The United States and Cuba - Operation Northwoods

Updated March 2017

With the United States flag now flying over its embassy in Havana, Cuba for the first time in more than 54 years and the thawing of diplomatic relations between the two nations, I thought that a brief look at a bit of Cuban-American history was in order.

Back in 1962, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) had outlined plans for a Cuba Project codenamed Operation Northwoods.   A document titled "Justification for U.S. Military Intervention in Cuba" was provided to then Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara on March 13, 1962.  Here is the cover letter signed by the Chairman of the JCS, General Lyman Lemnitzer who served as the JCS Chair from 1960 to 1962:

This set of plans was written in response to a request from the Chief of the Cuba Project, Colonel Edward Lansdale.  These plans included a series of covert proposals that the United States could use to justify an invasion of Cuba as part of America's secret anti-Castro program as you can see in this quote:

"The suggested courses of action appended to Enclosure A are based on the premise that US military intervention will result from a period of heightened US-Cuban tensions which place the United States in the position of suffering justifiable grievances.  World opinion, and the United Nations forum should be favourably affected by developing the international image of the Cuban government as rash and irresponsible, and as an alarming and unpredictable threat to the peace of the Western Hemisphere.  While the forgoing premise can be utilized at the present time it will continue to to hold good only as long as there can be reasonable certainty that US military invention in Cuba would not directly involve the Soviet Union."

The document goes on to list a series of scenarios that could be used to justify U.S. military intervention in Cuba as follows:

1.) Guantanamo Bay Area:  A series of options were listed that could be used in and around the Guantanamo base that would justify intervention by United States forces and the military response that would be utilized:

2.) A "Remember the Maine" incident:  The Maine Incident which took place in the harbour in Havana, Cuba in February 1898, was used to justify the short-lived Spanish - American war which ended up with Spain relinquishing its control of the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States.  This option that involves the destruction of a marine vessel in Cuban waters:

Notice that the JCS recommends the use of fake casualty lists associated with this action in United States newspapers to rally public support for military action against Cuba.

3.) Cuban Terrorism:  The JCS recommends developing a Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, other cities in Florida and in Washington.  This campaign could be pointed at Cuban refugees who were seeking asylum in the United States and could go as far as sinking a boatload of Cubans enroute to Florida or exploding a few plastic bombs in carefully chosen spots.

The following option seems almost prescient for those Americans who have strong beliefs in a conspiracy regarding what happened on September 11, 2001:

4.) Shooting down a Passenger Aircraft:

5.) Shooting down a USAF Aircraft:  In this option, it would appear that Cuban MIG fighters have shot down a USAF aircraft over international waters in an unprovoked attack:

In order to keep this document secret, the Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended that the document not be forwarded to :

1.) commanders of unified or specific commands.

2.) US officers assigned to NATO activities.

3.) Chairman, US Delegation, United Nations Military Staff Committee.

When you read the entire document, you realize how little things have changed over the last five decades.  By raising the spectre of terrorism and by using the deaths of innocent civilians, Washington has been able to continue its practice of geopolitical realignment and robbing us of our freedom through the invasion of our privacy, all in the name of "protecting us".