Danish Defense Intelligence Service Weekly Brief (Excerpts)

Danish Defense Intelligence Service

Weekly Brief

15 November 1962

[excerpts]

POLITICAL

For Service Use

World political activity of the Eastern Bloc: The period covered in the report has once again been marked by Cuban-problems. The chronology is as follows:

07 November: Washington announces that arrangements are being made with the Soviet Union concerning the inspection of the Soviet ships that are leaving Cuba on their way back with the dismantled rockets. Continued disagreement between [US UN Ambassador Adlai E.] Stevenson and [Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Vasily V.] Kuznetsov concerning the inspection of ships sailing to Cuba.

08 November: The first Soviet vessel is stopped and inspected by an American naval ship. The inspection is conducted in a friendly atmosphere.

09 November: The concentration of naval forces in the Caribbean Sea is maintained, while the United States continue to insist on its demand on inspections on Cuban territory; Khrushchev sends a new letter to Kennedy, but nothing is divulged about its content, however; furthermore, it is reported that also the Soviet technicians are on their way home. American inspections on high seas continue.

10 November: After staying for a week in Havana, Mikoyan has still not achieved any noteworthy results. The Americans continue to demand the removal of the IL-28 planes.

11 November: The Soviet Union still haven’t agreed to the demand by the United States, that the control inspection period of the Red Cross should last for 30 days. At the same time it is reported that the United States might have to abandon its demand for an inspection on Cuban soil. To the American demand for the removal of the IL-28 planes, Kuznetsov argues that these planes are of an obsolete model, and that they have already been taken over by the Cuban air force.

12 November: [US] Vice Defense Minister [i.e., Deputy Defense Secretary Roswell] Gilpatric reports, that 42 of the [Soviet] rockets have been removed [from Cuba], but that the American aerial reconnaissance over Cuba will continue; simultaneously, security work on the Guantanamo base continues. After a meeting of the National Security Council, it is declared that the United States is steadfast in its demands for an inspection on Cuba and the withdrawal of the Soviet bombers. For the second day in a row, the Cuban newspapers are quiet about the negotiations between Mikoyan and Castro.

13 November: Mikoyan delivers a speech at Havana university, in which he strongly supports the Cuban point of view and Castro’s “5 demands” to the Americans. Concerning the IL-28 planes, it is stated from Soviet side that the planes are Cuban property. Heated negotiations are taking place, partly between Stevenson and Kuznetsov, and partly between U Thant, Kuznetsov, [Soviet UN Ambassador Valerian] Zorin and the Cuban delegate, Carlos Lechuga on the other. After the negotiations Stevenson declare, that his talk with Kuznetsov has been “constructive,” and a spokesman for U Thant says that the Soviet Union and Cuba in unison has proposed a solution to the Cuban-situation. Furthermore, it is decided to shelve the plan for the inspections of the shipping to Cuba by the Red Cross. From Cuba it is reported of an arrest of an American agent, it is supposedly the leading man of the American intelligence on Cuba, who was arrested during a sabotage action. This is rejected by the Americans, however, as being a mere propaganda stunt.

14 November until 12:00: The American-Soviet negotiations are expected to continue. To date, 35 ships have passed the American line of blockade on their way to Cuba. The naval units who enforce the blockade are joined by two destroyers from Venezuela as well as several other ships from Argentina and the Dominican Republic.

Summary:

Since the Soviet Union and the United States at the current moment have reached on an agreement about the inspection of the transports to Cuba, two issues are left unsolved, that is, the issue of an inspection on Cuba itself and the removal of the IL-28 planes. With regards to the inspection on Cuban territory, it seems like the negotiation efforts of Mikoyan have been in vain. And as for the removal of the Soviet planes, Moscow has expressed itself very negatively, since the planes now are regarded as Cuban property.