The Cuban Missile Crisis Eyeball To Eyeball — страница 2

missiles.? From the proceedings Kennedy decided to initiate a naval blockade against Soviet Ships carrying missile equipment. On the 22 October Kennedy addressed the nation of what was to happen, which was a quarantine around Cuba, where no ships carrying offensive military equipment were allowed to pass. During the quarantine all American forces were to be placed on alert and that any missile attacks from Cuba would be taken as a deliberate Soviet attack and would be responded to accordingly. All eyes were fixed on Cuba and America aware that the slightest naval incident could trigger a nuclear holocaust. On the day of the 25th of October, the US navy intercepted the first of 25 Soviet ? chartered vessels known to be on their way to Cuba, but did not board her. The Marcula was

the next to be stopped and searched the next morning. No offensive weapons were found on the Marcula and were allowed to proceed. A the day progressed the US Navy received reports that the other Soviet ships had halted and that they had turned back. The day after an ultimatum was received from Khrushchev that he would only withdraw his missiles if the US promised not to invade Cuba. The US was short relieved from this news for Khrushchev sent another message stating that the Americans also had to dismantle their missile sites in Turkey and withdraw nuclear weapons from both Britain an Italy, all of which were causing anxiety to the Soviets. Kennedy refused and the crisis yet again seemed to flare up when a U-2 was shot down over Cuba and another, on a routine flight over Alaska,

somehow strayed into Soviet airspace. US government was once again put on alert and had to devise a plan to avoid war. So they decided to assumingly ignore the second letter and reply to the first, promising not to invade Cuba. A the end of the 13 day crisis, the Soviets withdrew their missiles from Cuba as soon as the US agreed to demobilize the invasion forces gathered in Florida. Quickly Kennedy agreed and the level of tension decreased. Three decades later a conference was held in Havana, Cuba attended by former Kennedy Administration members, Soviet participants in the crisis, and a Cuban delegation led by Fidel Castro. It was there that the Soviets, Cubans, and Americans learned how close the world had come to a nuclear holocaust. Soviet General Anatoly Gribkov informed

participants that, in addition to their intermediate-range ballistic missiles, the Soviets had deployed nine tactical missiles in Cuba to be used against any US invasion force. Even more significantly, General Gribkov stated, Soviet field commanders in Cuba had the authority to fire those tactical nuclear weapons without further direction from the Kremlin. What might of happened had the US invaded Cuba? ?We can predict the results with certainty,? former secretary of defence McNamara answers, then adds, ?No one should believe that US troops could have been attacked by tactical nuclear warheads without the US responding with nuclear warheads.? I presume the delegates in that conference room was thankful that their leaders did the right thing.