e reache& their &esire& location, 'or &ays
they stoppe& a 'e% Soviet ships b!t let the# pass beca!se they carrie& non-lethal
cargo. )enne&y also ha& a #eeting %ith 2ohn 3ie'enba"er, (ri#e #inister o'
Cana&a, an& pers!a&e& Cana&a to secretly reach 3e'con 4, as &i& the presi&ent
%ith the US/. 5vent!ally, $he US/ reache& 3e'con 2 &!ring a &isp!te %ith the
Soviets.
October, 26, 1962. (resi&ent )enne&y an& .i"ita )hr!shchev ca#e to a
concl!sion that )enne&y re#ove the .aval bloc"a&e an& the n!"es 'ro# $!r"ey,
an& the Soviets %ill re#ove the n!"es 'ro# C!ba. /n& that %as the closest %e have
been to .!clear 0ar'are.
Fidel Castro, Leader of Cuba